For immediate release
The unique active chassis "Four-C" technology ready for the road
The breakthrough technologies and scintillating performance promised by the exotic Volvo Performance Concept Car have found real world form in a new, limited production model - the 2003 Volvo S60R.
An intelligent high performance car with one of the world's most advanced active suspension systems, 300 hp engine with 6-speed manual gearbox and electronically controlled all-wheel-drive, the Volvo S60R not only adopts most of the technology from the Performance Concept Car (PCC), it also inherits the show car's dramatic good looks.
The Volvo S60R will have its world premiere at the Paris auto show on September 26, 2002. A V70R wagon, based on the same technology, will be unveiled at the same time.
The performance car concept revisited
The remarkable suspension technology in the S60R permits the newest Volvo sedan to bridge the gap between the extreme performance associated with a sports car and the real world need for everyday driving comfort necessary to cope with deteriorating streets and highways. The ability to switch from delivering high performance grip and handling to delivering the everyday comfort of a family car puts the S60R in a class of its own.
The active suspension system has three driver-controlled settings: Comfort, Sport and Advanced Sport. Each gives the car a unique character and optimizes the suspension for the driving situation. Three discreet buttons on the dashboard control suspension programming.
Four-C Technology
At the core of this versatility is the unique Four-C Technology, the Continuously Controlled Chassis Concept first shown on the PCC. Using precise monitoring equipment and ultra high-speed information processing, the Four-C system reads a variety of data on the car's performance and the driver's activity. Every other millisecond, i.e. 500 times per second, Four-C updates the setting on each shock absorber, on the basis of the continuous information collected from seven sensors. Collected data from the sensors include vertical position and rate of rotation of each wheel, steering inputs, yaw angle, throttle and brake pedal position, and engagement of the all-wheel-drive system. These signals are transmitted to the Four-C control module, that computes pitch, roll and yaw rates of the vehicle and adjust shock valve damping to maintain a horizontal attitude relative to the road.
Four-C Technology is the result of a long-term collaboration with Öhlins Racing AB, one of the world's foremost developers of high-tech shock absorbers, and the shock absorber manufacturer Monroe.
The Volvo S60R's electronically controlled all-wheel drive (AWD) system works in concert with the Four-C suspension to optimize road holding and stability. With its extremely short engagement and disengagement time, the AWD system can react immediately to the throttle position and the torque of the engine. Like Four-C, the AWD interfaces with the car's Multiplex computer system, which is capable of managing large quantities of information.
300 hp and 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds
Under the hood of the Volvo S60R is a twin-turbocharged 2.5 litre, 5-cylinder engine, which provides 300 hp and 295 ft/lbs of torque at 2,100 rpm. A compact 6-speed manual gearbox, newly developed by Volvo Cars, helps accelerate S60 R from 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds (preliminary figure) with an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. A 5-speed automatic transmission with sequential Geartronic shifting feature is also available.
The brakes of the Volvo S60R employ four-piston aluminum Brembo brake calipers on 330 mm discs, stopping the car from 100 km/h in a distance of 36 metres.
Design: Exclusivity with taste
The Volvo design team planned the interior of the S60R as a bold statement. Beginning with a panel of four clear blue, silver-framed instruments, the design of the instrument cluster is reminiscent of an exclusive timepiece. The three-spoke leather-clad steering wheel has a slightly elliptical section to ensure an excellent grip. The leather accents are stitched in blue, reflecting the colour scheme of the instruments.
The deep contoured sports seat option in the Volvo S60R is untreated aniline leather -- a natural leather which, with time, takes on a completely individual patina.
From the outside, the design is more restrained and functional. The S60R features a completely new front treatment, with larger air intakes and spoiler to provide effective cooling of the engine and two intercoolers.
The black 'egg crate' grille has a matte silver edge and carries this colour theme to the framing of the Bi-Xenon headlights. The five-spoke alloy wheels carry a discreet R logo and are available in 17" and 18" diameters, with Pirelli's P-Zero Rosso 235/45 or 235/40 tires.
"There is nothing which doesn't fulfil a function, no unnecessary design clutter," says Peter Horbury, long time head of Volvo design and Executive Director of Design, Ford Premier Automotive Group (PAG). One example is the rear spoiler of the Volvo S60R:
"Some people might think that it's rather too discreet, but its task is to reduce the rear lifting forces by 20 percent - and it does precisely that."
Scheduled to start production in early 2003, the S60R will be built at Volvo Car's factory in Ghent, Belgium. Volumes will be limited. The V70R will be built at the Torslanda plant in Sweden. Prices have not been announced.
Volvo Cars of Canada is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 42 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The 2002 Volvo automobile line includes the flagship S80 luxury sedan, versatile V70 wagon and rugged Cross Country, exotic C70 coupe and convertible, the sporty S60 sedan and compact S40 and V40 models.
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Contact:
Lisa Graham
Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd.
(416)490-5834
lgraha11@volvocars.com
Doug Mepham
MacDonald & Co.
(877)975-1572
doug.mepham@sympatico.ca
