The original Volvo P1800, introduced in 1961, was an iconic car with timeless design and appeal. But this is where the similarities end. In the hands of five-times World Touring Car Champions Cyan the car is restored, delicately re-designed and extensively re-engineered.
All in all, the Volvo P1800 Cyan interpretation delivers that unfiltered, analogue driving experience from the 60’s, only this time at a level your dad couldn’t even dream of back in the days.
WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN
The original Volvo P1800 was unveiled in 1960, a year before the Jaguar E-Type, two years before the Ferrari 250 GTO and three years before the Porsche 911.
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The Volvo P1800 Cyan is the interpretation of what could have been if a race team had been there during the sixties, racing the P1800, and got to design a grand tourer version out of the race car.
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The result is a car where the golden sixties are still present in every detail but at a level not possible with 1960s technology, design and engineering possibilities.
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Perhaps as one would want to remember the cars from the sixties.
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CHARACTER
Each Volvo P1800 Cyan is built to be exactly what the client want it to be. Anything from a light weight, high performance cafe racer, to a grand tourer to be enjoyed along winding roads early summer mornings.
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The opportunities for customer adaptation are plentiful and customer satisfaction is the whole purpose.
ENGINE
The heart of the Volvo P1800 Cyan is the lightweight turbocharged twin cam four-cylinder Volvo engine.​ This is an engine well known to Cyan’s engineers who have built it in numerous versions for different purposes. Winning world touring car titles, setting NĂĽrburgring records and powering the Volvo S60 and V60 Polestar to mention a few.
For the Volvo P1800 Cyan it has been designed to deliver power in a linear way to resemble the naturally aspirated original engine from the sixties. Though in this version you can choose up to 420 @ 7000 rpm.
DRIVETRAIN
The five-speed bespoke Holinger gearbox carry the mechanical feeling of the original transmission, but with greater precision and reliability. The gearbox is connected to the differential through a light weight carbon fibre prop shaft. The original Volvo P1800 live rear axle is replaced with a Cyan-designed independent rear suspension.​ A key ingredient in the car’s driving characteristics is the client’s choice of differential and gear ratio.
COLOR & TRIM
What truly sets each Volvo P1800 Cyan apart are individual exterior colors and details. Anything from the original Volvo California white, as on the Saint’s car driven by Roger Moore in the iconic BBC TV series, to any modern or classic color. Adding to the car’s expression is also the choice of wheel size and rim colors.
INTERIOR
Nothing impacts the driving experience more than the materials and colors selected for the interior of a car. The Volvo P1800 Cyan is designed to resemble the original interior from the Sixties while at the same time make the journey more comfortable and much more supportive. Seats, doors, instruments and more are carefully tailored to the client’s preferences. All in tight dialogue with Cyan’s design team.
CHASSIS
To Cyan, driving matters. The company’s collective experience and know-how in engine, aero and chassis design have been applied to create a car that truly delivers on the Cyan engineering philosophy. A Cyan car is predictable and intuitive for the driver. This is based on learnings from the race track. A championship winning race car never surprises its driver. It always reacts in a predictable way, resulting in less mistakes and increased driver confidence for the car.
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The Volvo P1800 Cyan is however not a race car. It has been designed to be fun to drive. And to clear away anything disturbing the direct connection between driver, tyres and the road. The objective has been to keep that unfiltered analogue sensation from the sixties whilst refining it with the best engineering capabilities of today.
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The client can tailor the chassis set up to create exactly the driving character he or she prefer. In dialogue with Cyan’s engineers the chassis can be set up in a number of ways. All depending on how the client want to enjoy the car.
ENJOY
To summarize, a Volvo P1800 Cyan is built to be enjoyed by its owner. Joy comes in many versions and the cars base design is made to cater for a vast variety of likings. Be it a car to take you to your afternoon tea, to your favorite barista, to a romantic dinner or through a hill climb event in the Swiss Alps.
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Every Volvo P1800 Cyan commission is built in-house by experienced racing mechanics and fabricators at Cyan’s Gothenburg headquarter. Parts are manufactured both in-house and by suppliers trusted to deliver in the different motorsport projects. During the build process the client is welcomed to follow the process of transforming a standard Volvo P1800 from the sixties or early seventies into a reborn automobile combining the best from the past with the best of today.
