It’s two days after Syncro de Mayo, and not only has DT forgotten to cover the sycnonicity, but now we get a Volvo? NO! STOP! Okay, hang on. There is a reason. Synco de Mayo is a celebration of VW’s Syncro all-wheel-drive cars, which started with classic viscous coupling used in the Vanagon/Golf/Passat, and then […]
This next car comes as a tip from Art who writes: Got a welder? A manual v70r for $2k?? Yep, it needs some work, but potentially a diamond in the rough If the rust isn’t toooooo bad. All I can add is…run…away…and then back after you find a car to swap that powertrain into. Find […]
This next car comes as a tip from Art C who writes: This… is an absolute steal if it’s not a total basket case… should be $15k with those miles in good to above average condition. Yes, indeed this seems to be a very simple asking price for a very complex machine. Find this 2005 […]
Volvo has never been known as a performance brand, but they did dip their Swedish feet into the proverbial speed pool in the early aughts with a few shiny things wearing an “R” badge. It actually started earlier with the 850R in 1995, but that was still front-wheel-drive and only sporty compared to a 4-cylinder powered brick boat house like the 240, but in 2003 Volvo kicked up their speed game with the turbocharged 5-cylinder V70R that put out 300 horsepower into all four wheels. It wasn’t as fast as the German (BMW M, Audi S) or Japanese (STi/Evo) competition, but you could buy one for the family because your wife thought it wasn’t a toy. Find this 2004 Volvo V70R offered for $13,000 in San Bruno, CA via craigslist.
If you try and compare the driving experience of the all-wheel-drive, manual gearbox, 300 horsepower Volvo V70R to a similar era Subaru STI or Mitsubishi Evo, you will probably find the Volvo lacking in exhilaration. But that’s okay, because Volvo wasn’t aiming to convert buyers of the boy-racer rally machines — and instead of was trying to compete with Audi’s S4 and Mercedes-Benz C32/C55 AMG..and maybe take a stab at BMW’s M3. Perhaps it wasn’t as fast as its competition, but the V70R was the only one available as a 7 passenger wagon with a shift-it-yourself gearbox. Find this 2006 Volvo V70R offered for $8999 buy-it-now or make-offer in Orchard Park, NY vi eBay.
Volvo wagons had always been “cool” to drive around since the 1927 Volvo PV4 hit the streets with a thin diagonal rod holding the “iron mark” emblem in front of the grill. The PV444 added to that coolness with a modern style wagon and you can’t forget the iconic boxy body 145/245/740/940/850 wagons of the […]
The V70R was Volvo’s answer to the question: How do you go really fast with extended family all legally buckled inside? The third row of seats meant that 7 people could enjoy the exhilaration of a inline-5 pushing boosted power & many torques into all four wheels. Find this 2000 Volvo V70R Sport Wagon offered for […]
by Kevin — With only around 500 brought to the US, exclusivity is the name of the game with this 2000 Volvo V70R. When new, the $40k+ sticker price included Haldex AWD, 16” wheels, vented rear discs, dual outlet exhaust and faux suede seat inserts. Most importantly, it also got you the 261hp, turbo 5 […]
I remember getting my first ride in a V70R that a colleague had picked up new a few years ago. With 5 “adults” packed into the interior it offered a surprising amount of forward thrust — not the frenetic immediacy of something like an Evo or STI, but a nice wall of torque and passing […]
I can remember the first time I got a ride in a 2nd generation (2004-2007) Volvo V70R. It was a strange sensation of bombing down a surface street with 5 full sized adults on board and thinking wow, we are going fast…in a Volvo wagon. Really fast AAAAAAAAAAAA, WATCH OUT FOR THOSE…hey, great brakes on […]