Volvo's iconic P1800 reborn
Cyan Racing, the reigning triple World Touring Car Champions, has revealed the Volvo P1800 Cyan, their interpretation of the iconic Volvo sports car from the sixties. The car is engineered by the team behind the first world title-winning Volvo race car and the Volvo C30 Polestar Concept Prototype.
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, treating the design and engineering of the sixties with care, moving it forward in a delicate way. With this in mind there are no driver aids to distort the driving experience, meaning no stability control, ABS or brake booster.
The car originally started life as a 1964 Volvo P1800 that has been refined and reinforced utilising high-strength steel and carbon fibre. The body has been altered to accommodate a wider track, larger wheels and repositioned greenhouse, among a long list of redesigns. The result is now a car that weights just 990 kilos.
Under the bonnet, the two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine is based on the same engine as used in the world title-winning Volvo S60 TC1 race car, producing 420 hp. Although the engine is turbocharged, it is developed to deliver a linear power and torque curve with the characteristics of a normally aspirated engine. The engine character is designed to deliver a driving experience as in the sixties but with increased performance and precision.
A five-speed bespoke Holinger gearbox has been selected to carry the mechanical feeling of the original Volvo P1800, but with greater gear change precision and capability of handling the increased torque. The original Volvo P1800 live rear axle is replaced with a Cyan-designed independent rear suspension. A key part to the engaging rear-wheel drive experience is the torque-biasing limited slip differential. The differential is mounted in a Holinger housing with unique gears in order to combine capable performance on a circuit with civilised behaviour for road use.
Photos © Cyan Racing