Up to my -rse in Rs

This weekend, after three or four years of hemming and hawing and indecision, I finally took the plunge on buying a Nice Car.  Without adding four paragraphs here regarding the decision process, I found a very well maintained Volvo S60 R with the desirable 6-speed Geartronic transmission in my traveling radius, and snapped it up two weeks after seeing the for sale ad.  24 hours ago I was signing the title, actually.   I spent eight hours in the car this weekend bringing it home.  Eight hours gives one a lot of time to think, and I was reminded of jstein77's Let's Count the RS's thread.  I'm convinced that the Volvo designers read too many comic books.  Apologies for lack of photos of MY car, I still can't figure out how to upload to Photoberkit with my tablet, but I've found samples online...

First, of course, is the R badge in the front grille.  And, conversely, the R badge on the decklid. (2)

Every wheel has an R cast into it. (6) 

Every Brembo caliper is cast, not with Brembo's iconic logo, but an R.  (10) 

Open the hood, and the timing covers and coil cover plastic are blue instead of black, and there is an intake manifold cover whose sole purpose in life is to have an R cast in it.  (11)

The switchblade key fob, of course, has an R.  (12)

As does the steering wheel. (13)

No fancy-pants display in the instrument panel like the RS, but if you look closely, there is a tiny R in the metallic trim around the speedometer and tach. (15)

Rs aside, this is the first car I have ever seen with airbags and a manual telescoping steering column. Tilt and telescope share the same lever, you flip it down, move the wheel where you want, and flip the lever back up.   I discovered this by accident while reading the owner's manual for info on how to turn off the DRLs.  All the way home, I had been fussing over the steering position so far away that my arms were cramping and tight turns had me getting my hand stuck between the wheel and my knee.   At least I didn't own the car for three years before finding this out.  (I wonder if the S40 also telescoped, now)

I also discovered that there is a button on the dash whose sole purpose is to move the rear seat headrests.  They are hinged, and spring loaded.  Hit the button on the dash and the headrests flip forward and down like they'd been attached with explosive bolts.  This is far more convenient than the method the old S40 had where you had to fold the seat partway forward for clearance, and then remove the headrest entirely.   If you're thinking that I will use this to prank someone sitting in the back seat someday, you'd be right

R you sure that's all of them? 

I noticed the headrests were flipped down, I had no idea there was a button to actuate them. Looking over it makes me want to sell some cars and find a V70R...

In reply to EvanB :

The V70R, apparently, has a longer wheelbase as well as more rear overhang, so the handling is somewhat different according to those who've driven both.  Not necessarily better or worse, just different.  Somewhere I read that the wagon had softer suspension settings but can't confirm.  Even with the suspension in (Clarkson voice) "Advanced" mode, it isn't as harsh as the S40 was over sharp bumps.  Must be because the thing weighs almost a thousand pounds more.

(I limited my search entirely for the sedans because Wikipedia said the sedan was a couple inches longer than my S40 and the wagon was five+ inches beyond THAT.  I wanted to make sure I could park whatever in my garage and I barely have a foot or so of length to work with.  Parked the new hotness next to old and (literally) busted, and the S60 is actually a smidge shorter than the (first generation) S40.  Crapton wider, but shorter in length.  So I coulda had a V70R after all... if they didn't command a huge premium compared to the sedan because Volvo people prize wagons...)

All of the Volvos I have owned have been wagons. I may have 2, 4 and 5 door 240s at my house right now but I didn't buy the non-wagons so my streak continues. 

I have been considering a cheap xc90 with the 6 cylinder for towing, but do those have the same weak trans as the others?

Technically correct is the best kind of correct!

According to Wikipedia, Volvo used the TF80 in a whole lot of things starting with the '05 XC90 with the turbo six or the V8.  The AW55 has a max torque of 258ft-lb.  I think that also coincides with how much torque the low pressure 2.4/2.5l fives put out.  (Also the torque output of Nissan Maximas with this trans)

I've owned 3 850s and now an S70 and just discovered the hoods had the option of going near vertical !

Knurled. said:

Rs aside, this is the first car I have ever seen with airbags and a manual telescoping steering column. Tilt and telescope share the same lever, you flip it down, move the wheel where you want, and flip the lever back up. 

 

My mom's Mazda 3 has this. I didn't know it telescoped and I tried to adjust the wheel while driving. About had a heart attack thinking the wheel was coming off in my hands.

westsidetalon said:

I've owned 3 850s and now an S70 and just discovered the hoods had the option of going near vertical !

 

Someone told me about this feature when I owned a V70XC.  It was not confidence inspiring, turns out it was helpful, and unfortunately I will never own another Volvo.  I really liked the way the V car drove but didn't like constantly working on it.  

I will admit to being fooled by your subterfuge in the  Minor Confession thread into thinking that you were getting a Focus RS. Well-played, sir

yessss! congrats dude! please don't rallycross it - you will break it...

Knurled. said:

I also discovered that there is a button on the dash whose sole purpose is to move the rear seat headrests.  They are hinged, and spring loaded.  Hit the button on the dash and the headrests flip forward and down like they'd been attached with explosive bolts.  This is far more convenient than the method the old S40 had where you had to fold the seat partway forward for clearance, and then remove the headrest entirely.   If you're thinking that I will use this to prank someone sitting in the back seat someday, you'd be right 

DW's 2017 S60 has that button as well.  It is located right next to the heated steering wheel button at the bottom of the stack, and looks enough like a seat heater button that I have already pressed it accidentally more than once.  And more than once, I have heard  "Ouch, what the hell...?!" from the back seat.

I inadvertently played a small role in development of the S60R and V70R. 

About 12-13 years ago I was the president and chief instructor of the Quebec chapter of the BMW Club of Canada. Volvo USA invited some of us BMW guys to test pre-production versions of the S60R/V70R at Tremblant. The idea was to present the S60R as a genuine alternative to the E46 M3. 

Long story short: I nearly totaled the car as the steering basically failed. Met with the engineers and reviewed what happened. I got an email some weeks later informing me that they discovered the PS pump wasn’t able to keep up with fast transitions when heavily loaded. They upgraded the pump and increased its cooling capacity. 

I remember being impressed by the yaw control feature. At that point, the only time I’d ever experienced yaw control was my buddy’s Evo 6.5 TME (phenomenal car, BTW). Worlds ahead of BMW’s DSC function. 

In reply to westsidetalon :

Mercedes also do that. 

It looks like there is another R down there by the left side of the shifter.

Nice car!  Hope you enjoy it!

EastCoastMojo said:

R you sure that's all of them? 

Nope.  I missed a couple: the door sill trim for the front doors (17).  Rear sills get no fancy plates.

We're up to 17.  Are we as ridiculously comic-book as the Focus RS yet?

NickD said:

I will admit to being fooled by your subterfuge in the  Minor Confession thread into thinking that you were getting a Focus RS. Well-played, sir

The superficial similaries are compelling, to say the least.  A significant part of me wonders if the Focus RS's engineering and design was built on the shoulders of what was learned with this car, similar to how lessons learned with the Fiero paved the way for the plastic-skin technology that Saturn used.  (I guess GM wanted to use it across the board but they tried it on redheaded stepchild cars first)

It's a known factor that Ohlins was key in developing the suspension for the Volvo, info for the FoRS is less than freely available.  Certainly it's "known" that the Volvos use Haldex and the FoRS has a GKN rear drive.

LanEvo said:

I inadvertently played a small role in development of the S60R and V70R. 

About 12-13 years ago I was the president and chief instructor of the Quebec chapter of the BMW Club of Canada. Volvo USA invited some of us BMW guys to test pre-production versions of the S60R/V70R at Tremblant. The idea was to present the S60R as a genuine alternative to the E46 M3. 

Long story short: I nearly totaled the car as the steering basically failed. Met with the engineers and reviewed what happened. I got an email some weeks later informing me that they discovered the PS pump wasn’t able to keep up with fast transitions when heavily loaded. They upgraded the pump and increased its cooling capacity. 

The funny thing is, E46 M3s were on my List Of Potentials.  I was willing to deal with replacing the rod bearings every 60k if it meant being allowed daily intimacy with a true M Engine with the 8000rpm and the independent throttle bodies and HOYVENGLAVEN!  However, I was not willing to deal with a convertible, and going by the for-sale ads, roughly 9 out of every 10 E46 M3s were droptops.  To quote a friend of mine, "I have too much hair on the top of my head to drive a convertible"

I remember being impressed by the yaw control feature. At that point, the only time I’d ever experienced yaw control was my buddy’s Evo 6.5 TME (phenomenal car, BTW). Worlds ahead of BMW’s DSC function. 

I only ever "used" it once, so far.  It's rather like Clarkson said in his review/diatribe about the S60R:  You can't spin it.  You get into a stupid situation and then the electronics go "Hey, I can fix that" and, in defiance of the demon Murphy, they actually do fix that.

Mind, he did drive the '04 model.  '06, the rear stabilizer was made larger...

fidelity101 said:

please don't rallycross it - you will break it...

Hellz to the no.  Magnetic numbers will scratch the paint.  The struts/shocks are almost $1k/corner to replace, and I note with great pleasure that all four corners have been replaced recently.

I'm even  leery of using this for my intended purpose of towing various RX-7s to events, because it might get dusty and maybe even dirty inside.

I might autocross it once the all-seasons on the car wear out and I install some UHP tires.  (Note: Car has new Falkens on it, this may take a while)

More updates:

The yaw control is as efficient in action as the steering and handling are numb.  By the time I can feel something's wrong, things have gone so screwed up that I should have corrected way too long ago, and then HAL steps in and fixes it.

This is unnerving.  I can't feel the point where HAL can't fix it anymore, and I don't really want to approach that point.  But as a casual five to seven tenths experience, it is awesome.  More of a "whee!" car than a competition-suitable car.

Snow tires are on order.  All seasons suck.  18" snow tires are hideously expensive but not as odious as the alternative.  Don't want to know what it would cost to bang a curb, between the R-specific wheels and R-specific suspension arms/uprights/crossmembers.

So you can tell people you have a pirate Volvo - ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Woody said:

It looks like there is another R down there by the left side of the shifter.

Good one!

I have a neighbor with a 2 year old Ram pickup.  I didn't count the Ram pictures/references in the cab but it would have given the Volvo a run.  Hilarious!