Cyan Racing unveils the Volvo P1800 Cyan

Cyan Racing, the reigning triple World Touring Car Champions, has revealed the Volvo P1800 Cyan, an interpretation of the iconic Volvo sports car from the sixties.

In the age of autonomous driving, electrification and connectivity, Cyan Racing decided it was time to capture what has been and to make it timeless.

While creating the Volvo P1800 Cyan, the team behind it decided to treat the design and engineering of the sixties with care, moving it forward in a delicate way. The Volvo P1800 body has been altered to accommodate a wider track, larger wheels and a repositioned greenhouse, among a long list of redesigns.

A 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine powers the P1800 Cyan, and is based on the same engine as used in the world title-winning Volvo S60 TC1 race car, producing 414bhp and 455Nm of torque, with a redline at 7,700rpm.

Although the engine is turbocharged, it is developed to deliver a linear power and torque curve, with the characteristics of a normally aspirated engine. The engine character is designed to deliver a driving experience as in the sixties but with increased performance and precision. There are additionally no driver aids to distort the driving experience, meaning no stability control, ABS or brake booster.

A five-speed bespoke Holinger gearbox has been selected to carry the mechanical feeling of the original Volvo P1800, but with greater gear change precision and capability of handling the increased torque, while the original Volvo P1800 live rear axle has been replaced with a Cyan-designed independent rear suspension.

A key part to the engaging rear-wheel drive experience is the torque-biasing limited slip differential. The differential is mounted in a Holinger housing with unique gears in order to combine capable performance on a circuit with civilised behaviour for road use.

The fully adjustable front and rear suspension features bespoke lightweight components, including aluminium uprights, double wishbones and two-way adjustable dampers with Cyan hydraulics. The carbon fibre-reinforced chassis is connected to the road with 18-inch forged rims with Pirelli P Zero 235/40 tyres at the front and 265/35 at the rear. The car is controlled by four-piston calipers with 362mm x 32mm steel discs.