Volvo reveals WTCC V60 Polestar safety car

Volvo has announced that a modified V60 Polestar wagon will be the official safety car for this year’s FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).

Takings its duties seriously, the small wagon gains a roll cage, communication and rescue equipment required by the FIA to support the race series.

Volvo hasn’t said if the 257kW/500Nm turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six has been boosted, but considering the standard car can reach 100km/h in just 4.9 seconds and hit the double ton in a very respectable 17.7 seconds, there’s little need.

It’s also unknown if the V60 Polestar gets a brake and suspension upgrade to help it cope with continuous high-speed laps under safety car conditions.

This year’s WTCC season consists of 12 weekends on four continents across the world ensuring they’ll be plenty of outings for the V60 safety car.

Volvo and its high-performance division, Polestar, have already invested heavily in the WTCC with  a factory-backed entry, with its S60 sedan racer.

The two Volvo S60 Polestar TC1 race cars that compete are not only factory-backed but race a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder Drive-E that’s closely related to the road car engine.

Almost all of its rivals, meanwhile, use race-series specific engines with no road car parts.

This year drivers Thed Björk, Robert Dahlgren and Fredrik Ekblom will be doing the driving duties.

They’ll have their work cut out to beat French car-maker Citroen.

Last year the French car-maker dominated the WTCC season winning all the races, bar three races in Hungary, Russia and Japan.

The WTCC season begins on April 3 at France’s Paul Ricard circuit.