Volvo and Italian coachbuilder Bertone have been working together since the 1970s. Their first design was the Volvo 262 coupe with a chopped, pimpy Landau roof. Then in the mid-’80s, Bertone took the Volvo 740 and made from it a two-door version called the 780, which only a mother – or Volvo nerd – could love.
In the last few decades, however, the firms haven’t collaborated at all. But that is all about to change, as Volvo’s board of directors has green-lit the Volvo Coupe Concept for a limited production run.
Originally debuted at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Volvo Concept Coupe is powered by a turbo and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder paired with plug-in hybrid electric powertrain complete with an electric motor in the rear axle. All told, the Coupe Concept makes 400 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque.
According to a report by German automotive website Autobild, the Coupe received such admiration from the press and public alike that Volvo has contracted Bertone to run a few examples through it’s small Turin-based production facility.
If you were hoping to see that high power hybrid powertrain hit the streets, don’t. Volvo will likely stick a regular hybrid or a forced-induction gasoline powertrain into the production models, as the concept plug-in hybrid drivetrain is too expensive.
I am a huge fan of the Volvo P1800 that lent its design lines to the Coupe Concept and have long yearned for a 21st century interpretation. Now I will finally see my fantasy come to fruition but will suffer the agony of not being able to afford one. But that’s what I get for being a Volvo fan: lots of heartache.
