Volvo Concept Coupe


This is the Volvo Concept Coupe. The concept was penned by the brand’s new vice president of design, Thomas Ingenlath of Volkswagen fame, and its interior was laid out by Robin Page, formerly of Bentley. Considering the upbringing of the two men behind the Concept Coupe, looking to the past for inspiration might very well have led to a modern-day PV544. However, the Swedish brand had another classic gem in mind to inspire its all-new design direction that will merge “contemporary Scandinavian lifestyle and design with iconic elements from Volvo’s 1960s era”: the P1800.

Porsche E-Performance. Direction: Future.

Volvo may as well be describing the vintage coupe’s proportions when it explains how the distance between the concept’s dashboard and front axle has been extended and the greenhouse positioned rearward. The CC’s grille mimics the shape of the old two-seater’s maw and the front end’s lower outboard intakes, which Volvo calls cow horns, are reminiscent of the bumpers on the earlier P1800s. Volvo tells us the concept’s T-shaped LED signature will be a staple of all upcoming Volvos. The designers did, however, refrain from copying the vestigial tailfins of the classic Volvo sports coupe, keeping the rear of the concept clean and horizontal. Volvo says the design is “oozing with effortless power,” and we’re a bit curious to learn what that actually means.

Page’s interior is kept clean and simple, featuring a mixture of leather, aged wood, and a gear lever made of Swedish crystal. Thankfully, Volvo has abandoned the majority of its notoriously cluttered, knob-infested center stack design in favor of a large touch screen similar to the setup in Tesla’s Model S.

Power will come from the brand’s recently revealed Drive-E family of engines, specifically the Drive-E T6. This 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes use of a supercharger for low-end grunt and a turbocharger that carries power into the upper reaches of the mill’s rev band. Volvo has pegged the T6’s output at 302 horsepower, and then added an electric motor and plug-in hybrid components to complete a powertrain with “around 400 horsepower.” While the new engines will be offered exclusively with an eight-speed automatic in American applications, the show car uses the European-specification six-speed manual transmission.

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