Volvo is seen as a “cool” brand nowadays, with instantly recognisable styling and plenty of charm being a huge part of the attraction. Even people outside of the car community have a lot of respect for the Swedish brand, but it wasn’t always like this. For many years, they were mocked for being too conservative and boring, driven exclusively by geography teachers and old people. This image obviously got to Volvo, so they created the 850R – a 5 cylinder menace that shattered any notion of conservatism into a million pieces. Combined with it’s racing exploits, it proved to the world that madness is never far away in the cold lands of Sweden.
From the outside, the car doesn’t look that wild with solid, straight lines and plastic bumpers that stick out quite far compared to today’s cars. It doesn’t have badges all over it telling you it’s an 850R because the Swedes don’t like to shout unless they really have to. However they are a few hints that this boxy sedan is packing some extra punch. First, there’s the front bumper with a little kick out at the bottom, then a sportier set of alloy wheels (black 7 spokes on this particular car), a lower ride height and a rear spoiler. No fake vents, no slashes, no dots and no stupid dashes in sight. This, my friends, is how you do a sleeper.
Before turbocharged 4 cylinders became the norm for front wheel drive cars, manufacturers were more adventerous when it came to engine layouts. Think about the VR6 that VW created to fit in the front of the Corrado and the MK3 Golf – but that’s a topic for another day. The engine fitted to this car was a turbocharged 5 cylinder just like the Audi Quattro. Whilst it didn’t rev as high as the Group B rally car, the 850R produced a distinctive growl that was far angier than any 4 cylinder. In touring car competition, that growl was closer to a V10 shriek, producing some proper theatre in the process.
Much like the exterior, the interior doesn’t give much away to you or your fellow occupants. The dials are pretty simple, there’s no contrast stitching, no obstuse AC vents and a bolt upright dash. In age where even the cheapest cars have some truly cluttered abominations staring you in the face, this is a refreshing detox. Now much praise has to go to Laity Cars for presenting the car in such immaculate condition. I haven’t come across an 850R in red before, but I must say, it’s truly fantastic and more than appropriate for a sporty brick.
The 850R fundamentally changed the narrative for Volvo, attracting a whole new legion of fans and flipping the script for many more who only knew about the brand through demeaning stereotypes. It’s sonorous song proved too strong to resist, despite the geometric styling not being seductive whatsoever. This car quite literally proves that performance trumps styling any day of the week. Knowing that your conservatively-styled car has something special under the bonnet is fun because only the people who know will understand what hit them when the turbocharged inline 5 unleashes hell.
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