Volvo C70
| Volvo C70 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volvo Cars Pininfarina Sverige AB (2nd generation) |
| Production | 1997-present |
| Assembly | Uddevalla, Sweden |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Cabriolet Coupe |
| Layout | FF layout |
The Volvo C70 is an automobile manufactured by Volvo Cars in two generations: the first from model years 1997-2002 as coupé and from 1997-2005 as a softtop convertible. The second generation C70 has been marketed since 2006 as a retractable hardtop.
First generation (1997-2005)
| First generation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 1997-2005 |
| Designer | Peter Horbury |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door cabriolet 2-door coupe |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.0L 125 kW 168hp I5 2.4L turbo 145 kW 193hp I5 2.3L turbo 180 kW 240hp I5 |
| Transmission | 4-speed automatic 5-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 1998-99 Coupe: Template:Auto in 1998-2002 Convertible & 2000-02 Coupe: 2660 mm (104.9 in) 2003-05: Template:Auto in |
| Length | 1997-2002: 4720 mm (185.7 in) 2003-05: Template:Auto in |
| Width | 1820 mm (71.5 in) |
| Height | 1998-99 Coupe: Template:Auto in 1430 mm (56.3 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,450 kg (3,200 lb)-1,650 kg (3,640 lb)* |
Volvo introduced the first generation C70 at the 1996 Paris Motor Show, following a European introduction as a 1997 model, and later as a 1998 model in North America — with both low-pressure (2.4L) and high-pressure (2.3L), 5-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engines and manual and automatic transmissions. Peter Horbury[1] [2] designed the exterior and Mexican designer Jose Diaz de la Vega[3] led the interior design team.
The C70 broke Volvo's decades-long styling tradition of boxy, rectilinear designs. According to Peter Horbury, Volvo's design chief from 1991 to 2002, with the C70, Volvo threw away the box, but "kept the toy inside!"[4] Our vision was to design a convertible that would meet the needs of a family of four looking for comfortable blue-sky motoring in a vehicle also providing stylish looks, performance and faultless driving and road-holding."[5]
In a development program of 30 months[2] and working with a Volvo 850-derived platform, [2] Britain’s TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) co-designed the car's basic design and suspension tuning with Volvo. Manufacture of the C70 was a joint venture[4] until the two companies experienced disputes that threatened to interrupt production; TWR did not contribute to the second generation C70.
Volvo's first modern convertible, the C70 was manufactured in Uddevalla, Sweden on a separate assembly line from the 70-series sedan and station wagon. The four-seater convertible featured an electrically-heated glass rear window, automatic (pop-up) rollover hoops, seat belt pre-tensioners, boron steel reinforced A-pillars, front and side airbags, and a safety cage — a horseshoe like structure around the passenger compartment[3].
The cloth convertible top, initially available in four colors,[6] was fully automatic, operated by a single, dashboard-mounted button.[6] The top stored automatically under an integral rigid tonneau cover in a system pioneered in modern convertibles with the fourth generation Mercedes SL.
The C70 convertible exhibited two negative traits endemic to convertibles: poor rear visibility[6] and pronounced skuttle shake[7], a characteristic whereby the structural design of the bulkhead between engine and passenger compartment of a convertible suffers sufficiently poor rigidity to negatively impact ride and handling — and to allow noticeable vibration, shudder or chassis-flexing into the passenger compartment.
An early special editions featured two-tone leather interior, SC-901 (1998) Dolby Pro Logic I stereo with 3-disc integrated changer unit (via a cartridge) 500 watts of power and 12 high end Dynaudio speakers.
The C70 was introduced to the press in a signature color (saffron orange metallic) and for the debut marketing, the 1997 movie The Saint featured a C70 — recalling the notable connection of the Volvo P1800 and the TV series from the early 1960s, The Saint with Roger Moore as Simon Templar.
Second generation (2006-present)
| Second generation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 2006-present |
| Designer | Fedde Talsma[citation needed] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2-door Coupé convertible |
| Platform | Volvo P1[citation needed] |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.4L 125 kW Five-cylinder 2.5L 162 kW Five-cylinder turbo charged petrol 2.4L 136 kW D5 Five-cylinder turbo Diesel (in Europe) |
| Transmission | 5-speed automatic 6-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2640 mm (103.9 in) |
| Length | 4582 mm (180.4 in) |
| Width | 1820 mm (72.3 in) |
| Height | 1400 mm (55.1 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,725 kg (3,803 lb) |
The second generation C70 model was launched on 13 April, 2006, sharing the Volvo P15 platform,[citation needed] designed by John Kinsey[citation needed] and built by Pininfarina Sverige AB. The three-piece retractable hardtop raises or lowers in under 30 seconds and replaces both the convertible and the coupé, the latter which had been absent from Volvo's lineup since 2003. The C70 is offered with a normally-aspirated gasoline engine with variable geometry turbocharger and common-rail direct injection.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States recently conducted its first crash tests of several convertibles and designated the C70 a "Top Safety Pick".
Safety systems include a door-mounted side impact protection inflatable which inflates upward when activated.[1] The curtain has an extra stiff construction with double rows of slats that are slightly offset from each other. This allows them to remain upright and offer effective head protection even with the window open. The curtain also deflates slowly to provide protection should the car roll over. This is a unique solution in the automotive world.
The C70 retractable hardtop also features a roll over protection structure (ROPS) with two pyrotechnically charged roll hoops hidden behind the rear seats that deploy under roll-over conditions whether the roof is retracted or not.
2011 update
Volvo introduced an updated version of the C70, in new Flamenco Red Pearl paint, at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.[8]. The new C70 includes a redesigned front end, new rear LED lamps, and a redesigned, wider instrument panel. Engine and transmission remain the same as before. It will go on sale in 2010, as a 2011 model in North America.
See also
References
- ^ a b "2006 Volvo C70 Convertible". Motorweek Program #2533.
- ^ a b c Bob Nagy. "1998 Volvo C70 - Road Test". Motor Trend. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ a b Marc J. Rauch. "Volvo C70 Convertible The Volvo to fall in love with". The Auto Channel. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ a b Jim Kenzie (March 22, 1997). "1997 Volvo C70". Wheels.ca. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
- ^ "Headline Top-down Luxury Motoring with Solid, Safe Handling". Swedespeed.com.
- ^ a b c "Volvo C70 Convertible (1999 - to 2006)". UK Yahoo Cars, Andy Enright, Nov 15 2005.
- ^ "Volvo C70". Volvoclub.org.uk.
- ^ "The New Volvo C70 Rewards The Owner With Self-Assured Elegance" (Press release). Volvo Cars North America. 2009-09-01.
External links
