I don't know if I have a good answer to that, except perhaps, "Why not?" Ever since seeing the first 700-series Volvos, I thought they were cool looking cars, but the wagons were especially cool looking for some strange, ineffable reason. But looks don't equate to performance, no matter how hard the ad execs try to make you believe otherwise. Fortunately for my plans, the powerplant that comes in the 740 turbo intercooled wagon (known in Volvo parlance as a 745Ti) has plenty of horsepower potential, although most folks would never suspect it.
The Volvo 745Ti is equipped with a 2.3L 4-cylinder engine with an intercooled turbocharger, multi-port electronic fuel injection, and electronic ignition. In its stock configuration, the engine puts out a respectable 160 horsepower, which gives the car plenty of zip for most around-town and freeway activities. But when one delves below the surface, one soon discovers that this engine is barely putting out what it is capable of, and that with a few, elementary tweaks here and there, the output can be easily increased to 200 hp. At 200 hp, the turbo Volvo suddenly becomes an interesting car to drive indeed.
But we have even more in mind for this stately beast with its heart of iron -- our desire is to break that magical 300 hp barrier, all without sacrificing driveability. Can it be done? We believe it can be.
Stay tuned and see how we make out.
Want to find out more about enhancing the performance of your Volvo? Visit the following links:
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