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Volvo cars of North America pulled the covers off two exciting new concept
cars at the 2005 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow in Las
Vegas, Nevada this week.
The two cars take diversity to polar extremes. Painted a glittering Saffron
colour reminiscent of a desert sunset, the XC70 AT (All Terrain) takes the
production Volvo all-wheel-drive XC70 wagon to the off-road extreme. The T6
Roadster takes Volvo to the drag strip with its 1930s inspired body, fat rubber
and low beltline.
XC70 AT
The XC70 AT features a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline
five-cylinder engine normally found in the V70 R sport wagon. But where the V70
R cranks out a digestible 220kW, the XC70 AT gets very busy with a Garrett
GT2835R turbocharger and ipd/MTE Stage III software to lift the output to 305kW
at 6200rpm.
The torque curve gets big and fat consuming 398 lb-ft at a low 4000rpm. The
XC70 AT uses the same six-speed automatic transmission that is standard in the
XC90 V8 and the 2006 V70 R. Making sure all four wheels get the most of the
broad torque curve is Volvo’s computer controlled all-wheel-drive system by
Haldex.
New on the production XC70 for 2005 is Volvo’s Four-C dual-mode adaptive
chassis control system. The driver can choose between Sport and Comfort. Taking
this concept to the next level, ipd developed a customised independent air ride
suspension offering 100mm of adjustability via dash-mounted buttons. Add in the
ipd designed 100mm lift kit and the XC70 AT can ride up to 200mm higher than the
production Volvo XC70.
Additional accessories include a generator, high-lift jack, spare jerry can
and tyre and remote exterior battery terminal connections.
T6 Roadster
T6 Roadster is a hand-built hotrod based on Volvo
components and a twin turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine from a car
manufacturer more widely known for safety and function.
Fabricated entirely by hand, painstaking effort went into creating every
part. You won't find a mail-ordered headlight or a grille on the T6 Roadster.
What you do find are OEM Volvo parts including a 200kW twin-turbocharged
2.9-liter inline six-cylinder engine from an S80 donor.
Where you find the engine, however, isn't under the bonnet. Behind the doors
neatly tucked under the bum is the engine and automatic gearbox. In the
transplant process, the engine and five-speed Geartronic automatic now spin the
rear wheels.
Far from standard and nearer to the extreme, the engine stays comfortably
cool via some lateral thinking. The deck lid automatically lifts when a preset
temperature is reached inside the engine compartment.
In the nose behind the fabricated egg-crate grille is a small compartment
containing the mechanicals for the functioning ABS brakes and the top-notch
audio equipment.
The custom fabricated frame utilizes rear subframes from the donor S80. If
you didn't notice, the stainless steel wishbones for the independent front and
rear suspensions are fabricated. Makes mounting the 20x8.5-inch front wheels and
22x10-inch rear wheels that bit easier. Volvo C70 spindles, custom carbon-fibre
leaf springs and a shortened S80 steering rack can be found up front.
Around back are S80 front spindles and lower trailing arms with
remote-reservoir Ohlins shock absorbers. The rear coil-over shocks,
incidentally, are centrally mounted in the engine compartment. Braking up front
is handled via six-piston calipers and 330mm discs. The rear discs carry across
from the Volvo S80.
Inside, the T6 Roadster looks as if it rolled off the Volvo factory line in
Torslanda, Sweden. Aside from the seats, the instruments, headrests, shifter
handle and pedal assembly are all tattooed with a Volvo part number. A steering
wheel from a Volvo S60 adds a sporty look, while the instrument panel has been
hand fabricated to locate the gauges centrally in the passenger compartment.
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