If I wanted 850 R wagon...

[dug777]

Random 'what if' scenario'

I did like the 850 wagon my olds had, and I like the styling (and loved it when Volvo raced them in the BTCC)

Practical, quick, and very safe...

 

[Zenmervolt]

Get a '98-2000 V70 R instead. Might be easier to find, and IMO the interior updates are quite nice.

Or buy a '98-'00 V70 T5 and bring it up to "R" specs. You'd be amazed at the aftermarket for these cars.

That said, you should be able to find an 850 Turbo wagon without too much trouble. The "R" cars were rarer though and can be harder to come across (though when you do find them, they are generally in better shape). It's not too hard to bring the T5 engine up past a stock "R" engine either, and both engines seem to have the same maximum potential.

ZV

 

[thomsbrain]

I remember when that car first came out when I was a kid. I wanted one SO bad. A weird car for a kid to lust after, I guess, but even at the time I recognized the value of irony and stealth. Now, having driven the 850 Turbo wagon from the same vintage, I'm not sure I'd want one. Lots of turbo-lag, and it felt and sounded like a truck. Yeah, it had ~220HP, but you needed to pack a lunch waiting for it to kick in, and by that point you were most of the way across the intersection anyway. Maybe the R version was better that way, I couldn't say. At any rate, the Turbo wasn't as much fun as I'd dreamed when I was a kid.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
I remember when that car first came out when I was a kid. I wanted one SO bad. A weird car for a kid to lust after, I guess, but even at the time I recognized the value of irony and stealth. Now, having driven the 850 Turbo wagon from the same vintage, I'm not sure I'd want one. Lots of turbo-lag, and it felt and sounded like a truck. Yeah, it had ~220HP, but you needed to pack a lunch waiting for it to kick in, and by that point you were most of the way across the intersection anyway. Maybe the R version was better that way, I couldn't say. At any rate, the Turbo wasn't as much fun as I'd dreamed when I was a kid.

lol same here, i remember these being nice cars back in the day, often billed with the title of the fastest FWD car or fastest wagon back then.
Now V6 accords and camrys are faster at like 50% less price, time flies.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
I remember when that car first came out when I was a kid. I wanted one SO bad. A weird car for a kid to lust after, I guess, but even at the time I recognized the value of irony and stealth. Now, having driven the 850 Turbo wagon from the same vintage, I'm not sure I'd want one. Lots of turbo-lag, and it felt and sounded like a truck. Yeah, it had ~220HP, but you needed to pack a lunch waiting for it to kick in, and by that point you were most of the way across the intersection anyway. Maybe the R version was better that way, I couldn't say. At any rate, the Turbo wasn't as much fun as I'd dreamed when I was a kid.

Interesting, I've found the lag in my 90 740 unnoticeable.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

The 850 T5R was always an odd one for me. I liked it, but never knew why.

 

[Gand1]

Ah...I still love em... test drove a midnight blue 2001 V70R a few weeks ago...it was fun and the interior was quite nice...but then I found a 2002 V70 XC for cheaper and bought that! The XC is a little rocket ship as well!

Hey Naked...remember when I bought that white 95 850... well the piece of crap fell apart and was a constant pain in the ass.... had to get a newer one!