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Volvo C70 coupe promotes slinky new shape in muscular format
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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WHEELER SPRINGS, Calif. -- Crank up the volume on that spirited compact disc in the deck but grab a handle and hang on tight because the cliff to the right drops off for about a thousand vertical feel and ahead awaits nothing less than a series of dicey mountain curves, curves, and more curves -- California-style.
That's okay, though, because we're cinched solidly to the bucket seat as we plow the stick and push the redline to test the spirit of the latest exacting sports coupe to come ashore from Europe.
In a 300-mile sprint from Santa Barbara on twisted circuits over the Santa Ynez Mountains to a high California desert and back, the new C70 coupe from Volvo of Sweden shows it has the kind of go-power and tight suspension settings to take on the world's best sports performers.
And as we skirt Pine Mountain and drop down through Wheeler Gorge en route to Ojai, it proves that tight-fisted hairpins through innumerable switchbacks won't confuse it.
Then we cool down in a cruise along the Pacific coast, and even in such a trendy town as Santa Barbara C70 reveals it has the spirited good styling lines to shag an eye and cause a stir on the street.
It certainly turned my head the first time I spied all of those curvy forms. At a Volvo display in arctic reaches of Norway last year, the C70 coupe rendition stood in stark contrast to its sedan and wagon cousins.
While S70 sedan and V70 wagon, direct descendants of the mid-size 850 series, revealed trademark Volvo flat side panels and those angular, authoritarian wedge-shaped profiles which have become familiar, the C70 coupe showed something entirely new from Volvo: Curves.
Fact is, C70 has bends and swoops and swirls integrated into the concise package of its slick 2-door format.
This is not the usual utilitarian Volvo form.
What's going on here?
Well, designers in Sweden decided to introduce some rather evocative shapes to a car line heretofore known more for iterations of thoroughly practical and safety-conscious sedans and station wagons of squarish, angular proportions.
To create this senuous new coupe, Volvo began with the former 850 series, which debuted in 1991 as the first front-wheel-drive car for the Swedish automaker -- and the first to exhibit an athletic, even sporty, attitude.
All of the new 70 Series Volvo models use the 850's chassis, front suspension and brakes, and they also draw from various 5-cylinder engine options lifted from 850.
Volvo's marketeers refer to the revised mid-size platform as the 70 Series now instead of the former 850 that it replaces. An alphabetical letter preceding the numeric class of vehicle indicates its style: S70 denotes the front-wheel-drive sedan, V70 defines Volvo's all-wheel-drive wagon (with the V signifying "versatile"), while C70 applies to the line's first coupe design.
Further, as a promise for spring introduction in a 1999 model, the C70 coupe spawns a cabriolet convertible issue to mark the first drop-top Volvo.
Time behind the wheel of various coupe prototypes indicate that Volvo has crafted a car which is as precise and active as any European competitor in this elite class.
Besides the aggressive thrust that's so apparent when you punch the go-pedal, C70 surprises and delights with its overall stiffness of the platform and an active suspension system which enable this coupe to perform so many clever tricks on serpentine courses.
The unibody superstructure, fortified far beyond that of the 850, boosts torsional stiffness by 40 percent to set up a firm foundation for attachment of suspension parts borrowed from the 850, with MacPherson struts up front and the Volvo delta-link independent rear arrangement enhanced by stiff gas-pressured shock absorbers and big anti-roll bar to stem lateral sway.
Bold Z-rated tires complete this package, with standard 16-inch rubber and optional 17-inch -- or even 18s.
Steering, strung from a rack and pinion mechanism with power assistance, feels firm but predictable and reacts quickly from driver's input.
For motivation, C70 in initial format packs an aluminum 2.3-liter 5-cylinder powerplant with twin cams on top. It's enriched with turbo-charger and an inter-cooler which move the muscle up to 236 horsepower.
This plant also generates lustful torque in a broad range that's useful through all gears.
Volvo provides either a slick electronic 4-speed automatic or a notchy 5-speed manual transmission. In driving tests using each version, the manual produces more control for driver, of course, yet that automatic -- which adds three selective driving modes -- takes all of the work out of shifting and still maintains a sporty flavor.
Following initial imports rigged with the high-output turbo, a second engine will be offered using a 2.5-liter five keyed to light-pressure turbo action to reach 190 hp.
Like all products from Sweden's Volvo, the C70 combines an active driving character with many safety elements. Concealed safety assets surround the passenger compartment, including front and side airbags, steel reinforcements in side doors and roof pillars, crumple zones fore and aft, plus features of a lively vehicle capable of quickly maneuvering away from the path of danger.
In addition, this car comes with an electronic traction control device which interacts with the standard anti-lock disc brake system to block wheel spin.
The exterior design, dominated by fluid curving forms, resembles the hull of a ship with tapering bow and stern. Volvo's familiar grillework appears in front, but all lines flow in streamlined fashion across a dramatic roofline marked by strong C pillars which merge into broad shoulders above rear wheelwells.
The interior, arranged with twin front buckets and two rear seat positions, emphasizes luxury and comfort.
A driver-oriented cockpit adds standard power controls for all equipment, including dual climate zones and electro-chromatic rearview mirrors. To access the rear area, front seats slide forward under power when backrest is moved.
Standards include leather and wood trimmings, keyless remote entry with anti-theft system, power moonroof and a 400-watt audio package with ten speakers and cassette deck as well as a 3-disc in-dash compact disc player.
1998 VOLVO C70 COUPE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 VOLVO C70 COUPE Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size luxury coupe |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size luxury coupe |
| Wheelbase: |
103.7 inches |
| Overall Length: |
184.1 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.3-L I5 Turbo
DOHC 2.4-L I5 Turbo
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
2.3-L I5: 19/26 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 39,000 to $ 45,000 |
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