Now this is one of the most wanted hatches in the US since people figured out you can convert them to AWD and some Focus MK2 and Mk3 RS parts are a direct bolt on.
All of his reviews (these one-takes especially) are why I personally would love to see Matt on the US Top Gear; natural, knowledgeable, and easy to follow/listen to. Keep up the awesome videos Matt.
Top job with this one Matt, you've really progressed well as a motoring journalist in the last 12 months. Really enjoyed watching you report today. Keep up the great work!
Solid review, Matt. I understand the car has some shortcomings in the handling and traction department, but to what extent can we attribute that to the all-season rubbers? Would summer slicks remedy the understeer to the point of acceptability or did the switch to FWD ruin an otherwise well rounded car?
I had a '93 850 as my first car, was surprisingly fun and had a great engine noise. Still going with my cousin with 300k miles on the original motor and tranny. Gotta love Volvos.
I truly love you reviews on insanely fast and high HP cars, however I would love to see more car reviews on cars that are in the realm of affordability like this video. Awesome video and keep up the great work.
Yeah, comparing it to the 1M is kind of silly. As for being "lazy," it's really not like that. Tom is too busy making money filming for McLaren and Porsche, so he doesn't have time to shoot or edit TST videos nearly as much as he used to. As such, I have learned to edit on Final Cut and this is literally my second edit ever. I'm trying to learn as quickly as I can, but you guys want more videos so I'm doing everything I can to make them, including editing myself. Hopefully I'll get good soon.
the engine, which shares its roots with the Focus RS engine, has a bunch more I believe. Ford got like 350 HP out of it, but the question is, can the car handle that much power through the front wheels without being a handful? I say leave the engine where it is, and work on the suspension/chassis tuning more. It doesn't really need more speed, just more feel.
I tried that with the strut brace in a ralliart, and wasn't able to get it to bend like that. Just as a point of comparison for a similar performace priced car.
I recently bought a volvo c30 for a few grand. seems like a huge bargain, has a turbo that is easily tuned and decent reliability. handling not so good, but as a daily driver it is quite nice and has an all glass hatch.
Reviews of the 500 Abarth and Focus ST are written pieces, not videos. They were for Road Lanes magazine (online). I have no idea what a C30 GT is... is that a race car?
You are correct about the effect of changing roll compliance. However the strut tower brace is for stiffening the chassis, not the suspension. Increasing the roll compliance in the front and decreasing it in the rear will have the desired effect, given that the chassis is stiff enough to transmit the displacements at the front of the chassis to the displacements at the rear. By eliminating the brace you would be decreasing the chassis stiffness, while leaving the suspension stiffness unaltered.
You want the roll stiffness of the front suspension to be very low, but you still want the chassis to be stiff. The bar that Matt is referring to is there to keep the strut towers from moving during cornering and to increase the overall torsional rigidity of the chassis. If left un-reinforced the movement of the chassis will cause the outside wheel to gain camber...and thus create more understeer during cornering.
there are two types of exterior shots. The blown out, flared ones (and the camera that fell off the car) are GoPro Hero 3's, and the better looking shots with depth of field are Canon 5D MK II's.
Matt is REAL unlike these other cookie cutter reviewers who sugar coat everything. Its good thst he actually points out the flaws in cars. Car companies listen and will learn!
In stock form, he's pretty spot on. Thankfully the aftermarket has more than addressed everything and with not much effort, the C30 can be an absolute rockstar. Also, after 10+ years, they've held up REALLY well. Mine's an '09 and looks like new. Most the competition (Mini Coopers and GTIs) cannot usually say the same. Haha.
I've always been a fan of Volvo's, even from a young age. My dad used to have a mild tuned 850 T5R and it was an amazing sleeper, 330+bhp from a bright yellow estate, used to surprise many people. Also, the Turbo Engine they use is related to the one used in the old Audi Quattro and it sounds so evil. Love it.
I drive a 2011 S40 T5, and I agree that the stock suspension setup isn't up to the job of serious sport driving. HOWEVER, with a better strut brace, and a bigger rear swaybar, this chasis really tightens up. The strut brace takes the slop out of the steering, and the swaybar eliminates a lot of that understeer.
we did a written review of the newest STI on our site. It didn't go very well. The STI was awesome in 2004, when it was 300 HP and $31,000. The drivetrain is basically identical in the new car and our tester was $42,000.
Is that what that key is for? I thought that was a valet key of some sort. That makes more sense now. However, there are many cars under $35k that come with buttons for start/stop: Ford Focus, Kia Optima, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Veloster Turbo, Prius, etc....
It's not that every turbo car has more than companies are claiming; it's that in order to be the best, the fastest, whatever, lots of companies (BMW, Ford, and now Volvo especially), are underrating their cars.
"This will all be done in one shot..." 8:50 he's out of the car and then back to driving lol. I'm just busting your balls, of course. Awesome review and I really think you nailed it. I have a C30 (non-r) But I drove an R design AND the Polestar, and the polestar definitely feels better than the stock C30. I haven't gotten my car Dyno'd yet, but I have an AWD system from another Vinnie [Warning: I don't know much about cars. My B-I-L and F-I-L help me pick out parts and install them. They both worked for Ford. F-I-L was a Ford Master Mechanic, and my B-I-L did warranty repairs But I'm learning! I semi-recently bought the C30 Non-R 6 SPD with AWD from S60. First thing, did a tune up. Replaced Spark plugs, coils, bearings, hoses, etc.. You know... Just normal stuff)and all the things that should be changed. Luckily, the timing chain/Belt had been done by my B-I-L before he sold it to me. (What do you guys think? I got it with 118k Miles on the Odometer and bought the car for $3500. That is the price with a refurbished K04, Elevate FMIC, CAI, R design Spoiler, tons of Carbon fiber parts accent pieces, just replaced the master and slave cylinder, Sway Bars, Big Brake kit [320....or was it 330?], braided steel and silicone lines, upgraded wheels and really, really sticky All Weather grippy as a mu'fukka tires, and the custom turbo back exhaust. [No emissions in Texas, or at least in my county.] PHEW, that's it. I want to rebuild the engine because my B-I-L is a machinist now, and I was thinking of boring it out and going with better sleeves, forged pistons, and a better crankshaft. Next purchases, are [I just downloaded VDASH], purchasing VDD and a 2-year sub for 2G internet, Tablet for Bluetooth, maps etc.... And as I mentioned, I still haven't even mapped the car lol. I have a feeling it's going to put down some serious numbers. Probably going to go with Elevate mapping device.. Quick question for everyone. I know that the VDASH software and VDD work together. Since the VDD hooks up to your ECU , can it Map the car? Because that'd save me close to a thousand USD. Eventually (Within the next 6 months, going to start building it for K24. Well, thank you for listening! Awesome video so far. Again, just busting your balls about the one shot thing. Great review on the Peter North Star (Pole Star)..... get it? :) Everyone have a blessed day, and I'd love to hear your C30 setups!!! - leifo
I have a C30 T5 with a polestar tune. It's no Golf R32 but it is a lot of fun. Smooth and good on gas. the only thing I don't like are the seats, yes the seats. Not as comfortable as you'd expect from a Volvo.. I've replaced it with a S60 seat now.
That was the prototype. They only built one, decided not to build it, and wouldn't let me have it. This is the production Polestar Edition; the one you can actually buy.
So are they really calling it the Polestar? The "real" polestar has around 400 hp and AWD. I believe that car is the way it is, because all it is, is a c30 R design with a tune, and nothing more.
You may have only watched me drive it in the canyons, but I would argue that my thoughts on the car were developed over a period of 5 days daily driving the car, and everything I said applied to daily use as well. The clutch is especially awful for daily driving.
Yes, I didn't know what that was. My 2011 T5 R-Design has a very solid strut brace. Strut brace does not make much difference on these, rear sway bar and shock brace does. IMHO Polestar was a trim level, far better tunes are to be had elsewhere, as are suspension components.
we usually don't talk about which roads we film on because we don't want them to get clogged up with tourists like Tail of the Dragon. But Tuna is bad ass in a hot hatchback.
no that was a prototype, this is the production version of the car; as far as we know they aren't building more than the one prototype of the Polestar concept.
It's not about whether or not someone has the ability to go 10/10ths. It's that the Volvo gets very sloppy when you start pushing it, which means you never even want to try 10/10ths because it's not fun.
About half the shots (the better ones) are triangulated 5D MKII, and the other mounted ones that have more sun flare, washed out look, like the one that fell off, are GoPro Hero3's.
Wow somebody actually smoking on camera...I thought I was the only smoker left!!! lol Love the review & the fact that even though Volvo paid for the car, the insurance & a tank of gas, Matt still had the balls to trash it! Lets hope they don't do what Ferrari did to Harris & ban him from ever driving one again!!!
I agree, the strut brace is designed to stand axial load, If you apply a load laterally it is going to bend it and that's normal. Its like a column, I would have to see it in person but Im pretty sure that would happen to many strut braces. You can make them to be super stiff and not bend like that but it would make them bulky and heavy.
Like I said in the review, sticker summer tires would probably help a bunch, but without having a test car equipped with them it would be tough to tell how much.
we have not done a video with the ST. I did a written review for Road Lanes Magazine and The Smoking Tire which you can find fairly easily (though I can't post links in comments)
I'm sure the car would perform better with better tires, but that wouldn't improve the braking or shifter feel. It might improve steering feel a bit, but I don't suspect all that much. The car would certainly put down better numbers with proper tires, but I'm not sure I'd like it any more.
Like the review Matt but I had one question. Could you do a review of a Volvo C30 GT? I think they were supposed to handle much better! Also where are your reviews for the Fiat 500 Abarth and Focus ST? I couldn't find them.
If I were in a wheel-to-wheel race I'd probably try to avoid getting crossed up too much, but I know that road well and to cross my arms for a quick second for one single corner is no big deal. Six Tenths means the same thing as 60%, so when you're going 60% of how fast you probably could go, the car is fine, but when you kick that up to 90% of the car's fastest possible pace it gets worse.
Love the review! Just wondering what camera you used for the outside side shot of the car. I'm guessing go pro, but it looks amazing with the depth of field.
I never say anything about wanting the fastest car. I want a car with great dynamics. I love the FR-S, and it's slow as shit. Likewise, the Miata. I didn't mention the GTI because the Focus ST is so much better than the GTI in every way that for me (and pretty much anyone else who's driven it), the ST is now the hot hatch standard by which other hatches are compared, not the GTI. Maybe that will change when the MKVII comes out, but as of now, ST or bust.
I absolutely agree about the clutch, the same is true on my manual T5 S60 and it took me a while to get used to it, but once you do, it's terrific. This particular car benefits greatly from a spring/strut/sway swap. A good friend dropped w/ Eibach/Bilstien/IPD and the difference is stunning. The aftermarket is quite strong for this car too, which is nice. Volvo very much needs to extend their awd system to this car. I was not aware this car was in twilight... you've ruined my day... dick.
Oh, and just to add to this: if an experienced tuner is allowed to tweak this powersource: bigger intercooler + full exhaust line + sports intake + ecu tune = 280-290 bhp :-)
I love how the C30 has a lot of inspiration from the Volvo P1600S, I just wish it either cost less to match what the car is, or had more to match the price.
Hey Matt, Could you give me a little more clarification on what the "polestar" actually is? I know it isn't the same 400 hp AWD "polestar" as Jezza tested last year on Top Gear. My mom just bought a C30 T5 and at the dealership you can get the polestar performance tune which adds a bit more hp and needs premium gas. How would this polestar differ from the regular T5 with a polestar tune?
Howd you like the c30 Matt? I'm not a fan of them since ford always seems to ruin everything it touches. I own a 98 s70 t5 5-Spd with an HX35 diesel truck turbo with over 500whp now that's a fun Volvo
I have a 2011 non-polestar, with some modest upgrades. I think you should ride a few turns with me, and I believe the opinion you have of his car will change.
Agree. Hope to see a more aggressive version soon. I see it as a DB9 for young guys without the G's. Shares some of the switchgear with Aston Martin afaik.
So what's with the skateboarders? Did they sponsor TST to get in the video or something? I'm not hating, just curious since I see their website gets brought up in the credits.
@TheSmokingTire - Great review! You actually don't have to use the regular key to start the car when using the Keyless feature. The car comes with a smaller, plastic "half key" to put in the key hole on the dash, so that you can just leave the regular key in your pocket. They should have made it a Start/Stop button like Mercedes does, but for 35 grand you can't complain IMO.
Matt, driving around corners the force applied to that strut brace is a tensile (ie pulling apart force). From a engineering point of view that brace rod can well withstand the tensile loading.
I haven't planned one at the moment, and we've got some interesting cars coming up, but we'll see. I've already written so much about it, that it would feel repetitive at this point. Might wait to go back to Fords until I can get into a Fiesta ST, which looks awesome.
Since the difference is pretty small, Volvo probably advertised it as a "minimum" keeping in mind the realities of mass-production. Contrast that to say, the Caliber SRT4 which actually made 280 at the wheels on a dyno, which is about 330 bhp assuming the same 15% loss. Much bigger difference. Of course the Caliber sucks, but still. Too bad we don't get the new V40!
It's $35,000 as tested. The 400 HP, AWD Polestar was a one-off Prototype, not a production car. This is the version you can buy.
it's a Volvo C30 with Polestar package, not the actual Polestar c30 with like 400hp and awd.
I own a 2009 c30 polestar and I personally love it, of course it's not stock (it pulls about 355 whp) but it is extremely fun to drive.
These are fantastic reviews. No one else gives so much detail about how the car feels to drive than Matt does.
Now this is one of the most wanted hatches in the US since people figured out you can convert them to AWD and some Focus MK2 and Mk3 RS parts are a direct bolt on.
All of his reviews (these one-takes especially) are why I personally would love to see Matt on the US Top Gear; natural, knowledgeable, and easy to follow/listen to. Keep up the awesome videos Matt.
Can we add the term "ass dyno" to the dictionary, please?
Top job with this one Matt, you've really progressed well as a motoring journalist in the last 12 months. Really enjoyed watching you report today. Keep up the great work!
Nice, I did to! I just wish that Minneapolis could draw the manufacturers to bring out more of their concepts and higher end models.
Love the transition from a semi-serious drive to him with a cigarette messing with the front brace. An awesome vid as always =D
that thing needs a new strutbrace from factory :/..
Good review Matt, very well explained!
All season tires...
Feels really tight and firm to me. Underrated Volvo. The old t5z were badass. C70z are a bit better
Solid review, Matt. I understand the car has some shortcomings in the handling and traction department, but to what extent can we attribute that to the all-season rubbers? Would summer slicks remedy the understeer to the point of acceptability or did the switch to FWD ruin an otherwise well rounded car?
Why can't this come in AWD! ! ! I'd be happy to replace my A4 with one of these.
holy shit there was a longboarder in the video! :D for any longboarders I have a Landyachtz Switch with 50 cals, 85a bushings, and abec 11 flywheels.
I had a '93 850 as my first car, was surprisingly fun and had a great engine noise. Still going with my cousin with 300k miles on the original motor and tranny. Gotta love Volvos.
I truly love you reviews on insanely fast and high HP cars, however I would love to see more car reviews on cars that are in the realm of affordability like this video. Awesome video and keep up the great work.
Yeah, comparing it to the 1M is kind of silly. As for being "lazy," it's really not like that. Tom is too busy making money filming for McLaren and Porsche, so he doesn't have time to shoot or edit TST videos nearly as much as he used to. As such, I have learned to edit on Final Cut and this is literally my second edit ever. I'm trying to learn as quickly as I can, but you guys want more videos so I'm doing everything I can to make them, including editing myself. Hopefully I'll get good soon.
the engine, which shares its roots with the Focus RS engine, has a bunch more I believe. Ford got like 350 HP out of it, but the question is, can the car handle that much power through the front wheels without being a handful? I say leave the engine where it is, and work on the suspension/chassis tuning more. It doesn't really need more speed, just more feel.
The RS had the k16 turbo. The C30 has the smaller k04
Thanks. We are filming two more "One Take" reviews this weekend, the Lexus LS460 F-Sport and the Audi RS5
sorry i had it delayed post too long. It's up now.
I tried that with the strut brace in a ralliart, and wasn't able to get it to bend like that. Just as a point of comparison for a similar performace priced car.
I recently bought a volvo c30 for a few grand.
seems like a huge bargain, has a turbo that is easily tuned and decent reliability.
handling not so good, but as a daily driver it is quite nice and has an all glass hatch.
Reviews of the 500 Abarth and Focus ST are written pieces, not videos. They were for Road Lanes magazine (online). I have no idea what a C30 GT is... is that a race car?
You are correct about the effect of changing roll compliance. However the strut tower brace is for stiffening the chassis, not the suspension. Increasing the roll compliance in the front and decreasing it in the rear will have the desired effect, given that the chassis is stiff enough to transmit the displacements at the front of the chassis to the displacements at the rear. By eliminating the brace you would be decreasing the chassis stiffness, while leaving the suspension stiffness unaltered.
You want the roll stiffness of the front suspension to be very low, but you still want the chassis to be stiff. The bar that Matt is referring to is there to keep the strut towers from moving during cornering and to increase the overall torsional rigidity of the chassis. If left un-reinforced the movement of the chassis will cause the outside wheel to gain camber...and thus create more understeer during cornering.
I have a 2009 Volvo C30 with Keyless Drive and my key stays in my pocket when I start the car. No need to put it in the ignition.
Same here
there are two types of exterior shots. The blown out, flared ones (and the camera that fell off the car) are GoPro Hero 3's, and the better looking shots with depth of field are Canon 5D MK II's.
Matt is REAL unlike these other cookie cutter reviewers who sugar coat everything. Its good thst he actually points out the flaws in cars. Car companies listen and will learn!
That car I'm driving in the video is a production car. I don't know if they are going to build the 400 HP, AWD version, but I'd guess not.
In stock form, he's pretty spot on. Thankfully the aftermarket has more than addressed everything and with not much effort, the C30 can be an absolute rockstar. Also, after 10+ years, they've held up REALLY well. Mine's an '09 and looks like new. Most the competition (Mini Coopers and GTIs) cannot usually say the same. Haha.
I've always been a fan of Volvo's, even from a young age. My dad used to have a mild tuned 850 T5R and it was an amazing sleeper, 330+bhp from a bright yellow estate, used to surprise many people. Also, the Turbo Engine they use is related to the one used in the old Audi Quattro and it sounds so evil. Love it.
what did they do for me besides provide me a standard-issue press loan vehicle?
I drive a 2011 S40 T5, and I agree that the stock suspension setup isn't up to the job of serious sport driving. HOWEVER, with a better strut brace, and a bigger rear swaybar, this chasis really tightens up. The strut brace takes the slop out of the steering, and the swaybar eliminates a lot of that understeer.
Getting better at the reviews and driving ! Well done and great 2013 start.
Deserves a subscribe. Im in.
Matt, I love what you do and hope to see way more of you in the future bud. Keep it up.
Yup, I too was a little confused the first days of driving my C30... until I found that little key in the glove box :)
we did a written review of the newest STI on our site. It didn't go very well. The STI was awesome in 2004, when it was 300 HP and $31,000. The drivetrain is basically identical in the new car and our tester was $42,000.
Been watching a lot of your videos must say they are great reviews. Keep up the good work.
I haven't seen any news on a new one, this is a 2013 model. What have you heard?
Love the falling off camera in the beginning. Good stuff.
Shows badass, always look forward to seeing awesome cars and genuine reviews by Matt.
they NEED to make the AWD 400BHP version of this because it was amazing.
Honest and to the point. Miss this version of TST.
8:30 the first time i have ever seen a host having smoke during a car video xD
Is that what that key is for? I thought that was a valet key of some sort. That makes more sense now. However, there are many cars under $35k that come with buttons for start/stop: Ford Focus, Kia Optima, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Veloster Turbo, Prius, etc....
What's the difference between a '13 S4 and the 2010 version?
It's not that every turbo car has more than companies are claiming; it's that in order to be the best, the fastest, whatever, lots of companies (BMW, Ford, and now Volvo especially), are underrating their cars.
"This will all be done in one shot..." 8:50 he's out of the car and then back to driving lol. I'm just busting your balls, of course. Awesome review and I really think you nailed it. I have a C30 (non-r) But I drove an R design AND the Polestar, and the polestar definitely feels better than the stock C30. I haven't gotten my car Dyno'd yet, but I have an AWD system from another Vinnie [Warning: I don't know much about cars. My B-I-L and F-I-L help me pick out parts and install them. They both worked for Ford. F-I-L was a Ford Master Mechanic, and my B-I-L did warranty repairs But I'm learning! I semi-recently bought the C30 Non-R 6 SPD with AWD from S60. First thing, did a tune up. Replaced Spark plugs, coils, bearings, hoses, etc.. You know... Just normal stuff)and all the things that should be changed. Luckily, the timing chain/Belt had been done by my B-I-L before he sold it to me. (What do you guys think? I got it with 118k Miles on the Odometer and bought the car for $3500. That is the price with a refurbished K04, Elevate FMIC, CAI, R design Spoiler, tons of Carbon fiber parts accent pieces, just replaced the master and slave cylinder, Sway Bars, Big Brake kit [320....or was it 330?], braided steel and silicone lines, upgraded wheels and really, really sticky All Weather grippy as a mu'fukka tires, and the custom turbo back exhaust. [No emissions in Texas, or at least in my county.] PHEW, that's it. I want to rebuild the engine because my B-I-L is a machinist now, and I was thinking of boring it out and going with better sleeves, forged pistons, and a better crankshaft. Next purchases, are [I just downloaded VDASH], purchasing VDD and a 2-year sub for 2G internet, Tablet for Bluetooth, maps etc.... And as I mentioned, I still haven't even mapped the car lol. I have a feeling it's going to put down some serious numbers. Probably going to go with Elevate mapping device.. Quick question for everyone. I know that the VDASH software and VDD work together. Since the VDD hooks up to your ECU , can it Map the car? Because that'd save me close to a thousand USD. Eventually (Within the next 6 months, going to start building it for K24.
Well, thank you for listening! Awesome video so far. Again, just busting your balls about the one shot thing. Great review on the Peter North Star (Pole Star)..... get it? :)
Everyone have a blessed day, and I'd love to hear your C30 setups!!! - leifo
I did a written review of the Golf R; we didn't have time to make a video. Sadly, the Scirocco is not sold here.
I have a C30 T5 with a polestar tune. It's no Golf R32 but it is a lot of fun. Smooth and good on gas. the only thing I don't like are the seats, yes the seats. Not as comfortable as you'd expect from a Volvo.. I've replaced it with a S60 seat now.
Royal Jamaican before I️ bought the Volvo, I️ tested the R32. The Volvo was faster and more comfortable. The R32 handled curves better.
That was the prototype. They only built one, decided not to build it, and wouldn't let me have it. This is the production Polestar Edition; the one you can actually buy.
So are they really calling it the Polestar? The "real" polestar has around 400 hp and AWD. I believe that car is the way it is, because all it is, is a c30 R design with a tune, and nothing more.
You may have only watched me drive it in the canyons, but I would argue that my thoughts on the car were developed over a period of 5 days daily driving the car, and everything I said applied to daily use as well. The clutch is especially awful for daily driving.
The "Polestar Edition" with the special color options and specific group of options is limited to 250 cars in the US. Don't know about Europe.
The strut brace on my 2010 d4 does not bend like this. Mines solid.
Yes, I didn't know what that was. My 2011 T5 R-Design has a very solid strut brace. Strut brace does not make much difference on these, rear sway bar and shock brace does. IMHO Polestar was a trim level, far better tunes are to be had elsewhere, as are suspension components.
we usually don't talk about which roads we film on because we don't want them to get clogged up with tourists like Tail of the Dragon. But Tuna is bad ass in a hot hatchback.
Twin charged cars are badass. My buddy has a 2005 Cobalt SS thats twin charged and that thing is bananas
Umm...that whole strut tower brace thing you did, Matt? Yeah, that was epic.
no that was a prototype, this is the production version of the car; as far as we know they aren't building more than the one prototype of the Polestar concept.
It's not about whether or not someone has the ability to go 10/10ths. It's that the Volvo gets very sloppy when you start pushing it, which means you never even want to try 10/10ths because it's not fun.
About half the shots (the better ones) are triangulated 5D MKII, and the other mounted ones that have more sun flare, washed out look, like the one that fell off, are GoPro Hero3's.
Wow somebody actually smoking on camera...I thought I was the only smoker left!!! lol
Love the review & the fact that even though Volvo paid for the car, the insurance & a tank of gas, Matt still had the balls to trash it!
Lets hope they don't do what Ferrari did to Harris & ban him from ever driving one again!!!
That was a concept. "True" polestars are whatever Volvo is willing to build and sell to us; concepts don't count.
I agree, the strut brace is designed to stand axial load, If you apply a load laterally it is going to bend it and that's normal. Its like a column, I would have to see it in person but Im pretty sure that would happen to many strut braces. You can make them to be super stiff and not bend like that but it would make them bulky and heavy.
Like I said in the review, sticker summer tires would probably help a bunch, but without having a test car equipped with them it would be tough to tell how much.
we have not done a video with the ST. I did a written review for Road Lanes Magazine and The Smoking Tire which you can find fairly easily (though I can't post links in comments)
I'm sure the car would perform better with better tires, but that wouldn't improve the braking or shifter feel. It might improve steering feel a bit, but I don't suspect all that much. The car would certainly put down better numbers with proper tires, but I'm not sure I'd like it any more.
Matt, what are you using to record outside of the car? Was the camera that fell off a GoPro?
The color?
I was confused on that as well, thanks for clearing that up Matt.
Good review Matt, I hope you end up coming to dragwars here in Western Australia.
Like the review Matt but I had one question. Could you do a review of a Volvo C30 GT? I think they were supposed to handle much better!
Also where are your reviews for the Fiat 500 Abarth and Focus ST? I couldn't find them.
If I were in a wheel-to-wheel race I'd probably try to avoid getting crossed up too much, but I know that road well and to cross my arms for a quick second for one single corner is no big deal. Six Tenths means the same thing as 60%, so when you're going 60% of how fast you probably could go, the car is fine, but when you kick that up to 90% of the car's fastest possible pace it gets worse.
Love the review! Just wondering what camera you used for the outside side shot of the car. I'm guessing go pro, but it looks amazing with the depth of field.
I never say anything about wanting the fastest car. I want a car with great dynamics. I love the FR-S, and it's slow as shit. Likewise, the Miata. I didn't mention the GTI because the Focus ST is so much better than the GTI in every way that for me (and pretty much anyone else who's driven it), the ST is now the hot hatch standard by which other hatches are compared, not the GTI. Maybe that will change when the MKVII comes out, but as of now, ST or bust.
We're editing the RS5 video, will be up next week.
I absolutely agree about the clutch, the same is true on my manual T5 S60 and it took me a while to get used to it, but once you do, it's terrific.
This particular car benefits greatly from a spring/strut/sway swap. A good friend dropped w/ Eibach/Bilstien/IPD and the difference is stunning. The aftermarket is quite strong for this car too, which is nice.
Volvo very much needs to extend their awd system to this car.
I was not aware this car was in twilight... you've ruined my day... dick.
Oh, and just to add to this: if an experienced tuner is allowed to tweak this powersource: bigger intercooler + full exhaust line + sports intake + ecu tune = 280-290 bhp :-)
Matt, one of your best reviews for sure.
Tuna canyon....lol I think a few of us have been there before!
It doesn't sound like much at all. a Catback exhaust would really help, but it kind of sounds like a vacuum cleaner.
I love how the C30 has a lot of inspiration from the Volvo P1600S, I just wish it either cost less to match what the car is, or had more to match the price.
Hey Matt,
Could you give me a little more clarification on what the "polestar" actually is? I know it isn't the same 400 hp AWD "polestar" as Jezza tested last year on Top Gear. My mom just bought a C30 T5 and at the dealership you can get the polestar performance tune which adds a bit more hp and needs premium gas. How would this polestar differ from the regular T5 with a polestar tune?
Howd you like the c30 Matt? I'm not a fan of them since ford always seems to ruin everything it touches. I own a 98 s70 t5 5-Spd with an HX35 diesel truck turbo with over 500whp now that's a fun Volvo
I have a 2011 non-polestar, with some modest upgrades. I think you should ride a few turns with me, and I believe the opinion you have of his car will change.
Nice.
But what about the clutch feel and the transmission? Is this guy over-reacting?
I sat in #94 out of 250 at the Minneapolis Car Show. Pretty sweet car :)
Agree. Hope to see a more aggressive version soon. I see it as a DB9 for young guys without the G's. Shares some of the switchgear with Aston Martin afaik.
So what's with the skateboarders? Did they sponsor TST to get in the video or something? I'm not hating, just curious since I see their website gets brought up in the credits.
editing by matt farah... i had no clue you were doing all the work! props!
so this was like meeting a role model and being rather disappointed they didn't meet your expectations.
it's basically your average t5 with a remap lol
i good remap is better than polestar. haha
they showed up, we got them on camera. seemed worthy of a plug.
@TheSmokingTire - Great review! You actually don't have to use the regular key to start the car when using the Keyless feature. The car comes with a smaller, plastic "half key" to put in the key hole on the dash, so that you can just leave the regular key in your pocket. They should have made it a Start/Stop button like Mercedes does, but for 35 grand you can't complain IMO.
Matt, driving around corners the force applied to that strut brace is a tensile (ie pulling apart force). From a engineering point of view that brace rod can well withstand the tensile loading.
Have you reviewed the RS5 yet? and are you going to review the new Viper at all?
Oh ok. And what did you shoot with? 1080p 60fps?
I haven't planned one at the moment, and we've got some interesting cars coming up, but we'll see. I've already written so much about it, that it would feel repetitive at this point. Might wait to go back to Fords until I can get into a Fiesta ST, which looks awesome.
Since the difference is pretty small, Volvo probably advertised it as a "minimum" keeping in mind the realities of mass-production. Contrast that to say, the Caliber SRT4 which actually made 280 at the wheels on a dyno, which is about 330 bhp assuming the same 15% loss. Much bigger difference. Of course the Caliber sucks, but still.
Too bad we don't get the new V40!