The Volvo 850 T5-R was one of the most interesting cars that competed in the BTCC in the 90s. Arguably, it was a marketing gimmick, designed to put Volvo in the news in order to shed its old image. And it worked. The BTCC program was the brainchild of Volvo SVP Martin Rybeck, who saw it as a vehicle with which Volvo could capture the hearts and minds of a new generation of customers. It would show that Volvos could also be capable of serious performance if one wanted. To this end, Steffanson Automotive, a longtime Volvo tuner, was tapped to turn the 850 into a competitive platform. The story has been often repeated that on the day SAM representatives arrived at the factory to pickup up a bodyshell, only an estate was available. So rather than wait for a sedan body, it was the estate bodyshell that was brought to SAM’s workshops.
Subsequent testing supposedly showed that the estate’s longer roof provided more aerodynamic downforce. Volvo then decided to bring in Tom Walkinshaw Racing to campaign the racer for them. TWR started the process by welding in a full rollcage, rebuilding the engine to race specs (for an official output of a little over 290 hp), installing an Xtrac sequential gearbox, using an AP Racing carbon fiber clutch and finally an LSD. Suspension consists of TWR struts up front and Volvo Delta-link at the rear. A combination of Falkner springs and Ohlins dampers provided control. Brembo 8-pot/2-pot front and rear brakes were used, as well as BBS forged wheels.
Total weight for the car came out to 975 kg, for a power-to-weight ratio comparable to that of a Porsche 911 GT3. Performance calculations estimate that the race car would do 0-60 mph in about 3.7 seconds. This performance was enough to make it quite competitive in its first season of racing, but not enough for a win. At the time, each copy of the race car cost up to 400,000 pounds. Today, these ex-BTCC racers can supposedly be had for 25,000 pounds.
Inspiration for this post here.
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