Volvo’s S60 and its V60 variant don’t exactly have a reputation for being exciting, but that hasn't prevented the Swedish carmaker from trying to infuse a bit of dash into the line. The company handed the compact executive and the estate wagon over to its Polestar Racing division and the results were unveiled last Thursday at the world première of the S60 and V60 Polestar. This limited edition is not only based on the Volvo S/V60, but also the C30 and S60 concept cars, and the Australian S60 Polestar, and are part of an extended Polestar production model range.
The Polestar versions of the S60 and V60 haven’t been radically altered on the outside. They’re still four-door and five-door cars with the same bulky, practical lines, but Volvo put it through its wind tunnel and came up with some aerodynamic tweaks, such as improving the airflow under the car and installing a new rear spoiler.
The chassis on the S/V60 is more rigid and it’s been kitted out with a Polestar Öhlins shock absorber system,and springs that Volvo says are 80 percent stiffer than on the standard S60 R-Design.
Under the bonnet is a 3-liter, 6-cylinder inline T6 engine with a new twin-scroll Borg Warner turbo, an intercooler, and the Polestar 2.5-in stainless full-flow exhaust system with twin 3.5-in tail pipes. This pumps out a respectable 350 bhp (257 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm) of torque. On the track, this translates into 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 150 mph (250 km/h).
Behind the engine is an AWF21 automatic flappy-paddle gearbox with the Polestar calibrated stability control system for faster gearshifts, launch control and curve-holding. For stopping, there are Polestar/Brembo six piston brake calipers in front and ventilated discs in the back.
The S60 and V60 Polestar go on sale in Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA in June, with additional markets and the final production number still to be announced.
Source: Volvo
