Tag Archives: Turbo

Tax Break Special – Volvo 940 SE Turbo Estate

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The Volvo 940 Turbo SE Estate / Station Wagon was introduced in May 1991 and in the UK was aimed solidly at the company car market with a 2 litre / 122 cui turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that qualified for a lower rate of taxation than the 2.3 litre 900 series variants.

Volvo 945 SE Turbo, Siverstone Classic

The SE was also loaded with goodies like colour coded mirrors, a more comprehensive set of front lights and a smaller black grill.

Volvo 945 SE Turbo, Siverstone Classic

The B200ET and later B200FT engines which produced 150 hp were gems because they were fitted with a small diameter Garret T4 turbocharger which all but eliminated the throttle lag which was a common feature of the earlier turbocharged B230 motors that had been fitted with hefty Garret T3 units.

Volvo 945 SE Turbo, Siverstone Classic

From the A pillar back the 940 Estate / Station Wagon is indistinguishable from it’s predecessor the counterpart 740 apart from the more judicious use of black trim in place of earlier chrome items.

While not as rugged as the 200 series Volvo’s, as this example shows, these vehicles are just as capable of surviving in presentable condition for nearly 20 years, a strong selling feature in the UK mired in the depths of a property market recession at the time of the vehicles launch.

Production of all 900 series models ceased in 1998 when the saloon / sedan variant’s were known as S90’s and Estate / Station Wagon’s as V90’s.

Thanks for joining me on this Tax Break edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Coming up Short – Triumph TR8 Twin Turbo

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All of motor sport is littered with heroic failure and there is possibly none less understandable than the Janspeed Engineering Triumph TR8 twin turbo, when one considers John Buffum’s success with the TR8 on the US Rally Stages in North America and Bob Tuliis equally outstanding success with his TR8 on the race tracks, so much in fact Bob was forced into a successful switch from SCCA to IMSA series.

80 05 11 #14 TR8 00 Bsc

Like the Buffum and Tullis programmes Janspeed’s Le Mans programme had absolutely zero factory backing but unlike Buffum and Tullis, Janspeed did not even have a budget to run the car let alone test it.

80 05 11 #14 TR8 01 Bsc

Legend has it that this vehicle started life as a left hand drive test hack used by Janspeed on behalf of British Leyand, when the tests had been completed Jan Odour acquired the vehicle with the intention of preparing it for a British modified series, however a change of rules in that series, around 1977, led Jan Odour to attempt something far more ambitious namely to take on the onslaught of Group 5 Porsche 935‘s in the World Sports Car series.

80 05 11 #14 TR8 02 Bsc

The Janspeed TR8 ran with a dry sumped twin turbo version of the all alloy Olds/Buick V8 design purchased by Rover and was said to produce over 500 hp, but it failed to set a qualifying time on it’s debut at Silverstone in 1980, where the car was loaned out to ADA Engineering in a vane effort to get the car onto the track.

Later at Le Mans despite being recorded travelling in excess of 200 mph on the Mulsanne the car failed to qualify.

81 05 09 #29 TR8 01 Bsc

I remember looking forward to seeing what the TR8 could do when I returned to Silverstone in 1981, despite arriving in time to catch qualifying I was already too late, the car had been crashed and withdrawn from the race much to my disappointment.

Later in 1981 the car ran again at Brands Hatch where it qualified but failed to finish after a spin and a stall, unfortunately I was in Germany at the time so I never did get to see possibly my all time favourite Triumph run.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s twin turbo edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look at a truly unique vehicle that was perhaps just an on board sick bag short of reaching production. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Variable Turbine Geometry – Porsche 997 Turbo S

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This is one of the last series 1 2008 model year Porsche 997’s distinguished by the LED indicators across the outer intakes and bug eye headlights lights from the older 996 with which it shares a four wheel drive power train.

With over 100,000 units sold the 997 is without doubt the most popular model Porsche have ever made even the TDM who is not a noted Porsche fan thinks a 997 will “make love to your fingertips and stir your soul.” Lets hope he washes his hands regularly.

The 997 Turbo was tested by TDM on an empty German Autobahn with an indicated 200 mph on the clock 2 mph faster than the top speed claimed by Porsche, Motor Trend tested the same model as capable of accelerating 0 – 60 mph (97 kph) in 3.2 seconds a full 0.5 secs ahead of the manufacturers claims.

The turbo S comes with a 525 hp 3,824 cc 233.4 cui flat six cylinder engine which introduced variable turbine geometry on the twin turbo’s.

Sadly this vehicle is already a late model a series 2 997 Turbo S was launched in 2010.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s variable turbine geometry edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’ and that you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look at a performance water cooled edition as we round out Porsche week. Don’t forget to feed the fish before you leave and please don’t forget to come back now !

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