Volvo V8 Supercar to pack a punch

Neither a box on wheels nor a DIY flatpack, Volvo blew away all those Swedish gags at the unveiling of the V8 Supercar it will debut at Clipsal 500 in two weeks.

In distinctive blue and dominant Valvoline livery, the two-car, factory-backed entry running under the Volvo Polestar Racing banner made its grand entrance to the 2014 V8 Supercars paddock at Sydney Harbour yesterday morning.

Featuring a stumpy boot true to its road-model companion, the final look of the S60 racecar powered by a 478kW Polestar-built 5.0-litre V8 engine had been a closely guarded secret.

"It's a very mean-looking car," driver and last year's V8 Supercars rookie of the year Scott McLaughlin said. "The front is a little bit shorter and the boot's a bit shorter as well, so it actually makes it look quite phat.

"It's awesome."

"I'm just honestly looking forward to getting out there and giving it a red-hot crack." It's entry under new car of the future specifications makes Volvo the fifth manufacturer in Australia's most popular motorsport category, joining Ford, Holden, Nissan and Mercedes. The national touring car series has not been so diverse in terms of makers since it ran under previous international rules in 1992.

The cars, to be piloted by McLaughlin and Robert Dahlgren, have had only straight-line aerodynamic testing of their Volvo shell ahead of tomorrow's official test day at Sydney Motorsport Park.

"This is a historic day in the history of Volvo Car Australia," Volvo Car Australia managing director Matt Braid said. "As the first luxury car manufacturer to enter V8 Supercars with a factory team, we're delighted to reveal our Volvo S60 race car to meet the challenge of the world's toughest touring car series and strengthen the presence of the S60 model line - and Volvo brand - here in Australia." The season begins at the Clipsal 500 on February 27.