Volvo had a very long motorsport history, and it decided to prove that when it introduced the R-version for its midsize sedan, the S60.
While most people knew Volvo vehicles for their safety systems, others knew about the Swedish carmaker’s glorious motorsport heritage. The P144 Amazon was great in rallying. The S40 blasted the British Touring Car Championship, and Volvo engineers never stopped thinking about performance vehicles, but the company policy was safety first. Volvo S60 was made as a midsize premium vehicle, and adding more power to the car couldn’t be bad news for anyone.

The R-version featured a similar design with its siblings, but with some special additions. At the front, the lower part of the bumper featured a larger air intake for better cooling. To complement the car’s look, Volvo installed a satin-silver grille and a set of 17” light-alloy wheels, with w specific 5-spoke design. At the back, the design team put a small spoiler on the trunk lid.

Inside, the Swedish carmaker installed bucket seats at the front and a two-seat profiled bench in the back. For the instrument cluster, Volvo installed blue dials with silver surroundings and red needles. The audio system featured Bluetooth connectivity, which was not often seen on cars from that time.

Under the hood, Volvo installed a 5-cylinder turbocharged engine that sent its power in all corners via a 6-speed manual, and a 5-speed automatic was available as an option.