RE: Volvo goes for Audi A3

[fid]

Saw it at the motorshow today, it looks excellent! I'd love one with a D5 engine

[pasthim]

Nice looking. Volvo desparately needs something to appeal to younger people and this is good. Still can't help thinking that the 'floating central console' is the most overhyped piece of design ever. It's a slim control panel with some space behind - that's all!

[davy9449]

Beefmeister said:

I think that looks fantastic, i'd have one any day.

Especially the T5 version, if it has the chassis and drivetrain from the ST...

Essentially, if it shares the same chassis as the rest of the smaller Volvo range it shares the same subframe as the Focus, but is made from slightly thinner material, hence is a bit lighter and not as stiff, and different / softer mounting bushes.

The larger Volvos share the same chassis as the 'yet to be released' Mondeo and also the S-Max. These have a 4WD variant too!

By the way this car looks good apart from a nose like a big ardvark, similar to the new Focus!

[beanbag]

vodkakid said:

Hope they make the key a tad smaller!!

I was thinking that! It's huge! Like having a bloody iPod shuffle sticking out your dashboard!

[snorky]

not very safe either....wouldn't want to bang me head off that key in an accident

[vodkakid]

Plus all your other keys might scratch up that display.

[MR GT3CUP]

Placed my order and deposit yesterday for the C30 T5 at my local dealer who informed me it was the first one they had received.First indications on the rssportscars.com website were that it was to be a 260bhp car with RWD 0-60 in 5.8 secs.Then in Autocar I read they are going to de-tune it to 217bhp(WHY)and restricted to 155mph.Can anyone advise if I can get the car retuned ? and de-restricted

[Andrew Noakes]

MR GT3CUP said:

in Autocar I read they are going to de-tune it to 217bhp(WHY)

I'd guess so they can use exactly the same spec as the Focus ST engine. The slight difference is either creative accounting to avoid it being too obviously identical or is down to minor differences in intake or exhaust efficiency. Maybe the Volvo will be a touch quieter.

[spode]

MR GT3CUP said:

Placed my order and deposit yesterday for the C30 T5 at my local dealer who informed me it was the first one they had received.First indications on the rssportscars.com website were that it was to be a 260bhp car with RWD 0-60 in 5.8 secs.Then in Autocar I read they are going to de-tune it to 217bhp(WHY)and restricted to 155mph.Can anyone advise if I can get the car retuned ? and de-restricted

www.volvotuninguk.com

It looks like they already have software for the new C70 T5 220 bhp which has the same engine.

[dodgey_rog]

beanbag said:

vodkakid said:

Hope they make the key a tad smaller!!

I was thinking that! It's huge! Like having a bloody iPod shuffle sticking out your dashboard!

snorky said:

not very safe either....wouldn't want to bang me head off that key in an accident

They have an aluminium clip which releases the key blade, thats what you hook your other keys onto. In actual fact, its safer than having the key on the side of the steering column. Speaking from experience, having been in a serious car crash in the new S40 when my colleague made a slight mis calculation and we collided with a house at 30mph, you find the airbag and the seat belt pretensioners(W.H.I.P.S) do their job, thats why none of us got whiplash. There were 3 of us in the car and we all walked away fine, no whiplash, only what the airbags leave behind but after a clean up and a nights rest they disappear.

Don't forget, this is Volvo, if its not safe, they won't do it.

[Andrew Noakes]

dodgey_rog said:

my colleague made a slight mis calculation and we collided with a house

[deadlym]

www.volvotuninguk.com said:

S60 D Euro IV Standard bhp: 126 Upgraded bhp: 226

[Smartie]

deadlym said:

www.volvotuninguk.com said:

S60 D Euro IV Standard bhp: 126 Upgraded bhp: 226

3 engines from Volvo, 2.4 (126bhp), 2.4D (163bhp) & D5 (185bhp) are actually all exactly the same engine with different maps!

[Waveboy14]

Love it. (BTW, the 260bhp was the engine in the concept car, as opposed to the engine which will be in the production car. Don't know though if it's another engine.)

If someone needs to know if it was the same engine, I can check it out (I'm an employee at the plant which will produce the car.)

Greetz.

[don kalmar union]

I have the MTE revised software for the S40/V50 T5's and the C30 to install here in the UK.

This software is installed by removing the ECU's from the cars and plugging them, unopened, into the MTE system. No opening the ECU's, unsoldering and resoldering chips, use of carrier/protection boards etc..

Regards, Don.Norchi.

www.kalmar-union.com

UK distributor of MTE Swedish Engineered Software for Volvos and later Fords.

[spode]

don kalmar union said:

I have the MTE revised software for the S40/V50 T5's and the C30 to install here in the UK.

This software is installed by removing the ECU's from the cars and plugging them, unopened, into the MTE system. No opening the ECU's, unsoldering and resoldering chips, use of carrier/protection boards etc..

Regards, Don.Norchi.

www.kalmar-union.com

UK distributor of MTE Swedish Engineered Software for Volvos and later Fords.

Why don't you do it through the OBDII port like everyone else??

[t4rrr]

spode said:

Why don't you do it through the OBDII port like everyone else??

Perhaps the answer to your question may be found in the following article:
www.swedespeed.com/news/publish/Features/article_21.html

Is it correct that in the UK, BSR and RICA do OBDII downloads, with the latter still having to use the "chip tuning" method of soldering / desoldering (like Superchips / Upsolute) for pre-99 cars?

Edited by t4rrr on Sunday 6th August 18:55

[spode]

What's a "pre 99" car, as you put it, got anything to do with a brand new 2006 S40/V50/C30 T5???

Just read that article. So from what I understand, some companies have problems tuning via obd2 and I guess that others don't have such problems. fair enough.

Edited by spode on Sunday 6th August 20:57

[after_shock]

davy9449 said:

Beefmeister said:

I think that looks fantastic, i'd have one any day.

Especially the T5 version, if it has the chassis and drivetrain from the ST...

Essentially, if it shares the same chassis as the rest of the smaller Volvo range it shares the same subframe as the Focus, but is made from slightly thinner material, hence is a bit lighter and not as stiff, and different / softer mounting bushes.

The larger Volvos share the same chassis as the 'yet to be released' Mondeo and also the S-Max. These have a 4WD variant too!

By the way this car looks good apart from a nose like a big ardvark, similar to the new Focus!

What are you going on about, yes it shares the same chassis as the Focus but its made of stiffened and re-inforced materials and is heavier than the Focus's due to the safety of the cars.

The new larger cars i.e S80/S60/V70 use their own chassis which was developed by Volvo but is to be used by the S-max/Mondeo new Jags etc in modified form.

It looks absolutely naff all like a focus in real life, its wider than the new C70 at the front which the pics dont show.

[KM2]

Is it going to decrease or increase the average age of Volvo drivers? The A3 was also meant for young people and for quite some time had the highest average age of customers, those being old people, who drove Audis for a long time but no longer needed the space / hassle of a larger car.