2007 Volvo S60 2.5l Turbo Leather Sunroof All Power Tx on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volvo Concept Coupe may see limited production

Despite the impressive production debuts from Porsche and BMW at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show - the 918 Spyder and the i8, respectively - there was one car that captured the attention of the press and the public alike, enough so that we awarded it our overall top pick of the show: the Volvo Concept Coupe. Most concepts never make it to production, but the car's reception has been so positive that Volvo's board of directors is considering to produce it in limited quantities, Auto Bild reports. Italian coachbuilder Bertone could handle the limited production run.
Styled after the classic P1800, the Volvo concept was similar to the new Porsche and BMW in that it was equipped with a high-performance hybrid drivetrain. But Volvo took a different route from there, giving the sleek coupe a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor at the rear axle. All in, the combo is good for 400 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque.
If the Concept Coupe makes it to production, it may not get the trick hybrid drivetrain mentioned above, Motor Athority reports, but a milder plug-in hybrid setup or even just a conventional fuel-burning engine. In any case, it would be a treat if Volvo produced a fully functional, street-legal Concept Coupe, though at that point we're thinking it would be due for a name change.

Volvo C30 Polestar Concept hits the 'Ring

It's been over three years since the Volvo C30 Polestar Concept was unveiled, driven by journalists and, as it turns out, lapped around the Nürburgring with Scandinavian Touring Car Championship driver Robert Dahlgren behind the wheel. For whatever reason, the video of the 'Ring track session was only published by the tuning company yesterday. (Another discrepancy: Did Polestar's C30 lose 46 horsepower somewhere along the line? Because the video states that it has 405 hp, while the company's website quotes 451 hp...)
Whatever the case, the tuned Volvo is a beast, much more so than the similar-looking, 250-hp 2013 Volvo C30 Polestar Limited Edition that was sold last year. With 451 hp (sounds better than 405 hp, doesn't it?), all-wheel drive, limited-slip differentials front and rear and Öhlins dampers, the Polestar Concept checks all of the right boxes for us.
For some reason, the video, which you can watch below, seems a bit vanilla to us. Perhaps the overly dramatic music takes away from the action and the beautiful sounds of the turbocharged five-cylinder engine?

Volvo details new drive assist features for next XC90 and future models [w/video]

Volvo wants us to know what kinds of new technology will be under the sheetmetal of the offerings that will sit on its Scalable Platform Architecture, the first of which will be included on the 2015 Volvo XC90 arriving at the end of next year. The silicon-chip onslaught starts with detection and auto braking for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and large animals. The company's animal detection tech now works at night thanks to better cameras and exposure controls.
Also due for the high-riding wagon are road edge and barrier detection with steer assist, a setup that identifies the edge of the road - even ones without markings. The system can steer the car back into its lane if it detects the driver is about to leave the road or collide with a barrier. Adaptive cruise control with steer assist allows the car to not only follow the flow of traffic on a straight road, but steer itself automatically.
Beyond that, the company is planning on other safety advances, but these will rely on automaker cooperation and infrastructure upgrades. Volvo has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Car 2 Car Communication Consortium on the subject of standards for communication between cars and wants to have it implemented by 2016. Sensors in traffic lights will enable Green Light Optimum Speed Advisory, which tells a driver how fast to go on a give stretch of road so as not to hit a red light. Weather, road condition, road works and emergency vehicle warnings will also inform drivers of new developments on the road. And autonomous parking, which Volvo has already demonstrated, stands to put a lot of valets out of work since it allows the car to find its own parking space without a driver inside.