The Volvo Coupe Concept vaporizes your memories of boxy mom cars, recalls P1800

By Nick Jaynes August 29, 2013

the volvo coupe concept vaporizes your memories of boxy mom cars recalls p1800 130830 2 1 — Volvo Coupe Concept

After a few teaser shots, Volvo has officially unveiled the full specs and photos of its latest Coupe Concept vehicle, which is slated for an in-the-flesh debut at the Frankfurt auto show. And if you were wondering: yes, this is Volvo’s 21^st century answer to the iconic P1800 of the 1960s. This one, however, is no Saint.

The all-new concept, which is the first of three in a series that will be unveiled, is based upon Volvo’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform. Despite its sporting looks, the Coupe shares the same platform as the XC90 SUV set for unveil in 2014.

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“The Volvo Concept Coupe is no futuristic dream car. It is designed to demonstrate the capability of our new architecture: the confident stance, the proportions and the most prominent design structures,” said Senior Vice President of Design Thomas Ingenlath in a prepared statement.

“Think about the powerful calmness of a lion. He doesn’t have to prowl to radiate respect. Even lying down he shows very clearly what he is capable of,” Ingenlath added. While I understand his point, equating your car to the power of a cat at rest is less than exciting. But, really, what can you expect from Volvo? It still no Jaguar.

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On the interior beats a high-tech heart. Volvo added a portrait touch-screen to the dashboard much like the big screen in the Tesla Model S. This screen interacts with the heads-up and adaptive digital displays throughout the cabin. With the Coupe Concept, Volvo is keen to show its dedication to safe and and enjoyable cars.

In terms of safety, Volvo says the SPA-based cars are set up for full autonomous driving, which will be out on the roads before 2020.

As for powertrain, Volvo has fitted the Coupe with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain centered around a 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder and an electric motor in the rear axle. Total system power output is rated at 400 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque.

Although I have a soft spot in my heart for slow, boxy Volvos of old, I am glad to see Volvo competing with the likes of the Cadillac Elmiraj in both bodylines and pure power.

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Frankfurt 2013: Volvo Concept Coupé could help revive the troubled brand

Any thoughts I had about the future fate of Volvo take on a different light after getting a glimpse of the carmaker’s new Concept Coupe unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
OK, maybe a slightly different take.
Amid some of the challenges the Swedish automaker has faced in recent years in trying to stay relevant, the two-door concept is an indication that we probably shouldn’t count the carmaker out just yet.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The Volvo car, dubbed the “next generation P1800,” isn’t nearly as progressive as some of the other concepts unveiled at Frankfurt − and it’s hardly enough to save the struggling brand. But the coupe is certainly more than worthy of a second look.
Inspired by what Volvo officials describe as a “contemporary, progressive Scandinavian lifestyle elements,” the Concept Coupé is the first of three concepts that will usher in the company’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), according to the company's official press release.
Company officials say it highlights the future design direction of the next generation of Volvo models, beginning with the XC90, which debuts in 2014.

“The Volvo Concept Coupé is no futuristic dream car. It is designed to demonstrate the capability of our new architecture: the confident stance, the proportions and the most prominent design signatures,” said Volvo’s new Senior Vice President of Design, Thomas Ingenlath. “Even though the all-new XC90 is an entirely different type of car, you will recognize the connection instantly when it is revealed next year.”
Key exterior design elements of the concept include a new face and body that depicts many of the core classic design elements of Volvo in a much more contemporary package accented by details like the new T-shaped daytime running lamp light guides.
Interior appointments include a new handcrafted leather instrument panel, inlays made of naturally aged wood and machined metal details. The concept also features a new large portrait touch-screen in the center console with an adaptive digital display and head-up display in front of the driver.
Even the technology under the hood is an indication of how Volvo is aggressively working to revive the brand. It features a two-liter Drive-E gasoline engine with a supercharger and turbo teamed with an electric motor that gives the car a total output of around 400 hp and over 600 Nm of torque.
Of course, it’s going to take more than a high-performance cool concept to curb the troubles over at Volvo, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

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Volvo is no longer vanilla – thanks to the C coupe concept

What you see here are new teaser pictures pushed out by Volvo. The pictures represent a big move forward toward a more dynamic exterior design for the Swedish automaker that’s been long known as a maker of ultra-safe family cars with even safer styling.
"When I joined Volvo a year ago,” says Volvo Group head of design Thomas Ingenlath in the teaser video (below), “some people described Volvo's design as Vanilla. In other words, nice, but not iconic or cutting edge." Ingenlath ends the video by saying, "the vanilla days are over."

It’s not clear if Volvo was ready to take the wraps off the C head of next month’s Frankfurt Auto Show. But after Wallpaper magazine tweeted a picture of the new concept coupe, Volvo pushed a few more teasers.
Volvo is in the middle of a big push into the 21st century. After being sold by Ford to Chinese automaker Geely, Volvo has been on a big design bent, creating a series of all-new four-cylinders that will power all Volvos in the future and a new scalable platform for its larger vehicles, including the second-gen XC90.

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Mangusta Legacy Concept aims to honor the memory of famous Italian sports car

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Every so often we come upon a concept car that, despite not offering any sort of real world specifications or possibility of coming to fruition, offers an unprecedented display of what makes a concept car design both refined, yet appropriately edgy.
Seen here, the Mangusta Legacy Concept was developed by designer and illustrator Maxime de Keiser. The Mangusta Legacy is a modern reimagining of the classic Mangusta produced by Italian automobile manufacturer De Tomaso between 1967 and 1971.
At first glance you may notice how much the Mangusta Legacy Concept (Mangusta translates to Mongoose in Italian) hugs the ground. It possesses an extremely low profile, making it quite aerodynamic and reducing drag. Where its real life inspiration featured minimal bodywork, the Legacy introduces a busier series of air intakes, vents and spoilers. A quick glance towards the windshield also exhibits a uniquely raked viewing angle that would be difficult to see over, firmly echoing why the Mangusta Legacy is, and shall remain, a concept. Still, we can certainly appreciate the design, and wouldn't mind seeing one of these actually take shape, even if it's only a one off.