New Cyan Racing P1800 Is Ready for a Grand Tour
Sweden’s Cyan Racing, which debuted its hardcore Volvo P1800 restomod in 2020 as a near race-ready retro rocket, has just released a softer GT edition.
The multiple World Touring Car-winning outfit created quite a stir when it took perhaps the prettiest Volvo of all time and turned it into one of the most incredible driver’s cars we’ve ever come across. “Sacrilegious to some…sensational to drive,” as Ben Barry remarked in his review. (For the full history of Cyan Racing, formerly known as Polestar, read Executive Editor Eric Weiner’s deep dive here.)
Outwardly, the new car is the same, with its subtly- revised carbon fiber bodywork smoothing off the original Ghia lines, rethinking the trademark rear fins and tweaking the glasshouse. The updates, designed to make the P1800 more useable day-to-day and better suited to longer journeys, are under the skin and in the cabin.
The double wishbone suspension is now tuned for country roads and highways instead of being focused on apex-hunting on a circuit, while new seats are designed to be more comfortable over extended drives. There’s more sound insulation and a revised roll cage which increases body rigidity.
Power still comes from a World Touring Car-derived two-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, with options from 350-420 horsepower. The Hollinger five-speed gearbox is retained, and despite the tweaks to add extra refinement, the car still weighs in at under 2200 lbs.
Starting with a donor car Cyan Racing takes around 15 months to build its remarkable restomod. This $500,000 Volvo won’t be for everyone, but a slightly softer version might just widen the appeal.
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Always liked the P1800. This one works really well for me, as the external changes are so minor, they don’t take away from the original design. I’m not typically a fan of large diameter wheels with narrow sidewalls, but these don’t seem too radical, and seem to fit well into the overall look, which manages to be both mean and inviting at the same time. Plus, green with saddle interior is my favorite combo, so that helps sell it to me!
Although well outside my budget for a car, I would certainly give it a hard look if my “ship came in”. Well done!!
It’s a gorgeous car. Too bad it’s way out of my price range.
Just plain gorgeous but not enough Canuck Bucks in mine or my wife’s bank accounts.
While the basic car is classical, i’d would have like to see Cyan take the out skin to a more agressive level while restraining from going full GTR aero package extremes.
-A more prominent chin spoiler/splitter than they fitted. The current spoiler is too restrained, as even mild GT designs of today have a prominent front downforce aero feature sculpted in.
– In my opinion, the addition of a rear downforce feature would balance the forward feature noted above. A mild spoiler or gurney lip built in would help.
– the wheel arch extensions should join a sill extension between the wheel wells to anchor the body, and should blend into the wheel arches.
– a subtle diffuser
You know if a Singer Porsche 911 is worth well over $1 million this Volvo 1800 is a bargain. This is not just another prettied up classic but a true fresh look at what a 1800 could be. That said it is about $450,00 too much for my budget. Maybe I need to buy a lottery ticket!
As an 1800 owner I’m somewhat prejudice but this car is drop-dead gorgeous. The original blue and yellow version that made the initial rounds when first released was nice, but this green / tan edition is terrific. And as said by others, the price is way out of my wallet. Love the way they maintained the outside & inside look of the 1800. Great work. Got to get me a mess of lottery tickets.