It’s no secret that wagons are the practical car of choice for people who don’t have the strongest liking for SUVs. Whenever I go to Highball Cars And Coffee, or any similar event for that matter, you see plenty of wagons on display from a variety of manufacturers. Each owner is extremely dedicated, highlighting the sort of passion that you just won’t get out of an modern SUV buyer. Unfortunately, the popularity of SUVs has helped to kill off many wagons, particularly at the lower end of the market. Luckily, there’s no such issue on the used market where all sorts of fun stuff can be found – one such car being the Volvo V70R. The example featured today is owned by my friend Carter, who is a massive Volvo fan.
After finding much success with the 850R, Volvo knew they had to follow it up with something equally as exciting – if not more so – to maintain credibility in the performance world. You might think that a total refresh was needed, but Volvo took an evolutionary approach over a revolutionary one. It wasn’t because they were broke, but because the platform didn’t need a dramatic change in order to satisfy the customers. The turbocharged 5 cylinder was kept, getting a small bump in power over the outgoing model. From the outside, the general shape is identical to the 850R wagon, but the smoother front end and lack of ugly grey plastic trim pieces indicate that it is indeed a V70R.
Legend has it that if you buy one Volvo, you will buy another one, two or even three more. Why? Because they just make sense. No, they may not be the flashiest cars but they are built to last and have a genuine point of difference compared to other European brands. Carter went through 2 850s before getting to the V70, which he’s made a genuine effort to hold on to. It’s obviously a better car than what he had, being cheaper to own with less items to repair and improved fuel economy. This particular car has 4WD, but it’s unusual with a front-biased system as opposed to a rear-biased one. Power is only sent to the rear wheels when the car’s computer detects slip in the axle, but the intermittent nature of the system results in some awkward handling characteristics.
I’m told that the colour of this car is very rare, with only one other in existence in Melbourne. I would call it a burnt orange colour that’s a lot more sedate than Zachary’s 180SX, but still a whole lot more interesting than what you’ll find on many of today’s cars. A strange thing to note on the V70R wagon are the painted mudflaps that look as though they’re moulded to the body panels. Roof racks are obviously a must and thankfully this car does have them in case you want to go canoeing. The gun-metal grey 5 spoke wheels are in fact standard items and probably the best indicator of the performance lurking underneath, followed by the twin exhausts.
I haven’t seen many V70R wagons but I have to say that Carter’s is the best. It may need some more work to get it in full operating order but you wouldn’t be able to tell looking at it here. This is about as factory fresh as it gets, and many of the attendees at Highball In The Mall 07 seemed rather impressed. I see no reason why this car can’t be kept on the road for many years to come.
DevMacCars 