Volvo bringing ethanol-powered C30 racer to WTCC

Click to view a hi-res gallery of the Volvo C30 Green Racer Let's play a little word association game here. When I say "Volvo", what comes to mind? Swedish. Safety. Soccer moms. Station wagons. But racing? Granted, Volvo is not one of the better-known names in motorsport, but the company has been competing for the last couple of seasons in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. Volvo Motorsport actually took the first two championships of the series in 1996 and 1997, and came back to the series last year with an E85 ethanol-powered C30, campaigned by Polestar Racing AB. Although the green racing hatch has yet to reclaim the national title for Volvo, it has won a couple of races against conventionally-fueled competitors from the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Opel. The Swedish automaker has now decided to bring the vehicle up a level to the World Touring Car Championship when the series comes to Brands Hatch in the UK next weekend. It will be interesting to see how the E85 Volvo will fare against the diesel-powered Seats and the other gasoline-powered regulars in the WTCC, however Volvo's entry will be strictly for exhibition and not eligible for points. Press release after the jump and images in the gallery below.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
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This needed to happen: RWD Volvo C30

While Volvo's C30 has wily charms in its stock configuration, we could see how it'd be even more entertaining with the power being sent to the proper wheels. While we're talking revisions, a honkingly large turbocharger and external-reservoir dampers would be welcome additions, too. The race-ready ride height is dead sexy, and while it's a crazy thing to do to a perfectly good brand new Volvo, Sweden's Skruffse has carried out some beautiful fabrication work. The use is obviously racing of some sort, and with wide tires at all four corners we're surmising that it's something that involves turning, versus drag racing. Seeing this car's tow rig - a first-generation V70, it all comes together -- those willing to strip the C30 down like a stolen Pinto and rejigger the chassis are true Volvo nuts. We're pretty sure the warranty has been voided, though.

[ Via: CarScoop ]
[ Tag: c30 hatchback, c30 racecar, C30Hatchback, C30Racecar, racing c30, RacingC30, rear wheel drive, RearWheelDrive, rwd, rwd c30, RwdC30, volvo c30, volvo hatchback, VolvoC30, VolvoHatchback ]