The 850 wagon w

The story of the 850 wagon gets interesting right from the start. Volvo wanted to use the new 850 platform to compete in the popular British Touring Car Championship series, which pitted (heavily) modified versions of everyday (touring) cars against each other on the track. Competition included the BMW 3-series, Alfa Romeo 155, Renault Laguna, and Ford Mondeo. Volvo decided to use the wagon version of the 850 as the basis of their touring car program. The choice was rather controversial, as every other team used 'saloon' cars as the building blocks of their racing machines. Volvo joined with Tom Walkinshaw Racing to construct the 850 touring cars. The motor was a 2 liter unit developed specifically for competition. The motor was also mounted lower and far back in the engine bay to create a more favorable center of gravity. The 850 'estate' racecars did reasonably well, competing in the 1994 BTCC season but never securing any points for Volvo Racing. The next season, race officials changed the rules governing aerodynamics, rendering the wagons noncompetitive. Using the sedan version of the 850, the Volvo Racing team went to to finish third in the manufacturers points standings in 1995 and third again in 1996.
The success of the 850 touring cars helped create a new 850 in 1995, dubbed the 850 T5-R. Painted in 'T-Gul,' a pale yellow, the T5-R sported motorsports badging, special 17 inch wheels, a deeper chin spoiler, a more aggressive rear wing on the sedan, two-tone black leather and suede seats, stiffer springs, and larger swaybars. The 'rest-of-world' models got a full 247 horsepower put down through a five-speed manual with a viscous limited slip differential;

The early R cars have attained a bit of a cult status, especially so within Volvo communities. However, it is the 'base' 850 Turbo that really made an impact on the market. The original Volvo turbo wagons were quite popular and complete with the Countach-comparison ads, a little controversial. The 850 Turbo was a genuinely fast car when it debuted. In 1994, the Volvo's 222 bhp compared favorably to other European competition: BMW's M3 only mustered 240 bhp and the king-of-the-luxosedan-hill 540i made 262. Today, Volvo 850 owners can turn to firms like IPD to quickly increase their 222 bhp to closer to 300 with simple upgrades.
What I remember most about my '97 was the overall feel of the car. It had a solid, vault-like quality to it. The overall structure was stiff, the doors closed with a satisfying thud, and the steering had an agreeable heft to it. Sure, the stock suspension was too stiff on the little stuff and wallowy when the pace quickened but the overall composure was good for a wagon of that size.
The motor was a great one too. It had tons of pull, and a satisfying rush when the boost came on. The original Volvo setup was more than ample for everyday enthusiastic driving, never feeling out of breath. On the racetrack, the system was quickly overwhelmed and the heatsoak sapped power. The Swedes who put the car together never really intended it for hard-core abuse; even the later S/V70R cars are unhappy when really flogged at the track. These are supremely livable, practical road cars with just enough performance to satisfy drivers who might be used piloting 2-seat sportscars.
The 850 wagon really was a practical car. The cargo area on those traditional Volvo wagons truly maximized space. Compared to the newer V70's or my current Passat, the overtly square opening and flat load floor swallowed 10 bicycles at once.
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