Lighter than a Mazda MX-5 Miata and more powerful than an Audi RS3, Cyan Racing’s version of the Volvo P1800 is one of the most stunning resto mods we’ve seen in years. It’s fast in a straight line, sharp in turns, and a recent cold weather test lap confirms it’s fast and fun when going sideways.
Cyan Racing wrapped spiked snow tires around the 18-inch wheels of the P1800 and transported them to Åre, a small town about 630 miles north of Volvo’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, near the border with Norway. There, the team had the opportunity to find out how the coupe behaves when the thermometer drops below zero and road conditions are at best unfavorable. Things could have gone sideways quickly, metaphorically: the P1800 is a 420-horsepower car that weighs less than 2,200 pounds, which is equipped with a manual transmission and proudly shuns all driving aids.
Instead, things literally turned sideways. The images the company publishes make us jealous of its testers.
“The basic concept of the car seems to work very well. It doesn’t matter much whether you are on a bone dry race track, on a wet and winding country road or on the sharp ice here in Northern Sweden. You still feel confident and confident. Under control. I would say this concept has been somewhat lost along the way for today’s performance cars. For us, this goes back to basics, “said Mattias Evensson, Cyan Racing chief engineer.
Steering the P1800 into controlled drift seems relatively easy, and the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder sounds eager to explore the upper echelons of its rev range. Cyan notes that it has tuned the engine to provide more power until it reaches the red line. It spins the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and limited slip differential.
Cyan started taking orders for the P1800 in 2020, telling us prices start at around $ 500,000. Production isn’t limited, but the company predicts its hot-rodded vintage Volvo will be a low-volume model.