Volvo's gorgeous P1800 has been reborn as a road-racer

Friday, 4 September 2020

'I designed the Volvo P1800, Roger Moore made it famous.' Pelle Pettersson pays tribute to the late Sir Roger Moore while driving the very car used in The Saint television series.

The gorgeous Volvo P1800 coupe – the car driven by actor Roger Moore before he became James Bond - has been re-imagined by a company with very close Volvo motorsport ties.

Cyan Racing, which has enjoyed World Touring Car Championship success with Volvo, has created a modernised P1800 that blends subtle changes to the original styling with modern performance components. The car will be built in strictly limited numbers.

The P1800 Coupe was built from 1961 to 1972 with a sports estate version continuing till production ended in 1973.

The P1800 never had a racing version. Cyan Racing has rectified that.

“Our company was founded in 1996 to race Volvo cars in Sweden and the Volvo P1800 Cyan is closing the circle for us,” said Christian Dahl, CEO and founder of Cyan Racing.

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It looks even better with the subtle performance mods Cyan Racing has done too, like the lowered ride height and forged wheels.

“We claimed our first world title with Volvo in 2017 and have since then won two further world titles with two other manufacturers.

“The first world title was a milestone for us, and we felt it was a good time to reconnect with the past and to those before us racing Volvos. The first Volvo P1800 Cyan carries our blue and yellow racing colours to mark our heritage.”

Die-hard fans will be happy to hear there is no electrification happening here. Power comes from the Volvo S60 TC1 racer’s turbocharged four-cylinder, which produces 308kW/455Nm.

The original Volvo P1800 was unveiled in 1960, a year before the Jaguar E-Type, two years before the Ferrari 250 GTO and three years before the Porsche 911.

“The Jaguar, the Ferrari and the Porsche are all cars with a continuation,’’ said Christian Dahl.

“That left us with inspiration to create what could have been if we as a race team had been there during the sixties, racing the P1800, and got to design a road version of our race car.

The first Volvo P1800 Cyan carries the carmaker’s blue and yellow racing colours to mark its heritage.

“We have done that before with three of our race cars, the Volvo C30, the Volvo S60, when we were known as Polestar, and last year the Lynk & Co 03 Cyan. The Volvo P1800 Cyan is our interpretation of what could have been.’’

In the age of autonomous driving, electrification and connectivity, Cyan Racing decided it was time to capture what has been and to make it timeless.

“Obviously we could have built an electric Volvo P1800 filled with all the latest technology, comfort and luxury. But that was not what we wanted,’’ Dahl said.

That’s just so damn easy on the eyes. They don’t make them like they used to, eh?

There are no driver aids to distort the driving experience, meaning no stability control, ABS or brake booster.

“We decided to apply our expertise in engine, aero and chassis design for a car that delivers on the Cyan engineering philosophy in terms of predictability and intuitive driver control, yet keeping the light-weight, analogue driving experience of the sixties,' said Mattias Evensson, Project Manager and Head of Engineering at Cyan Racing.

The Volvo P1800 Cyan started life as a 1964 Volvo P1800 that has been refined and reinforced utilising high-strength steel and carbon fibre to accommodate a wider track, larger wheels and repositioned greenhouse, among a long list of redesigns.

“The basis for a precise and intuitive driving experience is a solid body structure. Cars from the sixties are far from ideal when it comes to this due to weak points and steel quality that allow for flex,’’ said Evensson.

“We have redesigned the structure of the original shape and strengthened weak points in the chassis through triangulation, using high-strength steel and integrated the carbon fibre body with the chassis structure.

“The carbon fibre is not just a fine shell of separate panels, but rather structural components joined with high-strength adhesive to the steel. All parts of the carbon fibre are adding to the structural rigidity.”

This process is a key part to enable low weight and high responsiveness, with the car weighing just 990kg.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine is based on the same engine as used in the world title-winning Volvo S60 TC1 race car. It produces 308kW and 455Nm of torque, with a redline at 7700rpm.

The engine made its debut in the 2011 Volvo C30 world touring car racer and was a key part in claiming the 2017 world title. Although the engine is turbocharged, it delivers a linear power and torque curve with the characteristics of a normally aspirated engine.

“It is an engine that provides us with a strong mechanical base and a very efficient combustion system. We have adapted it to suit the Volvo P1800 Cyan with the power output increasing through the entire powerband,” said Evensson.

“Power peaks late. It is designed for high revs, with the torque intuitively linear to the pedal.’’

A bespoke five-speed manual gearbox shifts cogs, directing power through a carbon fibre prop shaft. The original live rear axle is replaced with a Cyan-designed independent rear suspension. The fully adjustable front and rear suspension has new lightweight components, including aluminium uprights, double wishbones and two-way adjustable dampers with Cyan hydraulics.

New-look 18-inch forged rims wrapped in Pirelli P Zero 235/40 tyres at the front and 265/35 at the rear to offer maximum grip. Braking is provided by 4-piston callipers with 362 x 32mm steel discs with no brake booster or ABS assistance.

“We are really satisfied with the level of grip and precision that we have achieved from the chassis in combination with a responsive steering,’’ said Thed Björk, development driver and 2017 touring car world champion for Cyan Racing.

“The car goes where you point it. You can be brutal going into a corner and still find your apex and exit within millimetres.”

The Volvo P1800 Cyan will be marketed independently by Cyan Racing with no collaboration between Cyan Racing and Volvo Cars. Pricing hasn’t been announced.