419_20081204: New York Rally Meets Volvo C30
Nice episode. I enjoyed the Volvo C30 bit. I have to agree - the car looks fantastic and I bet it feels great.
I'm not sure about the performance though...6.9 seconds in a hot hatch? Volvo can do much better. Fifteen years ago, their mid-size performance sedan, the 850 T5 (which used pretty much the same engine) had the same 0-60 time as this small hatchback.
I know C/D managed 6.3 seconds to 60 in the C30. But either way, the 850 T5's power/weight ratio is pretty similar to that of the C30.Originally Posted by _HighVoltage_
But the 850 has a lot more interior space (and boot space) compared to the C30.
Cars are also heavier for their size than they were 17 years ago though.
6.9 is pretty optimistic for an 850 T5 (at least for an autotragic). I'd say around 7.5 is more on target.
I'd rather have the C30 though as I am sure it handles much better thanks to Ford and Mazda.
The C30 is an interesting car. It looks fast both inside and out, and it handles well. It's screwed together tightly, and the chassis is very rigid. But it's not fast, even in R-Design mode with a stick shift, and that's very disappointing. Plus, Volvo has had the awful habit in the past 4 or 5 years of making seats that look supportive and comfortable, yet have terrible driving positions and give the feeling of sitting on them rather than in them. My girlfriend's 1998 Volvo V70 Cross Country has the pinnacle of Volvo seats, and it's been downhill since then.
But wouldn't that intrude on the Focus ST sales? With the Focus being the fast and mad car and the Volvo is the "lifestyle" choice?
The Focus ST doesn't exist in the US
Neither does the Mk. 2 Escort..Really interesting to find one of those rallying in America, can you remember whether it was an Ohc or a Kent engine one?
I didn't actually talk to the driver, I don't know.
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