1998 Volvo C70
Sleek coupe emerges from boxy cocoon.
By Ray Thursby
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Overview
Volvo has been reworking its image in recent years. Once known for building boxy, safe, utilitarian and somewhat stodgy sedans and station wagons, the Swedish company now gets plaudits from car enthusiasts for having transformed its products into performance cars for enthusiast drivers.
Safety and utility features have been retained and further enhanced. Yet those boxy edges have been rounded. And the last traces of lackluster performance have been swept away in a rush of turbocharged, double-overhead cam power.
For the benefit of those who have yet to notice these changes sweeping through Volvo's model line, the new C70 coupe is intended to serve as a highly visible rolling billboard.
Developed in association with Tom Walkinshaw Racing, an English company best known for its championship-winning Jaguar and Volvo race cars, the svelte C70 combines updated Volvo hardware in a dramatic new two-door design that makes for a most appealing package.
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