The new Volvo S60 gets ready for its racing debut. The Swedish carmaker revealed today that a racing version of the sedan will enter the 2010 Belgian Touring Car Series (BTCS).
The race version of the Volvo S60 has been developed in accordance with the BTCS regulations, meaning it has a tubular chassis, the same type of front and rear suspension and aerodynamics.
Power is provided by a mid-mounted 3.5-liter V6 engine with 410 hp (306 kW / 416 PS) and 412 Nm (304 lb-ft) of torque. It motivates the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission.
"The all-new Volvo S60 sports sedan is Volvo's most exciting driving experience so far and there is no better way to show this than by bringing it to the race track. Volvo and the all-new S60 have a special place in the people's hearts here as several Volvo models, including the new S60, are built in Belgium at the Volvo Cars Ghent plant."
Press Release
Volvo Cars enters the all-new
Volvo S60 in the Belgian Touring Car Series
Just weeks after the all-new Volvo S60 was introduced to the public, the
latest Volvo model is also being unveiled in a racing version. Volvo Cars
Belgium will enter the new car in the 2010 season of the Belgian Touring Car
Series. Volvo fans will not need to wait long to see the latest model in
action since the premiere takes place on April 11.
"We are very happy about this development," says Bart Crols, Managing
Director at Volvo Cars Belgium. "The all-new Volvo S60 sports sedan is
Volvo's most exciting driving experience so far and there is no better way
to show this than by bringing it to the race track. Volvo and the all-new
S60 have a special place in the people's hearts here as several Volvo
models, including the new S60, are built in Belgium at theVolvo Cars Ghent
plant."
The new Volvo S60 race car has been developed in record time locally by
Volvo's Belgian S60 Racing Team. It has been developed in accordance with
the BTCS Silhouette S1 regulations which put a major emphasis on
standardised features. All cars must use a tubular chassis, the same type of
front and rear suspension and aerodynamics. A uniform type of engine
specification is also available but manufacturers are allowed to use own
engines.
The Volvo S60 Racing Team will also operate the car at all BTCS races and
the drivers are Vincent Radermecker and Eric Van De Poele.
Its maiden track test will take place on April 1 (today) on the Belgian
Zolder track.
"It has been a hectic period, but we have received great assistance from
Volvo Cars' Motorsport department" says Thomas Neri, Team Manager for the
Volvo S60 Racing Team. He continues: "Our main objective is to get up to
speed and to compete well in the various heats. Next season we hope to put
our own in-house developed engine in the car."
BTCS - low cost, high-performance racing
The BTCS is an endurance racing championship with six competitions on
tracks such as Spa-Francorchamps, Zolder and Dijon. Each race consists of
two 90-minute heats and there is also one 12-hour race in Spa. The all-new
Volvo S60 will face intense competition from the likes of BMW, Audi, Jaguar
and VW. BTCS has grown rapidly in terms of both competing brands and numbers
thanks to its low-cost, high-performance combination and, not least, the
fact that the cars have considerable visual appeal. The race series is
televised in several countries and is gaining in popularity.
"We will support and follow our development in this series very closely
as several other national championships are considering similar standardised
regulations in the future," says Derek Crabb, Motorsport Director at the
Volvo Car Corporation. "This BTCS campaign will give us a good understanding
of what these types of regulations can mean for Volvo."
Technical Specification Volvo S60 BTCS
- Regulation: BTCS Silhouette S1
- Chassis: Tubular frame
- Front Suspension: Independent with 3-way adjustable shock absorbers
- Rear Suspension: Independent with 3-way onboard adjustable shock
absorbers - Brakes: 6-piston callipers, 380 mm discs at the front and 6-piston
callipers, 355 mm discs at the rear - Engine: Mid-mounted standardised 3500 cc V6
- Engine Power Output: 410 hp with 412 Nm at 5500rpm
- Gearbox: Six-speed sequential. Rear-wheel drive
- Wheels: 10" X 18" front and 12" X 18" rear
- Tyres: Michelin 27/65/18 front and Michelin 30/65/18 rear
2010 Racing Calendar for the all-new Volvo S60 in the BTCS series
- April 9-11 Zolder
- April 30-May 2 Dijon-Prenois
- June 4-6 Spa-Francorchamps
- July 9-10 Spa-Francorchamps
- September 17-19 Spa-Francorchamps
- October 8-10 Zolder
More information about the Belgian Touring Car Series:
http://www.btcseries.be/
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