I just saw this Volvo XC90 advertisement on the TV and I was checking volvo's website for that car. But then I stumbled upon their mid size luxurious sedan, the S60R. AWD, 2.5L turbocharged engine, 300hp, 295 torque and switchable suspension!!! They can kill our 5th gen easily! I know the car costs 36k-43 as opposed to our 6th gen 30k-35k, but the Germans really knows how to make some quality cars!

http://new.volvocars.com/r/specs.shtml

~limsandy

 

i always though volvo was sweedish? - switchable suspension, does that mean it rides on air??? - its a very nice car

 

It means you can electronically switch the suspension mode on your car. Comfort, sporty and advanced sporty. I think the sporty mode will stiffen the spring rate or lower the car? And advanced sporty will further stiffen the spring rate and lower the car?


~limsandy

 

Volvo is VERY Swedish. I would know, I have the displeasure of living here for another 3 weeks. One glimmer of light in this is the fact that Ford owns Volvo, so you could argue that it really is an american car.

 

Is there anything Ford doesn't own? The president of Ford has got to be one of the richest men in the world. Just think for every vehicle Ford, or one of its subsidiaries, sells, Bill Gates has to sell roughly 50+ copies of Windows

 

Ford owns Volvo, so take that into consideration!

 

...and Renault owns Nissan

 

Volvo just sold their share of Renault......just one big circle.

 

Volvo recently invited me to an S60R driving event at Shea Stadium. The car is very impressive! They set up an autocross track and we got to hammer the car for a few laps. Acceleration and handling blew my 2K2 6 speed away

I don't know how long this car will be around. It doesn't seem to fit the typical Volvo driver niche, and I'm not so sure that someone looking for a sporty 4 door will lay down $43K on a Volvo. Only time will tell...

 

Hey Limsandy...I drove that S60R recently.....Volvo had a test driving event here in NY locally at Shea Stadium and I had a private invite along with my pops and we drove it around pine cones and what not....the car is definitely a beast without a doubt and can handle on rails, but in so far as power, I think my maxima pulls harder when it ain't hesitating......

The volvo all around isn't worth the $36k base that they conveyed to us as the cost

 

Nissan was just recently sold to Ford

 

I hope you are just messing with us.

 

Oh oh, guys you'll be fixing and repairing daily too now.

 

No.

 

and Ford owns Aston Martin and jag for that matter.......

 

Every American manufacturer owns pieces of foreign manufacturers. Chrysler owns a chunk of Mercedes Benz, Ford owns a big chunk of Volvo, and GM owns a large piece of Saab. All this means for those foreign companies is a huge influx of marketing and distribution dollars in exchange for a share of the profits. It usually means nothing when it comes to manufacturing and design.

Did anyone notice the huge increase in Volvo advertising a couple years ago? That started just as soon as Ford made their investment in Volvo. Prior to that, Volvo could barely afford to keep their plants running, let alone spend millions on marketing.

 

I was there too! They didn't seem very happy when I told them its hard to compare without being able to take my car around the cones..

 

yea my uncle just got the new volvos man those are sweeeet... you barely feel like your driving... really really good suspension...however, i raced my uncle with my 01 , (some engine mods) and i got him by a car... eventhough they got 300hp they got pretty slow pickups....if you can get them on 1st and second the you won.
p.s they pick up on 3rd (i think the turbo kicks in)

 

Try again on the Chrysler one. MB owns them, not the other way around.

 

Like it was said earlier, it's just a financial backing that these american companies bring to the foreign companies. If it wasn't for Renault, Nissan would be dead right now. Nissan is still making the cars.

BTW... isn't the S60R a shot that Volvo is taking at the M3, S4, C32 class? I think that's tough to compare it to a maxima.

 

I think this is a gross overgeneralization. It is often much more than $$$. Take Ford and Jaguar...ever check the underpinnings of the new X-Type? (Not that it is a great car, but it is a good example).

Very often there is a technology exchange as well.

 

Damn It!!!! Why can't nissan put a turbo or supercharger in a Maxima??? The could at least make a 2 door model Known as the Maxima SE Type-S with twin turbo, 6spd tranny racing bucket seats.... Every mans desire in a Maxima is in the type-s

 

Good point. That's a way to save money. Look at Nissan for example. They got in financial trouble because EVERY car was unique. They didn't share parts between the classes. Since Renault got involved, practically every car shares parts and platform. I think there are only 3 platforms now.

 

All you's are wrong. HONDA now owns Nissan. Obviously ya'll didn't hear about this buyout.

 

Kia everyone!

 

Daimler-Benz owns Chrysler
Ford owns Lotus
Volvo is Swedish, vulva is on a woman
It's obvious this S60R is a match for the Max when it has 300HP and a turbo to boot!

As for the rest, my Maxima owns every Honda I can find!

 

Yeah I believe it is actualy built on the Taurus platform. Chrylser and MB are exchanging engines parts, Mazda and Ford sharing engines and bodies, Chyrsler is/was sharing engines and platforms with Mitsubishi, and the list goes on....Its not just a financial jump in the bed.

 

Jaguars are on the European Mondeo platform

 

I guess I'm confused.

When I was in Germany, Ford makes a Mondeo that is similar to the Taurus platform, and comes with a TDI engine.

-R

 

Dunno but here in the USA Mondeo doesn't equal Taurus. Totally different platforms. The Mondeos are much smaller

 

Isn't this fun??? This is one of those situations where I wish there were more common sense in this world and just come up with ONE set of global auto specs/regs and not waste all this $$$ and production to create a wide proliferation of models, often exclusive to certain countries.

Oh well, done venting!!

 

Okay I stand corrected:

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/previ...sts....Jaguar*
"...and the X-Type will continue the trend by sharing a basic body structure with the new 2001 Ford Mondeo. The Mondeo platform (known in the States as the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique until it was dropped in 2000 due to lagging sales)"

It's all soooo confusing.

 

Hmmm... last I knew, the Mondeo is NOT available in the United States.

What are you talking about? Are you confusing the Mondeo with the Paseo?

_R

 

Mondeo in Europe = Contour in the USA At least it WAS


Short quote from the article:
Ford spent $6 billion developing this new world car, designed to be the best compact in every market in which it was sold. The program tested Ford's ability to utilize all of its worldwide resources to create a car that would streamline production, thereby slicing overhead and building bigger profits.

 

My dad just recently picked up a 2003 Volvo S60 2.5Turbo and that thing is pretty quick. I was actually really impressed with the speed it had. We also have a 2002 Volvo S70 back in Jerusalem and that thing is also very fast. Overall, Volvo is a very reliable car in all aspects. But, Im still happy with my Max.

 

You guys were all wrong.... Ford, Daimler, Volvo and Jag are all by Honduh.


~limsandy

 

Yeah the Acura guys would have a field day with us, if there was a Type S Maxima.

Nissan isn't going to go all out with the Maxima especially given the fact that the new Skyline 4dr (aka G35 sedan) is their prized sports sedan; not the Cefiro (Maxima) which (I believe) has been discontinued in Japan.

 

Mondeo used to equal Contour...but now it equals the American X-Type almost to a T

 

Sounds like COMMUNISM to me!

 

No, communism is waiting for 10 years to get a Trabant.

What I am talking about is common sense and more uniform regs so production is not wasted on basically redudant niche vehicles.

For instance, if I could easily get certain Euro spec or Aussie spec cars, or a really nice Skyline, hell, then go ahead and call me COMMIE!!