When Volvo releases its new V70 wagon, it will not be offered in a high-performance ‘R’ model. Volvo says the new T6 model, with its 280-hp engine, offers enough performance and fills the gap. Equally disappointing, is that the V70 T6 will remain the top-of-the-line V70, at least for the near future. According to Autocar, Volvo will not offer a V70 with its Yamaha-developed 325-hp 4.4L V8, which is used in the S80, despite the two vehicles are closely related..

With no V70 R and the forthcoming discontinuation of the S60R, what’s next for Volvo’s ‘R’ badge? Since Volvo tends to limit its R-badged offerings to one or two models, Volvo could quietly have some future ‘R’ models in the pipeline. A C30R, with 250+ hp and all-wheel drive, is a strong possibility, and would be a nice alternative to the Audi A3 and VW GTI — as well as, the Subaru WRX and Mazdaspeed3.

Another option may be an S40R, using the V70’s 280-hp T6 engine, which is rumored to have been designed so it would fit in the S40’s engine bay. The last possibility may be an ‘R’ version of the new S80 with a higher output version of the 4.4L V8. The only hurdle with this option is that Volvo would need to develop a transmission that can handle “up to 400 hp.”

Volvo’s engineers were quite pessimistic when asked when the next ‘R’ model might appear. Could the S60R be the end of the Volvo ‘R’ for the foreseeable future?

## Source: Autocar ##

Posted in: Volvo, Wagons/Estates, Future Vehicles
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