I just returned from this event. It was, in a word, exceptional. Volvo and their marketing people really got it together. Everything and everyone there -- from the marketing people to the support staff to the driving instructors -- were very professional and knowledgeable. My session was from 10 to 12. After signing in, there was a 10-minute video presentation about the R cars. There were fairly elaborate breakfasts and lunches, too, all free of course. Then there was a brief introduction by a Volvo Marketing VP. He quickly turned the show over to someone form an "independent" car testing company called AMCI. The guy was very good at explaining all of the features. I suspect Volvo chose another firm to discuss the car's attributes to make it seem more objective. That went on for about 15 minutes or so. Then they did a little demo of the car's AWD/traction control system, using an actual car and a incline treadmill type device. Then they split the group of about 60 or so registered drivers into three groups of about 20. Each of the smaller groups had three instructors. First they did a little thing on proper seat position. Then the driver took three people in a car (two manual S60s and one automatic V70 total) on a short course marked with cones in the parking lot of Shea. There were three courses in total, although participants only drove one coure each. The drivers were all professional or racing school type drivers and really showed you how well the car handled. I was in the S60 and the drive exceeded my expectations. Great power (in second gear the whole time), amazing handling and control and very strong brakes. (I was fortunate to be sitting in the front seat or I otherwise would have been carsick.) Then they let each of us take three laps. The first was in the "comfort" setting just to get familiar with the course. The next two were in advanced sport and you could go as fast as you wanted/could handle. Finally, at the end they had a "race" to see who could do the course the fastest without hitting any cones. (I was sixth out of 22.) The car met all of my expectations and exceeded some. The clutch felt soft at first and the friction point took some getting used to (I am coming out of a 1997 M3 5-speed). It was hard to analyze the clutch feel and the gearbox because we were in second gear almost all of the time. On the track and on display they had cars in grey, black and red. The former two colors seemed great to me. I did not like the red as much. The Atacama interior is striking, but too orange in tone and probably too hard to keep clean (at least if you have kids, as I do). The Nordkap interior was actually more grey than blue/black. I actually thought it was a different color altogether at first. It looks good, however. The driving position was extremely comfortable and the cabin seem bigger than my M3. The steering felt a bit lighter, however, but it is hard to say for sure since I had relatively little time in the car and everything was blurring by at the time. Overall, I am pleased that I chose this car (mine is arriving 5/14). If you can make one of the other R driving experiences around the country I would strongly recomment it. If you have any specific questions please post and I will get back to you tonight.
Thanks for the post. So the blue interior wasn't overwhelming? Tell me about the grey exterior..is it a cool color or would you recommend black instead? I'm worried about the grey just being kind of blah. I hope someone takes pictures. Any Gobi "sand" enteriors there?
Were the seats nice?Thanks!
Geoff
The grey exterior -- which I have ordered -- was nice, but I almost liked the black better. Maybe it was because I saw the grey on a "track" car and it was probably not clean/waxed. The Nordkap interior was definitely not "overwhelming". It was almost dark grey in color, not really blue. Nothing like the photos that I have seen on websites. The seats themselves were very comfortable -- good head room (I am 6'1''), lots of adjustments. But again, I was in the car for about five minutes total.
This is a good thing.
Actual reviews bu actual drivers, biased and all.. (ghgh)The R sounds ever more promising!
Thanks Richard.
Richard;How did the engine and exhust sound?
Richard;I forgot another question. How did the Xenon light look? Are they projectors or reflectors?
Did you see how the Bi-Xenon operate? Does it also have hi beam or they just use one Xenon for low and hi?
Thanks!
I just got back from the event as well, went with 3 friends. The R was very nice as summed up above, there was some noticable Turbo lag though in the turns. Overall, it was a very nice car, even the Advanced setting wasn't too harsh but firmed the car up well. The Nordcap blue interior is very dark (I looked at it in the sun, sorry I forgot to take a photo). That Atacama interior is awesome, much better than I expected. That other interior color (beige almost) did nothing for me. The autolevel Xenons are cool, they look great.
Does this belong to anyone on the forum?
[Modified by JG50, 9:24 PM 4-13-2003]
[Modified by JG50, 4:16 AM 4-14-2003]
Thanks JG! Anyone get any shots of the enteriors?
HG50;
>> there was some noticable Turbo lag though in the turns.<<Would keeping the RPM up, reduce the lag? BTW, did you rev it up? Does the engine sound smooth in hi rev?
Thanks!
quote:
Would keeping the RPM up, reduce the lag? BTW, did you rev it up? Does the engine sound smooth in hi rev?I suspect it might, but the way they had it set up.....it was hard to bring the revs up high (you had to brake too soon). Overall, I couldn't rev it up too much. I do know the engine sounds amazing for a stock setup.
Most importantly.... Thanks for the pix!!!!Questions:
1 - was the car with lag an auto or MT
2 - do the calipers have the "R" (couldn't see it)
3 - did the grey V have Nordkap leather and how does combo work in real lifeThanks again...
quote:
Most importantly.... Thanks for the pix!!!!Questions:
1 - was the car with lag an auto or MT
2 - do the calipers have the "R" (couldn't see it)
3 - did the grey V have Nordkap leather and how does combo work in real lifeThanks again...
No problem, to your questions......
1. The car was a MT, but my buddy also drove the Auto and said it had some lag.
2. The calipers definitely have the R logo. Another nice surprise, is that the gauge cluster overhang is leather covered/or fake leather (stitched in blue)....the interior is "very" nice, lots of attention to detail
3. All the Grey cars I saw had the beige colored interior. I saw a black S60R with the Nordcap. The Nordcap is really dark, it almost looks black (with a purpleish tone in the bright Sun).
[Modified by JG50, 9:47 PM 4-13-2003]
quote:
Most importantly.... Thanks for the pix!!!!Questions:
1 - was the car with lag an auto or MT
2 - do the calipers have the "R" (couldn't see it)
3 - did the grey V have Nordkap leather and how does combo work in real lifeThanks again...
Answers to your questions by the same numbers:
1 - I drove both GT and MT and experienced the same thing with both. The professional driver with me, Harry, said that is wasn't lag, just the ECU keeping me from getting into too much trouble exiting the turn. I was pushing it pretty hard.
2 - The calipers are painted a speckled medium grey with the R painted over it. Looked pretty good from a distance, but not as good as the engraved R in the wheels. Take a look at the photos in my next post for a close up.
3 - I hate to get down on anybody else's idea of their dream interior, but the Nordkap just doesn't do it for me. It didn't look blue at all, just the stitching. It looked like a dark grey, so if you really wanted a black interior and were settling for Nordkap because black isn't available, this might be your color. If, on the other hand, you were expecting something outstanding and unique, I don't think you're going to be happy with this color.
I know that an "Orange" interior is a love/hate proposition, but Atacama is the only one of the three choices that is really different. Nordkap seems to be similar to Graphite while Gobi is a lot like Sand making them somewhat mainstream in appearance. Those of you that saw the cars today, was the leather "upgraded" as Volvo claims? What did the "natural" Atacama leather feel like?
quote:
What did the "natural" Atacama leather feel like?Let's put it this way, the leather in all 3 combos was noticeably nicer than the leather in my oldman's 03 E500.....very soft leather, I was impressed.
Just got back from NY, where I had lots of fun!Without repeating some of the comments posted from above, it was a very well organized event by Volvo. The tur out was tremendous and talking to a few poeple yielded only positive comments about the cars and the event. It was a nice, sunny day albeit with a blustery wind that made it pretty chilly!
The cars look MAGNIFICENT from up close! Those of you who have deposits on Rs and your cars are arriving in May/June, are in for a visual feast! Honestly!
There were V70s and S60s present, in both manual and Geartronic. All colors (exterior) were present with the exception of the Flash Green metallic and Silver metallic, which was a small downer for me as I really wanted to see it. But as I do not expect many sales being Flash Green metallic, it was not a big loss. All three interiors (Gobi, Atacama and Nordkap) were in the various cars. Inside the registration tent, the first car that "greeted" me was a Black Sapphire metallic S60 R with the...ATACAMA interior! What a gorgeous sight! I must tell you all ONE thing. If you are considering the Atacama and are afraid of it....DON'T BE! It is not as orangy as the pictures show and it is not a HIGH WEAR leather! I was told that Volvo made some changes in the original "finish" of that leather and they changed it from the suede-like original appearance to a tougher treated leather. Visit your local retailer to feel a sample (we all have them) so you can see with your own eyes! I would definitely recommend it as it is a CLASSIC combo with the Black Sapphite or the Titanium Gray....G O R G E O U S!!! I can't believe that I liked it! And many more people there felt the same way!
Another GREAT interior is the Nordkap. The pictures from Las Vegas are way too blue. The actual interior is Graphite with a hint of blue/purple/silvery SHEEN! And that leather is so soft...better than a Natuzzi couch! I drove in a Black Sapphire S60 with the Nordkap (manual transmission) and the seats were unreal!
As long as I am covering colors and interiors, I would like to mention one item where Volvo MUST make a change as it is U G L Y ! One of the V70s had the Gobi interior, which a very light beige color (light sand). There were some gray accents on the door panels which is fine. But the trunk! I almost choked when I saw it! The cargo area seemed like an afterthought as it was identical to my car (I have graphite interior). The ENTIRE cargo area was...GRAPHITE! And it contrasted so badly with the front part of the rear seats. It seemed like someone made a mistake or just took the wrong color cargo area and GLUED it on a beige interior. I cannot believe that the design team in Gothen burg let it go. That alone would make me not consider the Gobi interior in the V70...
Driving the cars was a treat. I cannot describe the SCARY amount of torque available in the 2nd gear....tremendous! In the Advanced setting, you can feel the bumps but it rewards you when pushing the car when cornering. The DSTC function is reduced and although you can induce quite a bit of understeer, it does not compare to what my car would have done under the same conditions (can you say "eat some cones"?) This car had just enough understeer and after the apex of the turn as you pushed the accelerator down, it took off like a bandit! I did not think the turbo lag was bad at all, certainly a lot less than what my T5 has...The exhaust sound was very nice...a soft growl and...polite!
The V70s had 17" alloys whereas the S60s had 18" alloys. All with P Zeros. I noticed a HUGE difference in the handling department between the two wheels. The 17"s, require more attention under extreme cornering or aggressive slalom maneuvers. The 18"s were AWESOME! I would probably order the 17" alloys, for practicality issue, unless you know for sure that you will be driving aggressively VERY OFTEN. In that case get the 18"s.
Of the exterior colors, those who stand out are definitely the Passion Red (beautiful!) and the Titanium Gray. Black Sapphite is very nice, too, but it does dilute the car's presentation, IMO. I would say Titanium Gray w/ either Atacama or Nordkap and Passion Red with Atacama are GREAT combos! I wonder why Volvo does not offer Passion Red with Nordkap...I think that would be an AWESOME combination!
Finally, I had the good fortune to meet some very nice prople from Volvo such as Peter, Jay and John. And I must not forget some of the "Swedespeeders" that were there and I met for the first time! Ron (a.k.a. VolvoGrrrrr) was there from Mass., Pete (a.k.a. PeteW or husband of "she who must be obeyed) was there (he actually rode with us to NY, we picked him up on the way!), Ed Keating was there with his two daughters, John (a.k.a. Bluestrk) was there along with Rich! It was great meeting all of you and hope to see you again!
As a last comment, you should try to attend this event whether you have already bought an R or not planning to but are thinking about or just for fun, if you like Volvos. The event is great and the cars are a treat to drive!
Kudos to Volvo for a great event.
Yannis
2001 Volvo V70 T5 M SR, Classic Red/Graphite L, TME Stage II ECU, 3" Downpipe w/ Cat-back exhaust from MTE, Volvo Roadholding & Lowering Kit w/ Nivomats, 17" PEGASUS, Rear Spoiler, Dolby Surround Sound
Current company car: 2011 Volvo C70 T5, Electric Silver/ Black Sovereign Hide, Climate, Multimedia & Dynamic packages
I must agree with everyone. It's an amazing car. I was also at the Shea event. Damn, wish I had known you swedespeeders were there. I did the 1-3 event.Like mentioned before, the Acatama is nice indeed. Somehow, it looks like leather is supposed to be that color, even though it doesn't.
Kudos to Volvo for putting together a wonderful event.
Oh yeah, what were your guys' times on the hot lap? I forgot to switch to
Advanced mode on my drive, so I got more body roll in the S-turns. Landed a 20.30
BTW. AMCI is an independent tester that is also holding a Mazda 6 event. So, we can be assured that anything they said about the car is unbiased.
[Modified by drPheta, 3:42 PM 4-13-2003]
Thank you for the post. Looking forward to Chicago and the delivery of my car in May. My wife is going to Chicago with me. I have signed her up but she does not want to drive. When we are put in groups can she stay with me and end up in the car I'm assigned? If not, I guess she can walk around and take pictures for me. Thanks.
Couple questions to those who drove the V. In the 40/20/40 split rear seat, is there a center armrest? I've noticed at my dealer that MANY cars don't have it. Yannis...You mention the sedans had 18's and V's had 17's, could the 17" feel have been from the extra weight up higher over the rear wheels? It looks like the DRL's are the inset light closest to the grill, are the high and low xenon's in the large single lamp? How was that switchblade key? I also noticed the wagons windows weren't tinted, that and Yannis's carpet info may indicate still a little pre-production. All the pics were great, any additional shots of interiors would be great (still trying to decide between Nordkap and Atacama in my Titanium V.
Rich
2004 V70R Ti/Ata 6M
(Jeep GC, 996tt, 968 Cab, 125 shifter kart and a Rotax)
Last question as I read through your post. You mentioned the small groups and 3 to a car. I have an S60R on order. I'm I guaranteed a drive/ride in the S60R or is possible that I may only get to drive/experience the V70R? How do they decide who gets to drive in what vehicle. Thanks.
These photos were posted on the VWVortex thread I put up...I didn't take them.
[Modified by JG50, 4:16 AM 4-14-2003]
how did the passion red wagon look in real life? i look at a couple other sites on volvos, and it seemed the europeans didn't like the red, they mentioned that it looked like a big tomato. \
also, is everyone that went to shea still convinced that the manual is the way to go? oclv
the red was really nice...........
I talked to the lady the was representing Volvo Cars of N.A. and she said that the Volvos are coming in August....................
WTF is she smoking ?!?
I know she has to be wrong.............
quote:
Last question as I read through your post. You mentioned the small groups and 3 to a car. I have an S60R on order. I'm I guaranteed a drive/ride in the S60R or is possible that I may only get to drive/experience the V70R? How do they decide who gets to drive in what vehicle. Thanks.It is pretty liberal. Actually, there is enough time to drive ALL three vehicles in your group. In my group, there were two S60s (one manual and one GT) and one V70 (GT). I drove the S60 manual multiple times and had enough time to drive the V70 for a couple runs.
So, don't worry. The event is run very well and there is enough time.Yannis
2001 Volvo V70 T5 M SR, Classic Red/Graphite L, TME Stage II ECU, 3" Downpipe w/ Cat-back exhaust from MTE, Volvo Roadholding & Lowering Kit w/ Nivomats, 17" PEGASUS, Rear Spoiler, Dolby Surround Sound
Current company car: 2011 Volvo C70 T5, Electric Silver/ Black Sovereign Hide, Climate, Multimedia & Dynamic packages
quote:
Couple questions to those who drove the V. In the 40/20/40 split rear seat, is there a center armrest?Yes.
quote:
Yannis...You mention the sedans had 18's and V's had 17's, could the 17" feel have been from the extra weight up higher over the rear wheels?I know that the S60s are tighter, in general, from the V70s but the 17"s tires did not hold the same as the 18"s. Don't get me wrong; they did very well but under extreme loads (highly unilkely you are going to be doing all that when you own the car) the 18"s had the advantage.
quote:
It looks like the DRL's are the inset light closest to the grill, are the high and low xenon's in the large single lamp?/quote]Yes, same as in the XC90.
[quote]How was that switchblade key?
Same as in the pictures!
quote:
I also noticed the wagons windows weren't tinted, that and Yannis's carpet info may indicate still a little pre-production.
Who told you that ther regular cars will be tinted? No tinting like the XC cars.
quote:
All the pics were great, any additional shots of interiors would be great (still trying to decide between Nordkap and Atacama in my Titanium V.Either way, it is a winning combo. Don't forget that the Atacame is a lot more money!
Yannis
2001 Volvo V70 T5 M SR, Classic Red/Graphite L, TME Stage II ECU, 3" Downpipe w/ Cat-back exhaust from MTE, Volvo Roadholding & Lowering Kit w/ Nivomats, 17" PEGASUS, Rear Spoiler, Dolby Surround Sound
Current company car: 2011 Volvo C70 T5, Electric Silver/ Black Sovereign Hide, Climate, Multimedia & Dynamic packages
quote:
Last question as I read through your post. You mentioned the small groups and 3 to a car. I have an S60R on order. I'm I guaranteed a drive/ride in the S60R or is possible that I may only get to drive/experience the V70R? How do they decide who gets to drive in what vehicle. Thanks.
It seemed that in each group of three cars (about 20 drivers) there were two manuals and one automatic. Each person was asked what he or she wanted to drive. You could even have tried both if you wanted -- one for the first three laps and a different one for the timed lap.
quote:
Richard;How did the engine and exhust sound?
The engine/exhaust had a very slightly aggressive tone from outside the car. It was less noticeable from the inside with the windows up, or mostly up. I noticed a lot more tire schreeching than engine noise, at least during the timed laps!
Believe it or not, other than thinking that the headlamps looked very nice on the car, I did not notice anything else about them or how they worked --for me it was more a day of concentrating on performance driving than doing a thorough inspection or critical test drive. I had already made up my mind that I am getting the car, so I guess I was more excited than questioning.
quote:
how did the passion red wagon look in real life? i look at a couple other sites on volvos, and it seemed the europeans didn't like the red, they mentioned that it looked like a big tomato. \
also, is everyone that went to shea still convinced that the manual is the way to go? oclvThe red wagon looks the best, in my opinion...the only problem is the sand interior...way too light and easy to get dirty, especially if you have kids...why on earth VOLVO doesn't have the graphite interior option for the passion red exterior?
Hey, Volvo, can you hear this? People who buy wagons have kids. Kids and sand interior do not match, period!
Anyway, about the gear box...I drove all of them, the auto wagon (in the picture), the auto sedan, the manual sedan...first surprise (and I was told by the instructor I wasn't the only one saying this), the wagon felt better in the curves than the sedan...heavier, you can predict better what's going to happen with it...second, I was upset when I read that the auto comes with less torque....after today, I'm not upset anymore...it doesn't feel like it has less torque.
I currently drive a Subaru WRX Wagon, stick shift, and I'm sure you all read about it, it kicks ass...the R comes very, very close in handling, which is a lot to say, because it's heavier, and bigger, as well.
For this price range, looking at the performance it offers, the R wagon's competition is slim...it's only the Infinity, the FX45/35 that I considered...I test drove it, and I was surprised with everything, power (280bhp), handling (closer to cars than SUVs), and the looks (exceptional)...still, the R has the edge over the FX. I cannot say exactly why I prefer the R, but I do.
GOOD JOB, VOLVO.sv, nj
PS. People, how do I attach images here? I do not have a way to publish to a web site, so providing the image URL is not an option. I have some nice red wagon pictures from today, if anyone is interested.
quote:
HG50;
>> there was some noticable Turbo lag though in the turns.<<Would keeping the RPM up, reduce the lag? BTW, did you rev it up? Does the engine sound smooth in hi rev?
Thanks!
I drove the 6-speeds a total of 5 laps (two timed) and I did not notice any significant turbolag. I think my problem was that I was on the brake too long in the hairpin turn and lost too much speed/rpms. Except for the initial staightaway on our course (which was actually a mild chicane), you were braking more than accelerating because of a series of tight s-turns. I had no reservations about the car's power. My problem was that even after four or five tries, I could not figure out the optimum way to launch the car, and I invariably started off relatively slowly each time. The automatic actually would have been an advantage of sorts there, I think. I guess I just needed more time getting used to it.
quote:
The automatic actually would have been an advantage of sorts there, I think. I guess I just needed more time getting used to it.Actually, I find automatics to be better than manuals in Autocross situations (just as a whole).
wow ... did i have fun today @ shea. i have lots of pictures that i need to download (tomorrow).
i must say that i am convinced that the "r" is a terrific auto. nicely finished, handled well, beautiful body style and a fairly reasonable $ tag.
btw ... i had the quickest time in the 1-3pm slot - 18.80 seconds, the prize was a battery powered s60 mini car that is as quick as lightning. my son was smiles from ear to ear.
i turn my leased saab viggen in tomorrow and am counting the days until my "r" finds its way into my garage.
nice meeting everyone today!
quote:
Thank you for the post. Looking forward to Chicago and the delivery of my car in May. My wife is going to Chicago with me. I have signed her up but she does not want to drive. When we are put in groups can she stay with me and end up in the car I'm assigned? If not, I guess she can walk around and take pictures for me. Thanks.
I think they only let registered drivers -- the ones given paper wrist bracelets -- on the course. (Definitely no one under 14 is allowed near the course, so leave them home or bring a babysitter to watch them in the main tent. You should have your wife get her bracelet so she can sit in the car with you (unless she gets carsick easily) and then she can say she does not want to drive. In my group of 22 there were 3 wives, and two of them drove -- both of them the 6-speeds.
Dittos on the cograts to Volvo for a great event. Everyone seemed to have an exceptional time. I drove both stick and auto and I have no idea which is faster. The course was nothing like being on the road, so most of us will never get the opportunity to compare the trannies real world driving.As for colors, there is absolutely no question in my mind that red is for me and Atacama look and smells fantastic. Actually, I didn't notice whether the other two interiors had the same smell, but the Atacama smelled rich and sweet instead of the pungent smell that accompanies the leather interiors in other cars I've had.
The first pic is for you, Yannis. I also took a movie of your timed lap, but I don't know how to post it.
This next one should answer some questions about the Brembo caliper finish.
Sweet wheels (17" or 18") and the inset R is done beautifully.
I TOLD you I like red, red ,red.
One more thing: Thanks to you Swedespeeders for making it a great day, too. It was like a class reunion with friends whose faces I had never seen before. Thanks, too, to Kurt, who is the guy who talks to us when we call the Volvo R 800 number.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
