This Volvo P1800 Cyan may be the best restomod ever
The past and the present collide within this gorgeous restomod creation, undertaken by Cyan Racing.
Fantastic.
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class may have debuted today, but this right here might actually be the coolest thing we see today. This obscure machine is a Volvo P1800, but not any P1800 -- it's a restomodded P1800. What's the big deal? Cyan Racing, formerly Volvo's factory racing team, undertook this challenge and created something sublime.
The idea was simple: Cyan wondered what the P1800 could have been if it had a race team backing the car all the way back in the 1960s, much like the iconic Ferrari and Jaguar vehicles of the time. The P1800 Cyan is the final product after the team channeled its motorsport learnings to imagine a race car for the road with the original car's gorgeous design. And there was an effort to focus on driving purity -- not a totally digital creation with an electric powertrain.
Thus, there's a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four derived from the Volvo S60 TC1 race car, which makes 420 horsepower and 336 pound-feet of torque. The team looked at plenty of engine options, including the P1800's original engine, a five-cylinder and an inline-six, but ultimately, the turbo-four was the best fit.
The team's knowledge surrounding the engine made it a perfect candidate to help tread the line between motorsport and road car. Even better, there's a bespoke five-speed manual transmission onboard, and Cyan Racing said the powertrain is meant to rev. Keeping with the modern touches, the original live rear axle is gone, and in its place sits a Cyan-designed independent rear suspension. There's also a limited-slip differential meant to balance everyday driving and high performance on the track.
That's not all for track use, though. The front and rear suspension is completely adjustable and sports double wishbones and two-way adjustable dampers with Cyan hydraulics. In true restomod fashion, it has a classic look, but the story shifts underneath the skin.The chassis itself is ready to take a beating, too, with carbon fiber reinforcing the car's steel bones. Ensuring the 420 hp makes its way to the ground is a set of Pirelli P Zero tires, which wrap around 18-inch forged wheels.
Cyan Racing plans to build this car, believe it or not. Naturally, it'll be an "if you have to ask" sort of ordeal when it comes to prices, but those with the means can be in touch with the racing outfit to spec their very own -- and incredibly cool -- P1800 Cyan.
