Cyan Racing delivers first P1800 GT to Sweden
New wheels, exhaust and interior bits mark out latest restomod commission
While the world goes a little bit restomod crazy, it can be easy to forget in the latest flurry of expensive leather and polished engine bays about those incredible creations that already exist. The P1800 Cyan Racing is certainly one of those cars, the 420hp remake of Volvo’s prettiest car that’s fit to burst with touring car championship-winning nous. In typically reserved Swedish tradition, there hasn’t been much fanfare from Cyan of late, but a first delivery in its homeland deserved some recognition.
Particularly as it’s a build that debuts some new features for the P1800. By and large, this is the GT that was first seen last year, with a slightly softer edge than the wild 2020 original thanks to some extra sound deadening and revised setup but still boasting a kerbweight around a tonne (thanks to a carbon/steel body) and the kind of performance totally alien to the 60s’ coupe. The customer of this one, for example, opted for the most power that Cyan Racing offers for a P1800, which means 420hp from the 2.0-litre turbo four. That power reaches the rear wheels via a Holinger manual.
The differences are in the details, with new 17-inch centrelock wheels this time around that look a little like XXL Watanabes. The colour match to the beige paint is a neat touch. There’s also a twin-exit exhaust for the first time, and a stunning interior of tan leather and sand-coloured fabric. Evidently, not very much has changed since the last time a P1800 GT was seen, but then the same could probably be said for plenty of the restomod crowd. We’re still going to write about them, because they sound absolutely brilliant, perhaps none more so than the Cyan P1800. A car that looks like this inside and out, promises 400hp per tonne, and is assembled with motorsport-grade attention to detail is always going to pique PH interest.
This car is going to one of Sweden’s largest car collections; hopefully, it doesn’t reside entirely behind closed doors, because this is surely a car that really must be seen and heard to be fully appreciated. Cyan CEO Christian Dahl described the company’s latest build as ‘a further celebration of the iconic GT cars from the sixties’. Those interested in a build are told to set aside 12-15 months for a complete Cyan conversion. Along with hundreds of thousands of euros, presumably. But just imagine a right-hand drive P1800 like this one, complete with 400-odd horsepower, a total interior overhaul, and the best in chassis hardware. That’s a restomod that wouldn’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Although the only restomod I could afford is this one...
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/18664132
I assume if one asked them very nicely, and paid them very handsomely, they’d swap the 4-cylinder for a tweaked Volvo B8444S V8 with ITBs? C. 380bhp would suffice.
If Cyan don’t do so already, a Ruf-style integrated rollcage would be nice.
And imho the gopping 17in rims need to be replaced by 16s.
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