Volvo S60 "Wrestler"

Want to see a what a Volvo and a wrestler have in common? Check out this new film which talks about our range of new engines and you'll get the idea pretty quickly. Turn the sound up to get full effect and see how you'd go as a wrestling announcer.

Find out more about your Volvo S60 here: http://www.volvocars.com/intl/all-cars/volvo-s60/Pages/default.aspx

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REVIEWS: First Drive: 2012 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design

Volvo could have stood pat with the S60 and no one would have blinked an eye. A year ago, the Swedish company introduced the long-awaited redesign of its mid-level sedan, which exhibited such impressive handling characteristics and refined styling that we named it to our 2011 All-Stars roster. The success of the S60 has been the primary factor driving increased sales for Volvo, which are up 28 percent over a year ago.

The automaker is not going to rest on its laurels, however, as it looks to further expand its market by appealing to enthusiast buyers. So for 2012, Volvo is introducing the S60 T6 AWD R-Design.

What makes it different

Visually, the exterior of the R-Design is differentiated from the S60 T5 and T6 by its redesigned lower front fascia, black grille, rear trunk spoiler, and five-spoke diamond-cut eighteen-inch wheels. In the cabin are special sport seats upholstered in off-black leather with contrasting stitching and an embossed R-Design logo, a sport steering wheel, sport pedals, and blue-rimmed tachometer and speedometer gauges.

The most important changes to the S60 R-Design are under the hood, however.

Starting with the turbocharged in-line six from the S60 T6, Volvo engineers -- in partnership with Polestar, a Swedish racing and performance parts company -- modified the engine control module to optimize output, adding boost, advancing the spark timing, and recalibrating the throttle to enhance performance. The result is an eight percent increase in horsepower (from 300 to 325 hp) and a nine percent increase in torque (from 325 to 354 lb-ft), making the S60 R-Design the most powerful production Volvo ever built. Volvo engineers also went to work on the chassis to enhance the S60's ride and handling. Changes include stiffer springs , monotube rear dampers, a front strut brace, and a larger-diameter front antiroll bar.

Ride and handling

At moderate speeds, the S60 R-Design is a refined cruiser, with a comfortable ride despite its firmer suspension. Push it a little on curvy mountain roads, however, and the tweaked in-line six, whose power is delivered via a six-speed automatic with an available Sport mode, responds immediately to throttle inputs even as the car's body motions remain well balanced.

We were able to put in some laps at Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California, where the R-Design's chassis performed admirably on the 3.0-mile track, which features several elevation changes and some tricky, off-camber corners. All-wheel drive and the Corner Traction Control torque vectoring system, in which the inner wheel is braked as more power is fed to the outer wheel, quells understeer while allowing the driver to take corners more aggressively.

Read More: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1108_2012_volvo_s60_t6_awd_r_design_first_drive/index.html

2012 Volvo S60 R-Design - First Drive Review

“High performance” is not a descriptor typically employed for products from Volvo, the safety-savvy Swedish company previously operated by Ford and now owned by China’s Geely. But three years after cancelling its R-badged performance derivatives of the V70 and S60, Volvo is dipping its toes back into the sporty pool with the 2012 S60 R-Design, a more powerful, more stiffly sprung version of the firm’s mid-size sedan. (The XC60 R-Design, which was introduced last year with an upgraded suspension, also gets a power boost for 2012.) While this higher-performance S60 shares the throne of most powerful production Volvo ever with its sister XC60 R-Design, it has an uphill battle to win over the Euro-sport constituency—it’s priced right up against some serious and well-established competition.

That pricing starts at $43,375. For starters, it nets an engine tune from Swedish racing team Polestar that bumps the turbocharged inline-six’s horsepower from 300 to 325. Torque makes a leap as well, from 325 lb-ft to 354. Polestar didn’t have to do much to hit these numbers. The engine internals remain the same, and the company merely upped the boost to 12.8 psi (from 11.6) and advanced the spark timing. Premium fuel is recommended, while the regular S60 T6 swills regular. Call us lucky, for once: The power boost is specific to U.S.- and Canadian-market R-Designs. EPA fuel-economy estimates are unchanged from the base car’s 18 mpg city and 26 highway.

Changes Down Under for a Car from Up North

The R brings abundant chassis changes as well. Stiffer suspension bushings reduce the feeling of isolation from the road. Coupled with 15-percent-stiffer springs, a front strut-tower brace and a 0.6-inch-lower ride height contribute to taut body control and quick reflexes. Unlike with the Four-C adjustable chassis system available on T6-powered S60s, the R-Design driver doesn’t get to make on-the-fly adjustments to the ride and handling.

Inside the R-Design, blue instrument dials peer through the sport steering wheel while front-row riders sit in more-heavily bolstered versions of leather-wrapped S60 seats. A unique front fascia, rear diffuser, decklid spoiler, and 18-inch R-Design wheels round out the exterior tweaks.

Read More: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11q3/2012_volvo_s60_r-design-first_drive_review

Volvo Polestar Racing Scandinavian Touring Car Championship 2011 Round 4 - 5 Review

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