Volvo S60 News

Ford will not be lost to V8 Supercars — at least for another year — with the manufacturing giant set to extend its sponsorship of the Ford Performance Racing team for a further 12 months. In a move that will keep the fierce Holden versus Ford war alive, Ford is on the verge of handing a new set of keys to FPR.Ford has been in deep negotiations with the team and V8 Supercars for the past month with the manufacturer considering options in a tough car market. The decision to axe the Falcon and cease Australian operations at the end of 2016 led to widespread speculation Ford would end its association with the sport when its contract with FPR expired at the end of the year.But Ford is likely to sign on for another year with FPR and V8 Supercars, presenting a strong case for the manufacturer to stick around and take the fight to Holden, as well as new comers Nissan, Mercedes and soon Volvo. “A 12-month deal is looking likely,’’ a well-placed V8 source said.  “Negotiations look -encouraging and as of last week a new deal was looking imminent.”The new deal will leave Ford fans rejoicing and give the sport another year to convince the manufacturer there is a long-term future in V8s. The “Car of the Future’’ platform has enabled manufacturers easily to adapt many models for racing in the series, with Nissan this year bringing in the mid-size Altima and Volvo to unleash the S-60 on famous tracks such as Mount Panorama and Phillip Island.V8 officials have shown Ford their long-term plans and confirmed it would be able to race with a mid-size entry, with the sport aware of a shift towards smaller cars in the current economy. Depending on Ford’s plans, the Mustang may also be revived and is the preference of Ford drivers Mark Winterbottom and David Reynolds.Winterbottom yesterday said he hoped to see Ford remain in the sport for a long time, saying it was vital to the success of the category. “It is important for the sport that they stay,’” Winterbottom said yesterday. “Ford has such a long history in the sport and they have so many fans that would be shattered if they left.” 

Mark Skaife has declared incoming manufacturer Volvo is not a replacement for Ford in the , with the V8 Supercars commissioner set to do everything he can to make sure the famous brand remains in the

Do not go looking in a showroom for anything you see on the track in V8 Supercars racing. There is no such thing as an Erebus. The Nissan Altima does not have a V8 engine. Even the Falcon and Commodore that race today are barely related to the road going cars with the same name.And the Volvo S60 that hits the grid in 2014? Well, it's just a high-speed parody of a Swedish family car. Volvo is going to roll out a car with a retired V8 engine that was once used in the XC90 people mover, switching drive from the front wheels to the back, not bothering about airbags or ABS brakes, and definitely not fitting its brilliant City Safety system. So it's a Volvo, Sven, but not as we know it.V8 Supercars racing might be great entertainment, but more people are now following drivers than car brands - as Craig Lowndes proved by swapping from Holden to Ford, then back-flipping to the red lion, while continuing as the biggest drawcard in Australian motorsport.As for the old saying “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday”, it's so old that it's past its sell-by date. Literally. If you want proof you only have to look at Falcon sales results. The family Ford - or something badged that way - still wins on the track, but it's a long-term loser in showrooms and heading for the knackery in 2016. Or, quite likely, earlier.So why are car companies still joining V8 Supercars?  The simple answer is what the Gruen crew call marketing and brand building. Volvo wants to look a bit speedy, not just safe and sensible, so it's going racing.Nissan wants to create some anticipation for the upcoming mid-sized Altima, so it's going racing. Ford and Holden need to continue their appeal in the rust belt - as Toyota unkindly calls it - where the Commodore and Falcon are the top choices for secondhand shopping, so they continue racing. Track action also helps Holden shift some SS and HSV hero cars.As for Erebus, it's a life-sized racing game for mega-rich Betty Klimenko, who happens to be a huge Mercedes-Benz fan. So Benz is not backing the program, and was actively against it for a while but she is spending more than enough millions to compensate with cars that are dead ringers for Mercedes E63s.The Carsguide crew are long-time fans of touring car racing, enjoy a bit of on-track biff, and know that nothing in Australian sport is more special than Bathurst in October. But the days when Bathurst was a high-speed showroom are so far in the past that we might as well be talking about the Jurassic age.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

Fifty keen locals are the test pilots for the new Volvo S60 Polestar and if they are happy then the car will be pushed out to the rest of the world.There is also the promise of more hot rod cars to come as Volvo develops its Polestar partner as a new Mercedes-AMG or BMW M division. It already does big business in go-faster parts for the XC60 and S60 models."This is a proper pilot program. Australia is first. The world is watching," the managing director of Polestar, Hans Baath, says at the preview of the S60 Polestar in Brisbane this week."Most importantly, today we take the step of launching our first car. It is, for us, a giant step."It's also a big move for Volvo and the most significant performance push in Australia, at least in road cars, since the unsuccessful effort with the quick-but-boxy 740 Turbo.It's accompanied by an entry in the V8 Supercars championship from 2014, with a pair of V8-powered Volvo racers to be fielded by Garry Rogers Motorsport and fitted with lookalike S60 bodywork.Volvo has been involved in motor racing in Australia at different times, way back to the 1980s when it won the Touring Car Championship with a 240 Turbo, and more recently in Sweden and the UK.But the Polestar development is about selling cars, not just trying to shift the brand's image away from its safety-first focus.Polestar already sells performance parts to 50 countries, including power upgrades for its the four-cylinder turbo engines which are the company's global focus.It only has a staff of 35 people but is plugged directly into Volvo's development centre for work on engines, chassis and bodywork.The decision to bring the Polestar S60 to Australia first was an easy one, according to Baath. "Choosing Australia was quite simple for us. It's a country were the car is a vital part of everyday life. There is a huge car culture here. The decision wasn't difficult," he says. "Naturally we hope it's not going to end with this."Also Polestar is being compared with M and AMG, Baath says Volvo is taking a different approach. "The focus is on optimising the car for dynamic driving. Not just for the ultimate numbers," he says. "It's a complete car. To balance the handling, power and transmission. So that it works everywhere. You could compare us to M and AMG, but in terms of car philosophy we'd prefer to be compared to a company like RenaultSport."The Polestar S60 is not cheap at just on $110,000, but Volvo says eight of the 50 cars are already sold and there is strong interest.But managing director Matt Braid says it's not just about selling a single batch of cars. "We really want to get the feedback. If this is successful, we want to see the other opportunities," he says.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

Volvo will once again try to change its staid image and bring an end to Volvo jokes by joining the V8 Supercar racing series in 2014 -- even though it does not sell a V8 car locally.The Swedish brand’s arrival brings the number of car makers competing in the Australian V8 championship to five, joining Holden, Ford, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz.Unlike the Mercedes deal which is privately funded, the Volvo race program is being backed by the factory, albeit paid for by Volvo Australia. Volvo will develop a V8 in Sweden especially for the race series even though it no longer offers a V8 in its passenger car range.Melbourne-based Garry Rogers Motorsport, formerly a Holden-backed operation, will run the two-car Volvo team. There are no plans to change the current driver line-up Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat, the team says. Volvo Australia said it is a “multi-year” deal but would not disclose how exactly how many years.When asked if this would finally put an end to Volvo jokes -- after earlier racing campaigns, which included the late racing legend Peter Brock, failed to break perceptions -- the boss of Volvo Australia Matt Braid said: “I think we’re already there. That heritage has disappeared. I think there is some residual in older age groups … but times have changed and I’m sure the V8 series will enhance it.”Volvo said the racing campaign shows the company is “competing on the track and in the marketplace”, although its sales are down 10 per cent in a market that  is up by 4.5 per cent so far this year. Not having a V8 to sell to the public will not backfire on the brand, says Volvo, “because there isn’t a racing series in the world that’s tied to production cars these days”.The rule-changes to V8 Supercars this year mean the race cars no longer need to technically resemble their road-car cousins. The formula appears to be working. Last season four drivers from two teams shared 30 race wins. So far this year eight drivers from five teams have shared 19 race victories.Volvo's announcement coincides with Volvo’s unveiling of a high-performance sedan powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder engine, called the S60 Polestar and valued at $109,950.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Volvo will return to top level Australian motorsport in 2014, with two S60 Polestar-based racers fielded by Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM). The long-time Holden-affiliated team will make the switch to Volvo-bodied racers, with official factory backing from the Swedish manufacturer announced this morning at the press launch of the S60 Polestar road car in Brisbane. The announcement was made by Volvo Car Australia Managing Director Matt Braid, with new V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton, V8 Supercars Commission Chairman Mark Skaife, GRM owner Garry Rogers, MD and Polestar owner Christian Dahl, Executive Motorsport Director of Volvo Car Group Derek Crabb, and Volvo Car Group Vice President International Thomas Andersson also present."Volvo has a rich motorsport heritage in this country. As the first luxury car brand to enter a factory team in the V8 Supercars Championship, we're determined to add to this heritage, while strengthening the presence of the S60 model line and the Volvo brand here in Australia," Braid said.James Warburton welcomed Volvo's involvement in the V8 Supercar series: "To have another prestigious brand like Volvo in our sport is a red letter day for V8 Supercars. I am extremely delighted to have Volvo in our sport and congratulate Garry and his team on becoming the official Volvo factory team in V8 Supercars."Derek Crabb spoke of Polestar's international motorsport heritage: "Polestar has been Volvo Car Group's global performance and motorsport partner since 1996, and has campaigned Volvos in the World Touring Car Championship, the European Touring Car Championship and, currently, the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship. We are extremely happy to see Polestar enter this collaboration with Garry Rogers Motorsport for Volvo Car Australia."The Volvo V8 Supercar entry will join Polestar's current involvement in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship and the Pirelli World Challenge in the United States, as Volvo works to establish the Polestar performance brand as a rival to the likes of Merecedes' AMG and BMW's M division.Volvo will develop a 5.0 litre version of its Yamaha-designed 4.4 litre V8 engine for the V8 Supercar campaign, which has previously been available in the in the S80 and XC90 production models.V8 Supercar regulations permit new manufacturers to use either the Ford or Chevrolet-based units used by Ford and Holden teams, but Volvo will follow Nissan and Erebus AMG in using a bespoke unit.Volvo is not without pedigree in top-level Australian motorsport, after Robbie Francevic won the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1986, and multiple Super Tourer entries in the late 90s.  These Super Tourer entries were highlighted by the involvement of Australian touring car legends Peter Brock and Jim Richards, with the latter winning the 2.0 Bathurst 1000 event in 1998 in an S40.Volvo will be the fifth manufacturer to enter the V8 Supercar series, after Nissan Motorsport and the privately entered Erebus AMG outfits joined the championship this year with the category's shift to Car of The Future specifications.The new Volvo-badged team will race under the banner Volvo Polestar Racing, in a similar rebranding to Kelly Racing becoming Nissan Motorsport earlier this year. V8 Supercars continues to seek further manufacturers to join the series, in a bid to future-proof the series against the uncertain future of Holden and Ford's factory involvement. This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn

The souped-up Volvo S60 is the result of a 12-month intensive development program between Volvo Australia and the company’s global motorsport and performance partner, Polestar.  Just 50 cars will be built, with the first batch arriving in late June. The all-wheel drive cars will be capable of a 4.9-second blast to 100km/h … and will be priced to match. Volvo Australia hasn’t confirmed prices - managing director Matt Braid was still finalising details this week on everything from the braking package to the seat bolstering and upholstery - but Carsguide believes the car will cost around $115,000.That will buy a Volvo S60 R Design car with major suspension and drivetrain upgrades from Polestar to transform the already capable sedan into a seriously quick car. It’s not going to challenge the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG or BMW M3 for outright grunt but Polestar director Hans Baath says that wasn’t the intent.“It’s not our aim to be AMG,” he says. “This is more of a driver’s car than a performance car because that (performance) is based so heavily on engine output. So it’s not just a track car … it is something you should be able to drive every day in all conditions.”It is also the first car Polestar has developed for Volvo and Baath says the Aussie experience will determine whether the S60 Polestar is sold in other markets and whether Polestar will then turn its attention to other vehicles in the Swedish carmaker’s range. Polestar project manager Henrik Fries says the S60 is more than the sum of its parts.“Everything that moves, we changed,” he notes. “This is a car with much more handling and agility … we have built a car that people will enjoy driving.”Changes include Ohlins suspension with adjustable rebound and compression damping, upgrades to the six-speed automatic transmission software, a bigger turbo on the six-cylinder engine, ECU tweaks to cope with the 257kW/500Nm outputs and upgrades to the Haldex all-wheel drive system biased for rear-wheel drive. 

If you live in the city, chances are good you don’t use your high beams much for night driving, since you’re rarely in an environment where they can be employed without distracting other drivers. If you live in the country, on the other hand, high beams provide a welcome margin of safety for driving at night, making it easier to spot roadside hazards, unpredictable animals and even approaching traffic signs. Self-dimming high beam systems have been on the market for a few years now, but such systems can be slow to react as you approach traffic, or as oncoming traffic approaches you. Since they merely switch from high beam to low beam in high-traffic-density situations, they fail to provide the same illumination as your brights would. Volvo thinks it has a better idea, and it’s poised to launch what it’s calling a “renewed Active High Beam Control” system. Elegant in its design, Active High Beam Control relies on a windshield-mounted camera (also used for Volvo’s auto-braking system) to detect cars in the potential path of your brights. When a car is detected, only the portion of the high beam that would be distracting is shaded out, providing the driver with optimal illumination under all circumstances. Volvo claims the system is accurate enough to frame the car ahead with just a 1.5-degree margin. Active High Beam Control varies the amount of shading via a headlight-mounted cylinder incorporating metal deflectors. It’s sensitive enough to work with both cars and motorcycles, and it’s designed to function at speeds as low as 15 km/h. The system will be an available option on European S60, V60 and XC60 models beginning this spring, however there is no word yet on when they will pass regulations for Australia and appear here. www.motorauthority.com  

The S60 and V60 now come with a space-saver spare tyre package as a no-cost option, plugging an important gap in the equipment lineup.The package - tyre, cover and tie-down straps - was previously available at a cost of $410.40, not including GST, but Volvo has now recognised the need for more than just a tyre repair kit as part of the driveway package at dealerships.“We've taken on a variety of feedback and made it happen. We think this is a positive result all-round, giving people the option of taking the space-saver package,” says Oliver Peagam, spokesman for Volvo Cars Australia.But there are still downsides. There is no dedicated spare-wheel storage in the S60 and V60, which means the wheel must be strapped into the luggage space, and the no-cost choice will not be backdated for existing owners of the mid-sized Volvos.“It does eat a bit into the boot space," admits Peagam. “But you can leave it in the garage or put it into the car for a long trip. It's there ready for work straight away. “Some people aren't bothered about the spare, but for some it's important. This is a flexible solution for people who want a spare.”Total sales of the S60 and V60 have now topped 1700 cars, with 1281 S60 sedans delivered since sales began in 2010 and 513 V60 wagons since it arrived in 2011. 

While in the U.S. firms such as Google are attempting to revolutionize mobility by doing away with the driver completely, over in Europe researchers are taking smaller steps towards making autonomous driving a reality. For the past couple of years we’ve been bringing you details about the SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) initiative being conducted by Volvo and several other partners. As its name suggests, the initiative aims to provide vehicles with the ability to drive themselves in long road trains on highways. The technology has the potential to improve traffic flow and journey times, offer greater comfort to drivers, reduce accidents, and improve fuel consumption and hence lower CO2 emissions. After conducting its first real world test on a closed-off road back in January of 2011, the SARTRE system has now successfully completed its first test on a public road among other road users. The test fleet consisted of a lead truck being driven by a professional driver and three following vehicles consisting of a Volvo XC60 crossover, V60 wagon and S60 sedan. The fleet was driven successfully over a distance of 200 kilometres and at speeds in excess of 80km/h on a highway near Barcelona, Spain. Researchers found that while participants were initially uneasy about driving at highway speeds just several feet behind another vehicle and relying solely on technology, the participants acclimatized very quickly. While this test was used to determine how people would react to the cars being driven autonomously, both those in the SARTRE vehicles and other road users, the next phase will focus on analysis of fuel consumption. There’s still no word as to when the technology will be ready for the mainstream though the SARTRE project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. Motor Authority