VOLVO S60 POLESTAR
VOLVO S60 POLESTAR VOLVO S60 POLESTAR
Until that moment, only four European experts had a chance to ride a 508-horsepower all-wheel drive monster. A Russian presentation of this magnitude is considered the first in the world and therefore especially exciting for the Swedes from the Poulstar division. Two dozen journalists on Volvo road cars with proprietary chip tuning drove from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod, but Yuri Timkin had already met these cars (ЗР, 2012, No. 9). And if on the ring everyone was lured into the passenger seat of the concept, which was piloted by touring pilot Volvo Volvo Robert Dahlgren, then they made an exception for Driving - they let me into the driver's seat.
The instrument cluster is no different from the familiar Volvo S60. But here a digital tachometer is projected onto the windshield
The instrument cluster is no different from the familiar Volvo S60. But here a digital tachometer is projected onto the windshield. The instrument cluster is no different from the familiar Volvo S60. But here a digital tachometer is projected onto the windshield.
The faces of the Poulstar people were darker than the clouds hanging over the race track. The asphalt of the Nizhny Novgorod Ring itself is relatively slippery, and then it was abundantly wetted by the drizzle in the morning. Robert, having grabbed a few laps in the morning, seriously offered to cancel the event. Still, unfamiliar Russian journalists (Dalgren first visited Russia) will drive the only concept in the world - but how will they break it?
Armchairs with Poulstar brand logos fix the body much more reliably than regular ones, even performed by R-Design
Armchairs with Poulstar brand logos fix the body much more reliably than regular ones, even performed by R-Design. Armchairs with Poulstar brand logos fix the body much more reliably than regular ones, even performed by R-Design.
After much hesitation, I am allowed to ride, but in a "whisper." And first, a test drive in the navigator's chair. The high-powered motor barks and immediately lowers the tone, and Robert begins to play with buttons on the steering wheel. Will we go on adaptive cruise control?
“No,” the Swede laughs. - Here, these keys configure a special projector. In production vehicles, a collision avoidance system displays a critical proximity indication on the windshield. And on the concept, a strip of LEDs indicates the moment of switching.
Mechanics? On a supercar with a capacity of 508 hp? Yes! In fact, to manage such a “herd” with the help of the classic “pen” is not difficult, and automatic relocations contribute to switching
Mechanics? On a supercar with a capacity of 508 hp? Yes! In fact, to manage such a “herd” with the help of the classic “pen” is not difficult, and automatic relocations contribute to switching. Mechanics? On a supercar with a capacity of 508 hp? Yes! In fact, to manage such a “herd” with the help of the classic “pen” is not difficult, and automatic relocations contribute to switching.
The well-known Nizhny Novgorod Ring, on which we recently tested six hot hatchbacks (ЗР, 2012, No. 10), is blocked by cones. We leave against the wool - the most running turn in front of the starting line turns from the last into the first, and the re-marked configuration resembles a hippodrome: of the four remaining turns, three are left and only one is fast right. And before going to bed, I scrolled the entire track in my head, imagining how I would click it on the concept … Robert, why so mock an interesting track?
Remote tanks customizable racks "Olinz" - a sign of a serious approach. With these pendants, Poulstar has been racing for almost 10 years
Remote tanks customizable racks "Olinz" - a sign of a serious approach. With these pendants, Poulstar has been racing for almost 10 years. Remote tanks customizable racks "Olinz" - a sign of a serious approach. With these pendants, Poulstar has been racing for almost 10 years.
- Security. We decided that in this configuration there is less chance of making a mistake and damaging the car.
Oh really! All the dangerous turns at the racetrack, where the pilot can fly, have long been bordered by wide asphalt safety zones. And in the version proposed by the Swedes, you will have to be careful: in a couple of places from an unstretched path, you can easily fly off onto the lawn - there are no traps there. And the configuration with the dominance of left turns is thought-provoking. Security, say?
- Yesterday there was a problem with the drive. No, no, she’s not typical. We are experimenting on a powerful concept, and such problems are absolutely normal. We were let down by the delivery service: among the eight spare nodes, the right one was not found, can you imagine! Therefore, we chose this route option in order to less load the car.
The specific power of the inline Six is almost 170 hp. with a liter. Performance was improved with the help of a new turbocharger, upgraded block heads, intercooler, exhaust system and control program
The specific power of the inline Six is almost 170 hp. with a liter. Performance was improved with the help of a new turbocharger, upgraded block heads, intercooler, exhaust system and control program. The specific power of the inline Six is almost 170 hp. with a liter. Performance was improved with the help of a new turbocharger, upgraded block heads, intercooler, exhaust system and control program.
Dahlgren taxis straight and drowns gas. Vilnius stern (despite the four-wheel drive!), The blue concept rises forward under the growl of the original exhaust system. The flip of a shift light, and Robert switches to the second, then to the third, manages to move to the fourth … And gently upsets before turning, starting the countdown of transfers: third, second - all with savory relays. From the passenger seat, the pilot’s legs are practically invisible, so it remains to envy the ease with which the master plays the gas and brake pedals.
The front 6-piston brake “cars” Brembo embrace 380 mm discs. The rear 302mm gears are a bit more modest
The front 6-piston brake “cars” Brembo embrace 380 mm discs. The rear 302mm gears are a bit more modest. The front 6-piston brake “cars” Brembo embrace 380 mm discs. The rear 302mm gears are a bit more modest.
Time to change. “Just don’t drive, be very careful!” - once again reminds Robert, taking a place on the right. I'm not in a hurry, adjusting the driver's seat for myself. I grumble jokingly: “It’s immediately obvious that the budget equipment is halogen, not xenon. A seat without electric drives, you need to move and select the angle of the backrest manually … ". Of course, this is not a budget savings - race cars are also ascetic. But is there anything in common with this prototype with the military “Volvo” taking part in the circuit races? At the presentation, Managing Director Hans Boot spoke about the 15-year experience of Poulstar in the preparation of sports and racing cars, its implementation in the concept …
- Touring Volvo? - Robert Dahlgren raises his eyebrows. - No, of course, it is difficult to compare this prototype with them. Of course, there are many differences from serial models, but this is not a ring car. Although we worked seriously on dynamics and controllability.
Until now, only a few European colleagues have traveled to the concept. “Behind the wheel” the first of the Russian publications tested the only “Volvo-S60 Poulstar” on the “Nizhny Novgorod ring”
Until now, only a few European colleagues have traveled to the concept. “Behind the wheel” the first of the Russian publications tested the only “Volvo-S60 Poulstar” on the “Nizhny Novgorod ring”. Until now, only a few European colleagues have traveled to the concept. “Behind the wheel” the first of the Russian publications tested the only “Volvo-S60 Poulstar” on the “Nizhny Novgorod ring”.
In my opinion, a manual gearbox on a 500+ car (talking about horsepower) is atavism. Modern supercar boxes, both hydromechanical and automatic with two clutches, beat professional pilots in terms of switching speed, adequately brake the engine and are equipped with honest manual mode. The mechanics take away a lot of attention, which is especially noticeable in the first rounds. It’s easy to touch the S60 Poulstar: the increased diameter clutch is not ceramic, although it is designed for increased load. It’s not worth tearing up in an exclusive car, which has identified problems with the drive: smoothly moving off, gaining speed, switching to the second … Gas! Powerful but mild acceleration presses the polestar embossed seat back. The concept manages to accelerate to 150 on the speedometer, and here I am at the entrance to the turn. How did Robert perform peregazovki when switching down? As soon as I squeezed the clutch, I moved the lever to “neutral” and got ready to raise my heel like a brrrum! - the concept did everything myself. It turns out that Dahlgren was spared such a necessity: “S60 Poulstar” is equipped with an automatic gas relocation system.
To test for yourself what 3.9 seconds to a hundred is, the weather and the prototype limping on one drive did not allow. But without that, the car is perceived damn fast and, most importantly, obedient
To test for yourself what 3.9 seconds to a hundred is, the weather and the prototype limping on one drive did not allow. But without that, the car is perceived damn fast and, most importantly, obedient! To test for yourself what 3.9 seconds to a hundred is, the weather and the prototype limping on one drive did not allow. But without that, the car is perceived damn fast and, most importantly, obedient!
The speed at the exit from the turn turned out to be slightly higher than expected - the concept slipped on the wet asphalt and swam with the front axle out. In response to the cover of gas, she gently went towards the feed, and the pilot sitting on the right was alarmed: “Calm down, calm down! Quietly!” Don’t worry, Robert, the drift is perfectly extinguished by the steering wheel. And it developed so smoothly, as if my actions were insured by electronics. On the civilian Volvo-S60, it cannot be completely disabled, but in the winter test at the Tushino Ring circuit (ZR, 2011, No. 4), the intervention of the system did not interfere with the slip control, on the contrary, it helped.
A characteristic feature of the cars related to the Poulstar court atelier is a square blue nameplate. Concept S60 - the apogee of the company's engineering developments
A characteristic feature of the cars related to the Poulstar court atelier is a square blue nameplate. Concept S60 - the apogee of the company's engineering developments. A characteristic feature of the cars related to the Poulstar court atelier is a square blue nameplate. Concept S60 - the apogee of the company's engineering developments.
- There is no stabilization! - swept the Swede. - Of the safety electronics, only an anti-lock system, and it works according to a strict algorithm. So with the machine you, consider one on one.
Wow! In this case, for the settings - a solid five. This behavior is partly due to the balance of the chassis: there are adjustable Ollins racks with remote tanks in a circle, adjusted wheel alignment angles, a 20 mm wide track and Michelin-Pilot Super Sport tires. But no less contributing is the four-wheel drive transmission with “Chaldexes” in the role of the center differential and rear self-block. Moreover, in a traditional rear gear case, an electronically controlled coupling of a promising fifth generation is being run in! The result is fantastic: the behavior is soft and predictable, and the “shortened” steering mechanism with different power steering calibrations allows you to subtly feel what is happening with the steered wheels and drive a supercar either in a ring exactly or in hooligan slides. And if on most powerful all-wheel drive sedans you first fold before a turn, and then pull the car into a skid with a pull, then everything is different: you can enter a turn quickly, with your accelerator covered, point your nose at the exit - and again gas, gas, gas!
Robert Dahlgren, who runs for the Poulstar Racing stables in the Swedish body races, also taught how to ride a road prototype. Although he himself admitted that the concept has a distant relationship to the current Volvo racing program
Robert Dahlgren, who runs for the Poulstar Racing stables in the Swedish body races, also taught how to ride a road prototype. Although he himself admitted that the concept has a distant relationship to the current Volvo racing program. Robert Dahlgren, who runs for the Poulstar Racing stables in the Swedish body races, also taught how to ride a road prototype. Although he himself admitted that the concept has a distant relationship to the current Volvo racing program.
And with what can you compare the “S60 Poulstar” with the all-wheel drive 450-horsepower “Audi-RS4”? Or with the classic Mercedes-Benz S-Class AMG and Lexus IS-F of about the same power? Poulstar Director Hans Boot answered evasively: they say, it's up to you, the journalists, and potential buyers.
So far, two options are possible: production in small batches, if demand is high enough, or piece production - then the S60 Poulstar will remain an insanely expensive curiosity for collectors. And I don’t want 508 forces and a magnificent chassis covered in dust in museums and private garages!
TOPs and Roots
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Thirty-three-year-old racer Robert Dahlgren in 1998 won the Northern and Swedish Formula One Ford Cups, and three years later became the champion of the entire series. Since 2004, he moved to the Swedish STCC touring series and won the 2010 Ring Cup on the Volvo-C30 bolt of the Poulstar Racing team.
The Poulstar racing team, which has been participating in "bodies" since 1996, has recently relied on "environmentally friendly" cars: both in the WTCC world championship and in Sweden, racing cars are powered by E85 bioethanol mixture. Based on the experience of touring in 2010, the Swedes created the Volvo C30 concept: the T5 engine boosted to 405 hp. and 510 N · m, they replaced the standard racks with "lenses", and the front self-block and the Haldex center-to-center clutch were implanted into the transmission.
