Join us as Chief Copy Editor Laura K. Cowan takes us on a short tour of the 2008 Volvo C30, giving answers to even the most bizarre of our reader questions. Make sure to tune back in on Friday when we offer up yet another vehicle for Ask It consideration.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
We’ve just taken delivery of a spanking new Volvo C30 hatch and thought that the stylish Swede would be the perfect subject for this week’s Ask It segment. It’ll be hard to argue with the small Volvo’s looks as we think the car is one of the prettiest hatchbacks on sale today, but questions about the ultimate functionality of the design might not go amiss. Let us know what you ponder when you hear “C30”, in comments.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Volvo is looking to give its Swedish customers a variety of new options for the appearance of their C30’s. The automaker is offering up a variety of nonpermanent adhesive “skins,” which offer a radical character shift without the hassle and expense of actually painting it.
These skins are printed on a film that seems to cover the C30 quite completely, but are said to be totally safe for the paint underneath, and to last up to two years. We’re not sure if the examples shown here represent a comprehensive listing of the available patterns and colors, but they do represent a set of styling choices that would seem to require aesthetically brave owners. The pink camo-style cover seems particularly heinous.
Volvo is asking the equivalent of around three grand for the fancy wrappers, which would seem to be enough to get your car painted for real. Though with designs like these, the ability to peel off your mistakes will probably come in handy.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Volvo North America has revealed that it will be moving its corporate HQ from Irvine, California, to join its customer service and other operations in Rockleigh, New Jersey. The automaker has said that the move will streamline operations by having “everyone together in one location,” as well as reducing the time difference between the headquarters in the U.S. and Sweden.
Volvo North America has been headquartered in California since 2001, when it moved from Goteborg, Sweden. The company has said that the change will affect fewer than 80 (soon to be chilly) employees.
(Volvo may need all hands on deck when its hot new XC60 CUV arrives stateside. Check it out in our gallery below.)
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
It’s been a while since we first saw Volvo’s XC60 concept (a little over a year, to be exact), but we’re just now getting our first glance at the production crossover today. Unveiled this morning at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, the XC60 is now a go.
Volvo bills the XC60 as being their “safest car ever,” a tall order considering Volvo’s reputation for safe vehicles over the past few decades. As could be expected, the XC60 comes equipped with Volvo’s blind-spot sensing system, whiplash prevention systems, seatbelt pre-tensioners, lane departure warnings and other such gadgetry. The newest system is “City Safety,” which, at speeds up to 30 km/h, automatically stops the XC60 should it sense the car is about to collide with another vehicle.
(Click through to read more about the Volvo XC60.)
Volvo has “officially” released images of the 2009 XC60. The all-new XC60 will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 4. The “small premium utility” will hit European markets in the fall and will see a U.S. release by the first quarter of 2009.
“This car is charged with more emotive form and more energy than any other Volvo,” Volvo Cars Design Director Steve Mattin said. “We’re elevating our design DNA to an entirely new level by literally turning up the visual volume. If you say that you’d recognize a Volvo from 300 feet away today, I dare say the XC60 radiates a clear Volvo presence from at least twice that distance.”
The 2009 Volvo XC60 features City Safety – a safety system that applies the brakes if a front-end collision is imminent. The XC60 will feature the turbocharged T6 engine – the only available engine option for the U.S. model – pushing 281 horsepower. All-wheel-drive comes standard.
Check out the gallery by clicking on the thumbnails below.
With the Geneva Motor Show a scant two and a half weeks away, we expect that the official releases and unofficial leaks of show cars are likely to get hotter and heavier from here on out. To that point, Volvo’s new XC60 has slipped through the virtual cracks, with a few official images of the crossover appearing online earlier this morning.
The production-ready XC60 looks a lot like the conceptual version first shown at Detroit in 2007. The Geneva-bound car has been stripped of a few of the more ostentatious exterior shiny bits, but it retains the concept’s sculpted lines, and head/taillight treatments.
Click through the gallery below to enjoy a few early looks at the Volvo XC60, and then tell us if you’re looking forward to the Geneva launch in comments.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
A London court has found former design student guilty of blackmailing automotive designers.
Guy Lloyd-Parker, graduate of the London College of Fashion, claimed that 95 design sketches were stolen from him by two college professors back in 1994. He claimed his designs have turned up as Audi TT, BMW Z3, Mazda RX-8, and the Volvo XC90.
He began to send threats to California-based Volvo Design Director Geza Loczi, former BMW and Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker, and ex-Mazda designer Tsutomu Matano demanding he be compensated at least £90,000 ($175,373) for his sketches. The letters, he titled, “The Truth”, threatened to expose the designers to the media if his demands were not met.
However, for his troubles, Lloyd-Parker has been found guilty on three counts of blackmail and is to be sentenced later this month.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Once upon a time, companies desiring to offer custom parts for a particular car bought one for themselves, took it apart, and determined how to make their stuff fit properly. The automobile manufacturers were fairly ambivalent about the entire aftermarket industry for a long time. None offered help, some were hostile. But somewhere over the years they began to notice that modified cars drew attention to the brand.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) grew from those hot rodding roots and today works closely with many of the global automobile manufacturers to facilitate the agendas of both manufacturers and aftermarket companies. Now the list of parts available to modify any of the American “Big Three” vehicles makes the New York phone book look like a short story. The Japanese machines followed more than a decade ago and that list of options has exploded.
(Click through to read more about how the automakers allow aftermarket companies to measure vehicles.)
Volvo has been found guilty of manslaughter after a French court ruled that the company’s faulty brakes caused a fatal accident in 1999 – which killed two children.
Catherine Kohtz lost control of her Volvo 850 TDI in eastern France and struck the two children, resulting in their deaths. Kohtz received a six-month suspended jail sentence, was fined $446, and her license was suspended for a year. Volvo received a 200,000 euro ($295,640) fine.
A company spokesman told BBC that they were not at fault, saying, “This is a tragic incident for everyone involved. There was no problem with the brakes.”
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Volvos aren’t a frequent feature in this category of our site. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with them, but most don’t strike an enthusiast’s chord. The 1800 is different.
This particular model checks in with only 16,007 miles. The seller doesn’t do an award-winning job describing the car, but we’re pretty sure anyone who is seriously interested in this little Swede will know the major details. Everything looks clean and the car has a few new parts. The bidding is still under reserve at $15,000 at the time of writing.
British business magazine The Business is reporting that Ford is looking to sell Volvo this summer. The magazine states that Ford is looking to sell the Swedish brand for $6 billion – less than the $6.45 billion Ford paid for the brand in 1999.
With Ford in talks with Tata over its Land Rover and Jaguar brands, the sale of Volvo would complete Ford’s dumping of its oversees brands to concentrate on American operations.
The Business reports that potential buyers will be Ripplewood Holdings and Cerebrus. The Swedish brand has as-of-yet to turn a profit under Ford’s ownership.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
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