The trend for manufacturers to build continuation versions or ‘restomods’ of hit cars from their back catalogues continues at pace, with the news that Geely’s motorsport arm, Cyan Racing, has unveiled the Volvo P1800 Cyan as a modernised take on the iconic 1960s sports coupe.
The reigning triple World Touring Car Champion imagined what they would have done had they been operating as a race team back in period, turning a racing P1800 into a road car. As such, that meant maintaining an analogue feel, with no modern driving aids such as stability control, ABS or brake boosting.
It has, however, been significantly re-engineered. Disappointing some who felt Volvo’s revered five-pot turbo was the way to go, Cyan chose the newer VEA turbocharged 2-litre unit used in its 2017 Volvo S60 TC1 racer, which revs to 7700rpm and churns out 414bhp. A bespoke Holinger five-speed gearbox mimics the mechanical feeling of the original P1800 but with greater precision and torque handing capability, and there’s a torque-biasing limited slip differential too. The original live axle has also made way for independent rear suspension, forming part of a bespoke chassis set-up that includes lightweight aluminium uprights, double wishbones and two-way adjustable dampers.
Body-wise, the 1964 donor car was refined and reinforced utilising high-strength steel and carbon fibre, accommodating a wider track and 18-inch forged wheels. Overall, the continuation Volvo P1800 Cyan tips the scales at just 990kg – around 150kg less than the original P1800. Production is set to be extremely limited and prices start at $500,000 (£379,000).
