Volvo V40 bio-diesel racecar by Heico Sportiv

Volvo specialty tuner and motorsports team Heico Sportiv has revealed the first-ever racing version of the brand new Volvo V40 which makes its debut at the Auto Mobil International (AMI) in Leipzig, Germany.

As the official Volvo Car Germany partner for road vehicle individualization, Heico states the V40 racecar previews the exterior styling design for a comprehensive accessories program, which will be availability worldwide at Volvo retailers when the V40 has its market launch. Previously, Heico teased a couple of design sketches of the V40 tuning kit.

For the V40 racecar, it features a lightweight carbon fiber body kit with widened wheels arches, a lowered front spoiler and a rear wing for race track application only. It should be noted these fender arches will not be availble for the retail V40 styling kit, however, the rear diffusor already corresponds to the final road version.

Heico uses the "Green Racing" slogan to emphasize that the V40 racecar is powered by alternative fuels. The Volvo V40 racecar is equipped with a racing version of the five-cylinder turbo diesel D5 engine which produces 300 HP (221 kW / 296 bhp) and a maximum torque of 600 Nm. Heico states the V40 racecar will have bio-diesel in its tank when it approaches the starting line at the famous 24 hour race at the Nürburgring.

A Volvo to be proud of

IT'S always nice to see a classic car being used by its owners for everyday chores, particularly if it's one as clean and cherished as this beautiful '65 Volvo.

This sober Swedish saloon - which I think is a 121 Amazon, although I could be wrong - is a brilliant example of what Volvos used to look like before their designers discoverd Etch-a-Sketch had been invented, and arguably you can see influences of it in today's rather sleeker and sportier offerings, including the latest V40.

If you own this classic Volvo by all means get in touch - I'd love to know more about it. I'm sad to admit it, but it made my lunch break seeing it on a Southport street otherwise packed with Astras and old Escorts.

Fire up the... Saab 9-5

IT'S a company that - despite a proud history of its products proving popular - seems to go from crisis to crisis.

No, it's not News International but Saab, the Swedish car company which only a few weeks ago narrowly avoided closure after it got a huge order from China. An order that'll include the impressive second generation of the 9-5.

This car, a distant cousin of Vauxhall's acclaimed Insignia, is the model which will make or break Saab's future, and if it's going to succeed it's got some very strong competition to see off. Is the 9-5, which starts at a shade over £27,000, good enough to tempt you away from not only the BMW 5-Series, but also a revitalised Jaguar XF and Audi's A6?

The good news is that you shouldn't let its General Motors origins put you off; not only is the Insignia a startingly good base to start off, being an impressive cruiser in its own right, but the 9-5 is sufficiently Saab-ish in its own right.

Thanks to an ergonomically-gifted dashboard all of its own, clever toys like the night function for the instruments and an exterior that's challenging without being ugly, you're in no doubt that the new Saab is light years ahead of its predecessor.

Yet it's successfully carried over the one thing I adored about the old model - the comfort. Even though the model I tried was the 2.8 diesel version, it's near-silent once you get up to speed and the seats, front and back, are among the comfiest I've ever experienced. If you're an executive who regularly gets a numb bum, this is the car for you.

It's just a shame that - at least on the particular car I tested - builld quality wasn't quite up to the standards of its rivals, with a chrome surrounding on one of the rear doors coming loose. I can only hope it's an isolated incident, but even then you'd have to concede the bunker-like BMW 5-Series feels more solid.

The 9-5 might not tick as many of the boxes as its rivals but feels somehow more engaging for it; what it lacks as an all-rounder in makes up for in personality, which this saloon has in spades. If you're in the market for an executive saloon but find the big sellers a bit boring, you won't be disappointed with this leftfield alternative.

We should do our bit to save Saab, because they make good cars.

The truth about Project Volvo

IT'S got to be one of the best car-related tales I've ever been told. David Cameron is a sports car and Gordon Brown is a Volvo. Ed Balls and the tabloids told us so.

The "If you were a car, what would it be?" question's been doing the rounds in the motoring magazines for donkey's years but thanks to the emergence of - and I'm honestly not making this up - Project Volvo from the Labour party's skeleton closet it's suddenly a game that's entered the national consciousness. It's a fun way of matching up your own automotive prejudices with people you don't like very much.

It's also a fun way of wasting the next five minutes.

Project Volvo, I reckon, shows up not what people thought of Gordon Brown a few years ago but the lack of petrolheads in the last Labour government (with the possible exception of Stephen Ladyman, who owned an Alfa 156 at the time). Gordon Brown a Volvo? Not a chance. Given the task of assigning an automotive brand to our last Prime Minister, I'd opt instead for Humber. Like him, it's sturdy, reliable, well-built and proudly British. Oh, and not here any more. Perfect.

David Cameron, I suspect, is much more Volvo; plenty more street cred and always full of clever ideas, but ultimately a darling of the middle classes. Nick Clegg, meanwhile, is any car you want him to be but with the the unfortunate snag of a knackered steering rack; vaguely promising to go in one direction, but then suddenly snapping at the last minute and going in the other. Don't worry; for the sake of impartiality I've got to take the mickey out of each of the three big parties equally.

The best bit about all of this though, was that Project Volvo actually upset the Swedes so much that they went on the defensive and issued a press release distancing their cars from Gordon Brown, in which they said senior politicians are all out of touch and haven't got a clue about what modern Volvo stands for.

Peter Rask, Regional President of Volvo Car UK, Ireland and Iceland, said: "If only the Labour party had been like today's Volvos - dynamic, agile and innovative - perhaps the UK economy would have been in a better place than it finds itself today!"

We'll get the Prime Minister's reaction to that in a minute. Oh wait...

NEW 2012 VOLVO S60 R-DESIGN - 325 hp !!!

The 2012 Volvo S60 R-Design will get a significant horsepower and torque increase when it goes on sale later this year. Volvo’s T6 engine, a turbocharged inline six, will now produce 325 hp and 480 Nm, up from the standard 304 hp/440 Nm.

Volvo’s most dynamic model ever will also get a strut brace under the hood to stiffen up the body structure and improve steering response. At the rear, the R-Design features monotube dampers. Unlike the twin-tube dampers used in the T6, the monotube system features compression and return damping via the same valve, giving shorter and faster fluid flow. This translates to quicker response.

Looks wise, the R-Design will get a redesigned lower front fascia with a grille painted in glossy black, 90 mm twin pipes, exclusive 18-inch diamond cut wheels, rear trunk spoiler, standard Dual Xenons with Active Bending Lights and a special colour – Passion Red.

Inside, a number of new features help to further differentiate the R-Design. The front sports seats get new seat cushion with deeper side bolsters. The upholstery will be offered in off-black leather with contrasting stitch and a textured leather accent with embossed R-Design logo across the backrests. The dash also features a sport steering wheel with R-Design logo, gear selector, sports pedals, floor mats and a blue instruments.

The springs have been shortened by 15 mm to give the car more visual attitude. Spring stiffness is 15% higher compared to the dynamic chassis in the S60 T6, while the bushings with which the rear dampers are attached to the body are 20% stiffer. The front tie-blade bushing is a massive 400% stiffer than before to counteract wheel bouncing and shaking.

As with the T6, the R-Design will have Volvo’s electronically controlled AWD system with Instant Traction and Corner Traction Control with torque vectoring, as well as safety highlights such as Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake.

Volvo V60 by Heico Sportiv

Heico Sportiv has announced plans to introduce their tuning package for the Volvo V60 at the Essen Motor Show.

Like Heico's S60, the V60 features an aggressive front spoiler and a revised rear skirt which can be outfitted with a carbon fiber or stainless steel insert. Additional options include a sport exhaust, VOLUTION wheels (available in 18- or 20-inches), aluminum pedals, and custom leather upholstery.

Under the hood, the e.motion package enables the 2.0T to produce 297 PS (218 kW / 293 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque - an increase of 47 PS (35 kW / 46 hp) and 50 Nm (37 lb-ft). If your car has the T6 engine, power can be increased to 330 PS (243 kW / 326 hp) and 460 Nm (339 lb-ft) of torque.

VOLVO V60 HYBRID

Kami menjangkakan kereta Volvo V60 yang dipasang hybrid akan berada pada pertunjukkan motor show di Geneva akan datang pada Mac ini. Dengan menggunakan D5 (lima silinder) dan kekuatan 2.4 liter, ia juga dilengkapi dengan enjin turbo diesel yang pastinya membuatkan perjalanan anda lebih 'cepat'... Maksima torque sebanyak 440 Nm, kereta ini mampu memecut laju tanpa sebarang halangan. Sama2 kita lihat nanti model ini pada pertunjukan motor show di Geneva pada Mac ini nanti.

Voluminous V60 also goes for coupe curves

THE days of Volvos being boring and boxy are a step closer to being banished forever after the Swedish firm launched its latest estate earlier this week.

Looking more like a curvaceous coupe than the likes of the angular Volvos of old, the V60 is the latest in a long line of load luggers to emerge from the Gothenburg factory, but the company are hoping to impress buyers with style and a sporty drive as much what it can carry.

“From the design viewpoint, the focus was on making the car as close to a coupé as possible, while retaining that handy extra space at the rear. Our sports wagon does not aim to compete with the traditional estate car. For the customer who wants a lot of load space, there is our V70 or XC70,” said Örjan Sterner, the car's head of exterior design.

“The dip in the middle of the double wave visually pushes the car down. This enhances the stance and makes the car look sleeker and lower. The sculpted bonnet and the short overhangs front and rear also emphasise the sports car feel.”

The company are also claiming it'll be a class leader when it comes to safety - it's a Volvo - and that rather than concentrating on giving buyers a cavernous boot, it's aimed more at buyers impressed with the S60 saloon's style but insistent on having the extra space of an estate.

Anyone looking to impress their fellow IKEA customers is being urged to head to Volvo dealerships in the autumn, when the V60 arrives in the UK.