DTO: Thorsday GASser: 2011 Volvo S60 T6

Bet you assumed you’d see yet another Volvo 1800 or Amazon Thorsday posting… but today we’ve got something special in the Daily Turismo Omologato (DTO) catagory.  The DTO is a rare or interesting example of a DT-friendly classic or performance vehicle, but priced somewhere above the self imposed DT cap of $20k. Galpin Auto Sports is customizer that started off as a Ford dealer in the San Fernando Valley area, but branched into extreme pimp-my-ride style customization in the past decade.  They had a very nice custom ’66 Bronco at the LA Auto Show two years ago, but the cost to pay them to customize your vehicle is seriously prohibitive.  Buying a pre-customized version on the other hand is much easier on your wallet but you’ve got to live with whatever poor decisions the last guy made.  Find this 2011 Volvo S60 T6 offered for $32,900 in Portland, OR from a dealer via craigslist.

The second generation Volvo S60 was launched in 2010 and was built in a Volvo production facility in Belguim  (the sister wagon V60 was built in Torslanda).  This particular S60 started off as a T6 model but has been thoroughly worked over by the guys as Galpin Auto Sport.  Every body panel has been painted custom classic pastel blue PPG paint and all the trim plus roof has been hit with gloss black.  The only thing missing is an orange stripe for a classic Gulf Oil livery.

The engine is a stock 3.0 liter inline-6 that makes 300 horsepower and 320 ft-lbs of torque with the help of a turbocharger and intercooler.  It may seem strange to have a transverse mounted inline-6 up front in the Volvo, but since the introduction of the 850 model in 1992, Volvo has transformed its entire fleet to front and all-wheel drive machines under the guise of safety but probably to cut costs.  The big all-wheel-drive Volvos aren’t as sharp as something from BMW but drive more like something from Audi…not necessarily a bad thing, just don’t expect the S60 T6 to handle like a Mistu Lancer Evo.

The guys at GAS did not leave the interior alone and have added custom blue leather seats with “French” stitching/piping designed to match the exterior color.  The headliner is a custom made suede insert and the carpet has been changed to a dark navy blue.  It actually looks like a nice place for a daily drive or weekend jaunt to the mountains.

Here is a 2012 video where Mad Mike of GAS gives a walk around of the GAS customized S60…not a similar car..but this exact car. 

See a better way to spend 30-large on a custom that looks fresh from SEMA? tips@dailyturismo.com Actually, this car did make the trip to SEMA in 2011 as one of 20 cars Galpin brought to the show.  See some pics here at Swedespeed.com website.

Image credits: galpinautosports.com