Volvo Beat A 'Ring Lap Record But Kept It Secret For A Year

When a car manufacturer's latest performance vehicle beats a lap record at the Nurburgring, you usually don't hear the end of it, but Volvo kept its Polestar's achievement quiet for 12 months...
Volvo Beat A 'Ring Lap Record But Kept It Secret For A Year

We all know what happens at the Nurburgring. A manufacturer borrows the old North Loop circuit for a day or two, smashes out a record-breaking lap time and throws out a florid press release about it.

But not so with Volvo. In understated style typical of the Swedes, Volvo took a lap record with the S60 Polestar and then didn’t tell anyone about it. For an entire year.

Volvo Beat A 'Ring Lap Record But Kept It Secret For A Year

After finishing the 2016 Nurburgring round of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), the Polestar Cyan Racing team elected to stay in Germany for a few extra days. It conducted a secret test of its road and race cars, essentially for no better reason than to see how fast they could go on the demanding Nordschleife.

Unexpectedly, the team recorded a 7’51.110 time for the S60 Polestar, beating the fastest time set by a road legal, production four-door car at the time.

So why did it keep quiet? Volvo says that the test revealed important information that it then incorporated into both its racing cars and the Polestar road cars. It’s only safe to let the secret out now, as the WTCC returns to the ‘Ring for 2017.

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Comments

Anonymous

I believe this Polestar isn’t stock. but a hybrid between the Concept and the 2015 Polestar. 1. Car is Manual in the video, Production car was never sold as a Manual. 2. It uses a 6 cylinder, but the new Polestar uses a 4cyl (So does the WTCC Car) and 3. WHERE DID YOU FIND THESE PHOTOS!! I looked everywhere and somehow you found them before me. Tell me! haha (Friends S60R being thrashed when it was a press car)

05/25/2017 - 20:42 |
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FUGL_S60 (Tesla Lover 800)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

S60 R has a 2.5L Inline 5!!! If this is a 6-Cylinder, it’s been engine swapped.
Also for Polestar
The 2016 models come with a turbocharged 6-cylinder engine
The 2017 models are faster as they come with a turbocharged and supercharged 4-cylinder. Better for the environment too!

05/25/2017 - 22:39 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Guess Trump could take some pointers…

05/25/2017 - 21:42 |
1 | 1
Hoon the Galaxy
05/25/2017 - 23:39 |
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Anonymous

It’s keeping alive the Volvo “x-factor”. Many owners feel there is something special with those cars, but can’t put a finger on it. Keeping the “mysticism” alive by not babbling about the record :P

05/26/2017 - 06:56 |
2 | 0
RacingPatato

Welp…Volvo just broke my heart xD

05/26/2017 - 08:11 |
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The Stig 4

complete opposite of aventador

05/26/2017 - 10:34 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

Yes!

05/26/2017 - 17:22 |
1 | 0
Mark Mason

Goal for Forza 6 has been set…

05/27/2017 - 00:34 |
1 | 0
Will

Is the s60 polestar FWD aswell?

05/28/2017 - 00:51 |
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Will

In reply to by Will

Wait, this was a record at the time, but now the civic holds it by 8 seconds or so right?

05/28/2017 - 00:53 |
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Matthew Henderson

In reply to by Will

AWD

05/28/2017 - 05:49 |
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Anonymous

This just makes me want a V60 Polestar more now…

05/28/2017 - 19:09 |
0 | 0