Volvo in search of an ideal: SC90 Concept

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Only ten years ago, in 1999, Swedish Volvo Group has sold to concern Ford the branch Volvo Cars, having conceded to Americans of the right of use of mark Volvo for cars, minivans, minibuses and sports cars.
Despite change of the owner, main priorities Volvo Car Corporation remained former — safety of all participants of movement and convenience of the car to the driver and passengers. So, the Scandinavian firm began to care and of ecology. However year before engineers from the Geteborg have changed the important approaches to a design of cars.

Change of epoch

In May, 1998 the Swedish company Volvo has stopped manufacture of cars of classical configuration S90/V90 (a series 940-960 till 96th year) and has completely started the production cars with a cross-section arrangement of the power unit and forward (or full) a drive.
So the decisive step has been dictated by the weighty economic and technical reasons. Front-wheel cars with a cross-section arrangement of the engine have lower cost of manufacture. To consumers their operation more cheaply manages.
But besides it front-wheel cars possess also the best stability, than the cars having a drive on back wheels. More precisely so affairs were for that moment when managers Volvo Cars made it fatal the decision, at a characteristic level of development for this time of automobile electronics.

Physics and traditions

To go through a hard time and not to change to the constructive principles it was possible only to Germans — to Bavarians and firm Mercedes-Benz. Having spent a heap of money and a great lot of efforts to system engineering of management by a stream of power and stabilisation of movement of the car, they could level a difference in levels of course stability.
And here traditional advantages, characteristic for cars of classical configuration, remained at them. After all only similar configuration allows to counterbalance in regular intervals weight of the car on axes. And this circumstance, along with absence of traction effort on forward wheels, helps to achieve the best controllability of the car.

Thus, if extremely to simplify the description of a today's situation both to the manufacturer, and the consumer needs to choose between size of expenses and comfort and controllability level. With reference to the automobile company it, in particular, means the following: if you wish to make the high quality car use classical configuration. Japanese firms Lexus and Infiniti, followed Germans, have well acquired this true.
And for compact and, especially, inexpensive cars the best configuration will be that at which the engine will take places across a motor coupe (that took less places), and the drive was carried out on forward wheels.

Volvo today

Designers Volvo use such configuration on all models without an exception already more than ten years. But just absence of exceptions also creates problems.
For car Volvo C30, S40 and V50 the similar layout scheme is more than pertinent, and the platform from car Ford Focus corresponds almost ideally. Swedes only needed to choose parametres of adjustment of the chassis (it is a problem for experts in marketing) and to correct a suspension bracket according to them (a problem for engineers).

Models Volvo S60 and XC60 already are as though "boundary", both on a class, and on the sizes. In the sense that at their designing it would be possible to use any of the mentioned schemes and to achieve thus the relatives almost identical, results.
And here above on a class the picture any more does not look so iridescent. Versatile person V70 is still, all right. But sedan Volvo S80 and crossover XC90 (the biggest car Volvo) from the point of view of designing and engineering are perceived by "wrong".

Certainly, these cars go, and it is rather quite good. But engineers from the Geteborg had to do the big work to compensate a consequence once the made choice — the layout scheme.
It is necessary to notice, that a design of transmission Volvo with a drive of all of 4 wheels when back wheels are connected to some extent in case of proslipping of lobbies, here not in attention it undertakes intended, because it is a separate theme and also full of compromises.

Probably, one of consequences of excessive propensity of designers Volvo Cars to compromises is refusal of German manufacturers to enlist the Swedish company in the elite club. For the same reason sharp motorists on language have thought up for Volvo a personal class — "pseudo-premium".
Thus nobody challenges the main priorities of the Scandinavian firm, as well as achievements in recognised areas.

Feeler

If to take into consideration the above-stated reasonings conceptual project Volvo SC90 which has appeared in this year will cease to seem so unexpected. And value, on the contrary, will increase and will be beyond the student's work made during training of the author in the Californian studio of design of company Volvo. Young designer Nufon Bansasin (Nouphone Bansasine) has drawn very beautiful car.

Certainly, the lattice of a radiator of the six-coal form forces to recollect conceptual car Volkswagen Iroc. But this unique loan which can be found in the project. And it is harmoniously entered in an obverse part of new car Volvo. Though there is also one more. But this similarity of absolute other sort.

In image and forms of a new coupe that power of the compressed spring which so is well familiar on cars BMW any more one generation is felt. Actually, Volvo for a long time to aspire to something similar. But only in work of designers Volvo this energy is felt so powerfully. And it is surprising. Because both the general form of the car, and separate elements of design have with cars of the Bavarian firm no anything the general. Though, is not present: a back part of the car, it is accurate in a profile, in that drawing on which there is east beauty, gives rise to very thin associations with BMW. But it only associations. It is necessary to look at the same element under any most insignificant corner, and similarity there and then "evaporates".

Sides of a body of coupe SC90, combining convex and concave surfaces are interestingly executed. These surfaces as if are imposed on a pure silhouette of the car, creating an additional visual image.
As to an ex-terrier on level of stylistic study the given project can successfully argue with the most expensive supercar of a planet — Aston Martin One-77, something imperceptible reminding last.

Very important that, as in shape of the car, and in salon firm lines Volvo is guessed absolutely definitely.

Only it is absolutely new — young, dynamical, resolute, impudent and extreme Volvo!

The new classics

Thus the external beauty sports Volvo SC90 not only speaks for itself, but also informs other extremely useful and important information.
After all a small forward plumb of a body and long, but a low cowl in the forward part eloquently I testify that on the car is planned to use the engine of great volume which not only is located along a longitudinal axis of the car, but also it is strongly shifted for a forward axis.

It is available — classical configuration of the car in a combination to a back drive and ideal distribution of weight on axes. The made assumption confirms also the computer videoclip applied on the project. In this video film the author of the project not only shows a class and character of the car, but also directly shows configuration.

Most likely, developers used motor Yamaha with which crossovers XC90 are completed now by working out of the project. After all it is unique engine V8 which company Volvo Cars has for today. Besides the car is rather advanced on a design — very easy, compact and giving in to modernisation. It is enough to recollect, that on supercar Noble power of this motor at equipment by a turbo-supercharging reaches 600HP.

In too time concern Ford at the moment finishes working out of wide scale of motors V6 and V8 which are equipped with pressurisation already initially. And among them there are the engines possessing power sufficient even for such car.

The foggy future

Actually the destiny also depends on the further development of relations with "Ford" not only the given project, but also all company Volvo.
Certainly, a stumbling-block is not the problem of motors, and huge debts Ford Motor. And not looking that within approximately year their "Ford's" managers successfully reduce, shareholders of the American concern demand to sell the Swedish firm, to accelerate this process.

Itself Volvo Car Corporation by and large in this situation it is not guilty. The car, of course, is today unprofitable but who has today profit? Though, in all honesty, it is necessary to admit that last ten years Volvo Cars was far not successful though and concerning the safe company.
Who knows, perhaps, the project of new coupe Volvo SC90 is that counterbalance which will overcome bowls of scales in the necessary direction therefore the Scandinavian company remains as a part of concern Ford.

And though the common sense prompts, that hardly it is necessary to expect a great demand on expensive cars in the foreseeable future, and the logic of crisis especially demands to reduce costs and to make the cheap cars, above described example BMW and Mercedes-Benz says that sometimes it is not necessary to run together with all.

Sale Volvo Car Corporation to Chineses can become the nominal transaction of this century. By and large the transaction is not favourable any of three companies. Including to Chineses. Unless only Ford will receive the money. And that the reputation can suffer more.

Supercar Volvo SC90 is a project which is capable to approach Volvo to an ideal. But only in the event that money, and Volvo — time will suffice "Ford".