#volvo turbo

[notmeever]

posted up at the pump

Nov, 2022

Dover, NH

[coloursteelsexappeal]

1985 Volvo 240 Turbo

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

Which cars are most bisexual?

Ever get the chilling feeling that you made a grave mistake long ago and you are about to reap what you sowed?

In short, I hit some of my friends up to ask for help. In random alphabetical order:

@jettacar suggested the fourth gen Nissan Quest:

"It's like, no one really bought these. They aren't particularly common. But also, there's no one type of person that buys a car like this. Rationality would have you believe only families are buying this, because it's a giant minivan - but i can't immediately think of another car with a wider variety of types of people that own them right now (excluding cars that just sell incredibly well)"

Unfortunately, that made the conversation derail into minivan talk.

Up next, @rabidragon suggested the Fiat Multipla, due to its peculiar seating arrangement of two rows of three seats:

"3 seats in the front for you and your man and your woman".

Indeed, the peculiar thing about the Multipla is its row of three full-sized seats in front (many old cars had a front bench with some having three lap belts, but the Three Individual Front Seats club is as exclusive as it is devoid of prestige) and the many peculiarities that it caused, like off-center pretty much everything (mirror included) because the driver is further to the side than usual and where most of the centered things go there's now a passenger who would like to be.

But the even more peculiar thing about the Multipla is how spectacularly ugly it is. It's one of the few cars I've ever actually seen that manages to be full-on ugly not just outside but inside. Click on any list of ugliest cars in the world and if it doesn't contain the Multipla I can promise you that list was created by a machine that has since been physically shot. And if you're thinking "Well, it's not bad enough to warrant that hyperbole" - you are looking at the second generation. This is the pretty one. I put the first one and its interior at the end of the post under a read more because I genuinely did not want to be responsible for you seeing it.

I noted that Honda's FR-V managed the same seating layout with downright smart looks inside and out...

...and unfortunately that made the conversation derail into engine swap regulation loopholes.

Finally, @chevyventure suggested multiple. In (roughly) his words:

First generation Mazda 3 "It's a hatchback, good for many different uses - and Mazda is a little silly, charming and off the beaten path (if you were getting a Japanese hatchback you'd probably get a Toyota or a Honda) with a cute lil' smile like a Miata"

1988 Volvo 240 Wagon "Volvos are frequent hand me downs from family like all the cool childhood trauma the LGBTQs get"

[Editor's Note: bro.]

Renault Clio "It's peak hotness while also being cute in its own way, not necessarily preferring a masculine or feminine audience. I've never seen an ad for a Clio before, but if my assumptions about the car market are correct my guess is the normal one is kinda marketed towards women"

[Editor's note: So, I wanted to check that, so I just looked up "Renault Clio ad". These were the first two ads I found.

So yeah. I feel it qualifies.]

Unfortunately, talking about the Clio made the conversation derail into TWR's involvement in- oh wait, you're not gonna know about that Clio variant, are you.

So, many racing series can only be entered with racecars based on some production car - which is great for manufacturers, because they get to advertise their brand and one of their models simultaneously! But since there are rules on how much of the base car can be changed and how much of it must be retained, the stricter they are the more what you want as a base for your racecar is something high performance. So when you want to go racing with a dinky little thing like, say, first car to ever use plastic bumpers and only car to ever be called Renault Le Car in America Renault 5...

...what you are going to want to do is what, among many others, Toyota did with the Yaris GR and Lancia did with the Delta: the homologation special. Basically, you make a special version of the car with the characteristics you'd want in racing, sell enough to clear the rules's bar for "production car" (or at least, convince the officials you've done that), and go racing with that. So Renault did that to the 5 and hit up one Marcello Gandini to redesign it around the changes. You know, Marcello Gandini, guy most famous for designing mid-engined Ferrari-slayers:

Which makes sense, because the Renault 5 Turbo was a mid-engined Ferrari slayer. It was faster than the top-of-the-line Ferrari both in acceleration and in cornering speed. This thing.

(sidenote: The Interior. end of sidenote)

Well, twenty years on, some legend at Renault thought "You know what? We were onto something with that. Let's do that again but HARDER." Presumably, into the headquarters of Tom Walkinshaw Racing, a racing team that developed for Aston Martin, F1 teams, and made Jaguar's Fastest Production Car Ever record holder, and of course a fuckton of the most exciting racecars around, showed up uninvited that Renault madman saying "Y'all wanna work on something REAL prestigious?" before chucking them the keys to a second generation Clio and walking off with a "Don't thank me".

The result was the Clio V6, most notable for HAVING A FUCKING V6 WHERE THE BACKSEATS WERE. This car is genuinely incredible. Like, you see it and you go "Ooh ahh, the Clio V6!" and you look inside to see, you know, the huge V6 compartment thing and you see the interior and you realize this thing cost good sportscar money and when you got in it was a fucking Clio.

Mental stuff- wait shit this post was about bisexual cars wasn't it? How did the conversation derail like this? I swear this never happens. Well, I guess it's time for my pick.

Personally, chatting with Mr. Venture about hatchbacks, I realized that I cannot think of a more "girls car" than a Fiat 500 Cabriolet (which actually is called 500C) and cannot think of a more "boys car" than a Fiat 500 Abarth (which actually is called Abarth 500)...

...so how about the Fiat 500 Cabriolet Abarth?

It actually isn't called that but I think you could piece that together. As though a spoiler on a canvas roof wasn't weird enough, it contains the third brake light, probably making this the only car out there in which it can change position during use. Although I assure you, you're not gonna be thinking about that when driving it. Thing's a RIOT.

But honestly, that wasn't what I started off wanting to answer. So, last but most definitely not least, I candidate my first, gut-reaction answer: the NA Mazda Miata.

See, to me bisexuality (and pansexuality, but awareness of the nuances between them is so low they may as well be picked over flag preference) is someone appreciating all the beauty in the world, seeing no point in gatekeeping themselves out of half of it. And is that not what a spider is about? Is it not about saying "this world we're in is so full of beauty, who would rather blind themselves to half of it?". And look at the damn thing. It's bursting with exactly the kind of joie de vivre one would associate with such sentiment. It oozes enthusiastic curiosity. OwO what's this?: The Car.

Also, just look at this picture.

It can drift. IT CAN WINK. IT CAN WINK MID-DRIFT. I mean, what more than this degree of flirtatious playfulness can you possibly need to be convinced?

Links in blue are posts of mine explaining the words in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!

...

...are they gone? I think they're gone.

The Multipla pictures are down here. Go on then if you're gonna, you sick fuck.

If you have dealt with traumatic tumor-related experiences and seeing that dashboard caused you genuine discomfort, well, do not say I didn't warn you.

[diabolus1exmachina]

Volvo 780 Turbo Coupe by Bertone (from the era in which cars have telephones installed!), 

Italian design with Swedish sensibility - this 1991 Volvo Bertone 780 Turbo Coupe offers the best of it all.

Volvo had a partnership with the legendary design house Bertone that extended over three decades, and you're looking at the swan song. This would be the final year for the special coupes, and it's quite rare with less than 400 imported to the USA.  The Red Pearl Metallic is believed to be original.  But what really makes this attractive is the overall level of care. The 15-inch factory alloys are bright, the headlights are still clear, and the panels still fit like the day this left Bertone's Turin factory. When you open the door, you once again understand the level of care in this coupe. The leather seats are supple, the carpets are fresh, and colors are rich. Volvo used the Bertone coupes as their executive machine to rival the best from the other European manufacturers, and so this came loaded. It includes power seats, heated seats, power windows, power locks, cruise control, sunroof, and air conditioning. And even the era-correct cell phone is still in place just in case you want to put on your suspenders and power tie, too. But the most important part of this is that it's still a Volvo at its heart. So you get a classic car that was built with safety in mind. And you have features like a driver's airbag and anti-lock brakes.

Just like the rest of the car, the engine bay is clean, well-maintained, and quite modern. The turbocharged four-cylinder offers a nice balance between efficiency for everyday situations, and then unleashing a rush of power whenever you want to have some fun. In fact, if you enjoy driving, you want one of these later Bertone coupes like this, because it comes with a fully independent suspension. Add in a four-speed automatic transmission w/overdrive, power steering, and four-wheel disc brakes, and you soon realize this coupe is perfect for every situation.

[electronicexecution]

[masoncarr2244]

[uniquecarposters]

Now available!

[classicvirus]

Unicorn: 1982 Volvo 244 Turbo

Unicorn: 1982 Volvo 244 Turbo

We don’t normally publish such “new” cars, however there are times when you need to make exceptions, like in this case, and for good reason. As you can see this is a very normal four door Volvo 244 Turbo as many of us have seen around, yet this is different: it has not been restored or simply kept well by its previous owners but it is an unused car since 1996 that has 23,760 kilometers.…

[youngtimer-cars]

A Rare Opportunity to Own a Piece of Fast Swedish Luxury: 1997 Volvo V70 T5 Up for Auction

In the world of classic cars, few brands evoke the same sense of luxury and reliability as Volvo. The Swedish manufacturer has a reputation for producing vehicles that are both stylish and practical, and their models from the 1990s are highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. One such model is the 1997 Volvo V70 T5, which is set to go up for auction soon and is expected to be a highly…

[neighday]

Volvo V70 GLT Turbo

[k-riggy]

Volvo V70 GLT Turbo

[colddarkcreators]

83 Volvo 240 Turbo

[coloursteelsexappeal]

1983 Volvo 240 Turbo

[things-about-cars-in-posts]

[Context: this comment in the Volvo post]

here's the deets on the volvo. i had one of these but it was stock. it was also AWESOME.

Fuck, now I want THREE of these.

I don't see mention of an AWD conversion in the article tho, has he done it after thi- what is it? Oh, why I would want three. Yeah that's a fair question. So, well, I want one like that, obviously, and as for the remaining two, well: For one, I've had this project I nicknamed "Rice 'n' Shine". (Rice as in the automotive term for tacky, low-tier garb stapled onto a car to emulate cooler cars, which people claim to stem from the acronym "Race Inspired Cosmetic Enhancements" because saying the term originated from this style being applied to Japanese cars sounds kinda racist dunnit.) A way to celebrate and showcase the creativity that can be found in the car world, to create a spectacle that lights up people's day and, hopefully, sparks someone's imagination. Basically, the core idea is going through the car's every component and go "what is the wildest, most absurd, most miles-out-of-left-field shit I have ever seen done with this component... and how can I outdo it?"

For example, the exhaust. Remember that crazy Subaru Vivio Bistro I posted at the end of the transfem cars post? (How's that for a sentence most people will not say, eh) Well, I've seen crazier. Because the bosozoku style keeps on giving, there would be too many pictures of crazy exhausts to show, but for the longest time the title of most outlandish exhaust to ever grace my eyes has been held by this picture.

Thus, here is a sketch from my ’17/’18 school diary of how I would do the exhaust on this Volvo.

Of note are the transparent shapes on the lower half, which would be the bodykit. See, of course, the Volvo should have a bodykit, right, and of course it should be quite the outlandish thing. Yet again, bosozoku to the rescue.

(And I've seen people more ignorant of bosozoku culture call bundle builds like these with "rice", but at this point the word kind of starts to lose its meaning. I mean, defining this years-long effort with the same word as the people who put whistles in their exhaust to pretend they have a turbo (real thing btw)? And also, it very much stretches "race inspired". I mean, fuck kinda racecars do you think the Japanese had?

Hm. Fair enough.) But the idea there was, instead of having the exhaust stick out of the bodykit, to have it within the bodykit's width, and when it gets to the edge of the exhausts it just... stops, to only keep going when there's no exhaust again, creating all those shapes that stick out the fenders like horizontal scale skyscrapers. However, given the idea is to make it out of acrylic so its entire profile can look like these little side skirt accents...

...it could just be inside the bodykit, as it would still be visible. However, I noticed literally as I was writing that I can't both have the exhaust not stick out from the bodykit and have it go over a rear wheel that sticks out as far as the bodykit does. So how's this for an idea: what if that one wheel just doesn't? What if that one wheel just stays narrow? After all, it's not like the Renault R4 didn't just fucking have one rear wheel further forward than the other.

Because of course it's the French. And you know what? They're right! Why the fuck not? Nothing can be forbidden when you recognize no God. Trade nudes with your professor. Oh, and also, if you look back at my drawing's corner window, those little circles in it are outward facing speakers, so you can do the whole "car plays music so loud I hear it very clearly from a distance away" without getting hearing damage. So those were three ideas out of the several dozens I have. I should probably make an MMMM-style list once I'm done with that.

Either way, the second idea is more performance-oriented, but do not take this to mean it's any bit more serious. See, as shown by this picture from the article, Volvo engine bays have tons of foolishly empty space that could be filled with more cylinders.

I'm far from the first one to wise up to this, so much that you have multiple people who make mounts and bits for those ditching the stock engine in favor of an LS V8. But I don't want the 5.3L LS. I want a 4.0L V8 (like Toyota's 1UZ) to stick two turbos onto and bring it to 600hp. Why specify specifications so specific, you may ask. Well, because 4.0L, eight cylinders split into two cylinder banks, two turbos and 600hp is exactly half the specs of the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. So if I just put another identical engine in the trunk to power the rear wheels... :)

If you're struggling to see my vision, this may help.

Oh, actually, here is the best meme of this sort I've ever seen:

It's not just the quality of the photoshop, it's that this is Caterham camera car (Caterha car?) is real...

...and that this is not a meme, that is actually the car that filmed the Chiron video. Well, the 'lower speed' parts. The other one was another Bugatti. OBVIOUSLY.

Links in blue are posts of mine about the topic in question: if you liked this post, you might like those - or the blog’s Discord server, linked in the pinned post!

P.S. I love the icon situation of how this post appeared in my inbox.

"It's not ok to reblog from me or my son ever again"

[hirocimacruiser]

MITSUBISHI STARION

Technology that is inextricably linked to the Lancer EX Turbo

Leading early Group A races with advanced supercharging technology

The Japanese car that fought best against Eggenberger's Volvo at the Inter TEC. Starion may have such an image. In the All Japan Touring Car Championship, he showed a perfect run from an early stage.

Stability and reliability are the keys to good results A-car that makes it to the ground safely

In the lineup of Mitsubishi Motors, the model developed in 1982 was the Starion, positioned as a high-end sports coupe that was the successor to the Galant (Lambda) and Lancer Celeste.

This model was introduced in the All Japan Touring Car Championship that began in 1985, but Mitsubishi's motorsports activities were originally focused on rally fields rather than circuit races.

This is clearly evidenced by the A53/55 Galant, the Southern Cross Rally with the AR73 Lancer, and even participation in the WRC, which began in the 1970s. Participation in the long-distance rally raid from Paris to Dakar was also seen as part of these rally activities.

However, for other manufacturers, for similar reasons, the most convincing PR activity for a market that was hungry for performance while surviving emissions regulations was motorsport. It was a result of making a decision and stepping into the circuit race at hand.

In this sense, the Mirage Cup, which started the one-make race, is probably the best example. As a category that conveys the glamorous atmosphere of racing, it was one of the races that attracted attention at the time.

On the other hand, in the touring car race of Group A vehicles, the Starion Turbo, which had a proven track record in the North American continent, was brought in. One of the reasons for this was that until then, Mitsubishi had had little to do with domestic races, and that they could not find a suitable car to participate in the newly-started Group A race.

This is also the case with Nissan's Group C cars, which used the proven mechanics of the IMSA series in the form of "reverse imports."

Well, that Stallion is equipped with a G63B type 3-valve SOHC + turbocharger engine. Mitsubishi had accumulated turbocharging technology with the Lancer EX2000 for WRC. The engine type of the Lancer EX2000 Turbo is the 4G63 type (different from the 4G63 type of 4-valve DOHC used in the Lancer Evolution series later. It is the SOHC 2-valve engine that became the prototype of this), and the basic part is Stallion's

Common with the G63B type. Looking back on these circumstances, Mitsubishi had a certain amount of experience and confidence in the basic mechanisms and content that make up the vehicle.

The first Stallion that appeared in such a background was InterTEC in 1985. After that, Akihiko Nakatani, who became the main driver of the Stallion, was combined with M. Liu and Fumio Mutoh to finish 4th overall. Considering that the 1st and 2nd place was the Volvo 240 Turbo and the 3rd place was the BMW 635CS, it was a good result, what happened to the other Japanese cars?

Then, from 1986, Kunimitsu Takahashi and Akihiko Nakatani teamed up to participate in the All Japan Touring Car Championship series on a regular basis. He finished 5th in Round 1 and 3rd in Round 2, and in Round 3 at Tsukuba, he finally won his long-awaited first victory.

At this time, the opponent was Takao Wada/Aguri Suzuki's Skyline RS Turbo, and although they conceded the series championship, they were always on even terms and won the 2nd place in the series. He had become a presence respected by other entrants.

The following year, 1987, they maintained their first-class competitiveness and got off to a great start with two consecutive wins at the opening of West Japan and West Sendai. After that, he continued to lose races due to trouble, but he managed to win the series ranking 3rd place thanks to his savings in the early stages. He has proven that he is still a first class contender.

In 1988, the Skyline fleet changed to the HR31 type, the Sierra RS500 increased, and the Supra entered the war. The SOHC system engine was already severe, and the chassis performance had reached the stage of review.

In terms of results, the 2nd place in the match against Nishi-Sendai was conspicuous, and the number of cases where other division 1 cars fell behind was increasing.

On the other hand, the wide-body GSR-VR (1987) was launched on the market during this period, and the basic performance was slightly improved, but compared to the trend of rival cars, the progress of evolution was not good. He took small strides and eventually withdrew from Group A racing in 1988.

After that, Mitsubishi's motorsports activities shifted to Group A rally cars with turbo 4WD starting with the Galant VR-4, and after the release of the Lancer Evolution series, it became a WRC top contender until it captured the world title.

Even so, in 1986, when the race began in earnest, the Stallion, whose basic design was already outdated, was able to achieve such a good track record. It's nothing but Taka.

At the 1986 Inter TEC, which was the debut race, it was exciting to see the Stallion running fast and make the Volvo team say, "What is that car?"

[sectoralchromatics]

Susanne Kottulinsky (who you might know as mother of Extreme E driver Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky) and co-driver Christina Thörner in the #24 Volvo 240 Turbo, Lotto Haspengouwrally of 1986 West Euro Cup Rally.

She would go on to place 3rd in the overall championship ending results, only 4 points behind runner-up Guy Colsoul due to 2 retirements.