Volvo P1800 Cyan 2021 Review

Cyan Racing challenges its customers to find the cheapest Volvo P1800 in the worst possible condition for one of its conversions. That might sound strange, but it’s evidence of how little the classic Volvo donates to the process of creating the P1800 Cyan.

In fact, such is the level of skill and fabrication capability within Cyan Racing’s advanced motorsport HQ, it could build an all-new car completely from scratch.

But to do that the Gothenburg race team would then face the near impossible task of homologating it – a process that would easily soak up a seven-figure sum for crash testing and another million dollars just for simple emissions testing, something the little Volvo coupe’s special 2.0-litre turbo is unlikely to ever pass, even with its standard-fit catalysers.

So if you buy a P1800 Cyan you have to factor in the additional cost of a donor car, something Cyan Racing says it’s happy to do for you, supplying a finished car in around 12-18 months for a sobering $700,000.

That’s an astonishing amount for an old Volvo, but, as the Swedish race team admits, it’s a figure most buyers will easily eclipse as it encourages owners to create the P1800 of their dreams – whether that’s an even quicker track-focused monster, or a more period-correct under-the-radar classic for pottering along to car meets.

Cyan Racing has yet to release details on warranty or servicing for the P1800 Cyan, but thanks to durability testing that has involved tens of thousands of hot laps and endurance racing, its powertrain should prove unburstable.

It’s important to stress here that both Volvo and its new sub-brand Polestar were not involved in the development of the P1800 Cyan – despite the confusion over the Swedish car-maker originally buying Cyan Racing (then named Polestar) back in 2015.

That explains why the Volvo P1800 Cyan lacks airbags and even basic driving aids like ABS, stability control or even a brake booster as the engineers involved wanted to create a pure driving experience.

Not that this P1800 isn’t safe. Race cars crash all the time, so Cyan Racing is perfectly placed to know how to protect occupants.

Beneath the skin, the reborn Volvo coupe is built like a modern race car, with an immensely strong passenger cell. That, plus plentiful use of high-tensile steel and even carbon-fibre to reinforce the monocoque structure, provides an ideal platform onto which the featherlight carbon-fibre body is placed.

Instead of being bolted on, the carbon panels are bonded to the steel chassis in a technique developed in F1 and used on all modern McLaren road cars.

Finally, inside, a titanium roll cage and four-point belt harnesses add extra protection for the driver and passenger. Other modern upgrades include introducing a collapsible steering column and the relocation of the fuel cell to the boot for extra protection.

Cyan Racing might not have officially crash tested the P1800 Cyan, but it has built it for classic car racing, complying with the most stringent FIA safety regs.

This means the reborn 60-year-old should be plenty safe enough for most people’s morning commute and provide lots of protection on the track.

Before signing off on the 2.0-litre turbo, many other alternative powertrains were considered for the Volvo P1800 Cyan, although keeping its 76kW B18 1.8-litre wasn’t an option.

Engineers found the original four-cylinder had plenty of tuning potential, but to boost it to acceptable power outputs made the old Volvo engine too peaky and not durable enough for everyday use.

Perhaps the most appealing engine considered was shoehorning in the 485kW 5.0-litre V8 it created for the Volvo S60 to race Down Under in the V8 Supercars with Garry Rogers Motorsport. Ultimately, the V8 was ruled out over concerns it would ruin the handling balance.

Then it struck engineers that on the shelf was a perfectly good WTCC championship-winning engine from its Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 touring car.

In race trim, as a smaller 1.6-litre turbo, power was capped at 298kW. But for the P1800 Cyan, the engine was bored-out to 2.0-litre, given individual throttle bodies and gently massaged to produce a healthier 308kW and 450Nm of torque.

Instead of using the racer’s six-speed sequential paddle-shift transmission, Cyan stuck with the purist theme and chose to combine its touring car engine with a dog-leg five-speed manual – sourced from Australian engineering firm Holinger – that sits in a rear transaxle.

Cyan Racing says it hasn’t officially performance-tested its P1800, but believes a sub-5.0sec 0-100km/h time is realistic – possibly lower considering the Volvo coupe weighs in at under 990kg (with fluids), which is less than any modern small hot hatch you might care to mention.

Racing cars normally make poor road cars and vice-versa. Worse still, race teams are notoriously bad at setting up cars that can easily be driven by mere mortals. The reason is an easy-to-drive car is normally a slow one out on track.

Racers instinctively know how hard they can push, so engineers normally tailor the handling for plenty of front-end grip. This, in turn, makes a race car snap violently into oversteer at the limit.

Not so the Volvo P1800 Cyan.

Happily, the engineers developing the reborn Volvo coupe knew from the outset that they wanted to create a car that is fun to drive and easy to exploit, even if that is at the expense of ultimate lap times.

That said, the lengths they went to are still astonishing. Literally.

The P1800 Cyan is longer than the original, with the front wheel pushed further forward in the chassis. The reason was two-fold. Engineers wanted to mount the touring car engine behind the front axle to achieve, along with the new rear transaxle, a near 50:50 weight distribution.

The longer wheelbase, meanwhile, improves handling balance yet further.

The to-hell-with-how-much-it-costs approach continued with completely re-engineering the suspension all round.

Up front, there’s now race car-like double wishbone suspension, while at the rear the live axle was binned for a complex multilink set-up that makes room for the new transaxle and mechanical limited-slip differential, the latter also sourced from Holinger.

There’s also adjustable dampers and different settings for the anti-roll bar to tailor handling on track.

Lowering yourself into the ’60s Volvo’s cabin is quite the experience. The P1800 interior is a wonderful place to spend time. Not only is it bright and airy, it’s easy to find the perfect driving position, while the thin-rimmed MOMO leather-wrapped steering is a tactile delight.

It’s here you can appreciate the incredible levels of attention to detail lavished on the P1800, from its Cyan blue dials to its impeccable fit and finish.

Firing up the raspy 2.0-litre turbo four is also an experience to savour, but moving off the line there’s little drama. Despite having a racing pedigree, the clutch is light, the gear shift is smooth, and the touring car donk is perfectly tractable and doesn’t seem to mind doing slow.

When developing it for the P1800 Cyan, engineers were briefed with making the turbocharged 2.0-litre feel as close to a naturally-aspirated engine as they could. This involved relocating the turbo further away than most car-makers obsessed with reducing lag would dream of doing.

Cyan says the TC1 engine will happily rev to 8000rpm, with peak power only arriving at 7750rpm. But flooring the throttle for the first time, you need your wits about you, such is the level of acceleration in first, second and third.

It’s then that you uncork what sounds like nothing short of a full Group A rally car’s soundtrack.

On narrow, soaking wet undulating roads with nasty cambers there’s both incredible traction and grip. The ride remains remarkably composed too.

It’s on track we really begin to push the P1800 Cyan and appreciate the changes, even on a sodden circuit with plenty of standing water.

In conditions where a BMW M4, even with stability control left on, would be a right handful, the Volvo without any electronic aids at all is precise, engaging, well balanced and, most importantly, loads of fun.

The steering is now assisted, but offers plenty of precision and weight, while the longer wheelbase makes it easier to judge the limits and provide extra time to catch a slide when it occurs, giving confidence to push, whatever the weather.

Only once did I wish for ABS; when braking off-line I hit a puddle and locked a wheel.

Perhaps more incredible is just how much abuse the P1800 Cyan soaks up. The four-piston big brakes are well up to the task, the Holinger ’box offers quick changes, and for a moment it’s easy to forget its towering price tag and begin to treat it like an everyday track hack rather than a precious million-dollar classic.

And that’s meant as a compliment.

Pity those who own the regular Volvo coupe and turn up to a cars and coffee event with a P1800 Cyan in residence.

Parked side by side, the Cyan Racing creation makes the original look a little awkward and even downright frumpy. But the true beauty of the Swedish restomod is in the way it drives.

It would be a crime to buy one and drive it sparingly. In fact, the level of fun and engagement offered at low speeds is in stark contrast to many more modern supercars that only ever come alive at 10-days-in-jail speeds.

Cyan Racing, meanwhile, insists that it hasn’t built its retromod to make money – and it shows.

The Swedish motorsport outfit says it hopes to build up to 10 P1800s a year in the downtime when the team is not racing around the globe.

Each car costs $700,000 and takes up to 18 months to painstakingly build – that’s a huge amount of money or an absolute steal depending where you sit.

On one hand, a modern Ferrari or Lamborghini will be quicker in a straight line, but neither are conventionally beautiful in the same way as the small Volvo.

We prefer to think of the Volvo P1800 Cyan as finally having the power and performance as well as handling to match far more exotic competition like the Aston Martin DB4 GT and Ferrari 250 GTO.

Considering a decent GTO will set you back around $40 million, Cyan’s creation suddenly seems sensible.

We’d lose the modern wheels, ‘Cyan’ badging, have it painted in an original colour, grab those FIA papers and go wreak havoc on the stuffy classic car racing scene.

How much does the 2021 Volvo P1800 Cyan cost?
Price: $700,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: March 2021
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 308kW/450Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: N/A
CO2: N/A
Safety rating: Not tested