Although the brass at Volvo Cars is denying the claim, insiders at CarSales.com.au have it on good authority that Volvo will be following Nissan and Mercedes-Benz by joining the V8 Supercar racing series.
Just like the Nissan Altima and Mercedes E63 AMG that will also be competing, the Volvo S60 will feature a naturally aspirated V8 under the hood, which will send power to the rear wheels – this, in compliance with the series’ regulations.
Volvo, despite its safety-obsessed heritage, has often been a supporter of motor racing. Here in the States, Volvo competes – along with K-PAX Racing – with two modified AWD 2.5-litre turbo S60s. We’ve ridden in one, in fact. Let us tell you, they are some serious no-holds-barred racecars.
We at Digital Trends are long-time supporters of V8 Supercars. If you’ve never had a chance to watch the series, we suggest you seek out some videos online. Unlike the dreadfully boring NASCAR series, V8 Supercar takes place on road tracks and has some of the most nail-biting finishes we’ve ever seen in motorsports.
What V8 Volvo will run, we don’t yet know. We suspect, however, it’ll be the 4.4-liter unit that’s sold in the top trim S80 and XC90s. This engine is no laughing matter. Volvo sourced the engine from Yamaha and has also leased the engine for the Noble M600 supercar in which it makes some 650 horsepower.
Despite Volvo’s denials on its entry into V8 Supercar, we’re eagerly awaiting the official announcement and the start of the next racing season. As soon as Volvo changes its tune on the matter, we’ll bring you the update.
