Buy Volvos. They’re boxy, but they’re good. We know they’re not sexy. This is not a time to be sexy anyway with so many new diseases around. Be safe instead of sexy. Volvo: boxy but good.
From the 1990 Dudley Moore flick Crazy People.

Boxy, but good. This is what many, many people have thought of Volvo for many years. What non Volvo enthusiasts may not realize though is that Volvo has a rich history of building sexy, fun to drive 2 doors. 122. P1800. 142. 242. Ok, so from that group only the P1800 could be considered sexy, but they all share something in common. They are all incredibly fun to drive!

The Volvo C30 was designed by Canadian, Simon Lamarre with the P1800 in the forefront of his thoughts, but the fun factor embodied by all those other hot 2 doors were also heavy influences. Here in The Garage, we too have been influenced by those cars of old. One friend of The Garage owns one of the nicest P1800’s in existence. Another races a 122s with a genuine Trans Am history, while yet another owns a 142 that was the original poster child for Targa Newfoundland. We, like many other Volvo enthusiasts have lamented Volvo’s lack of a 2 door since the 242 left Canadian shores in 1984. Enter Lamarre and the C30, a fun to drive hatch that embodies the spirit of Volvo 2 doors from days gone by.

Much has been said about the C30’s funky styling, not all of it good. Perhaps I’m just enough of a dyed in the wool Volvo fan that I accept the exterior shape as character. I love the trademark high, defined shoulders as much as the unique hatch glass that mimics the P1800ES. This thing looks cool and should make no apologies to anyone. Even though modern Volvo’s are more typically family movers, there are many design cues that ensure that a Volvo loyalist will feel right at home. From the quality alloy wheels to the SIPS hump in the door opening, there is no mistaking the C30 for any of the cousins from Ford or Mazda that share the platform. Even the tail lamps look like they’ve been lifted from a Volvo wagon.

You’ve gotta love those broad shoulders

Inside, Lamarre has managed to combine some funky modern shapes (like the waterfall center stack) with some traditional Volvo styling cues. From the driver’s seat, this little coupe feels tight and comfy. There is no better way to explain other than folks who owned a Volvo 2 door before will feel right at home. The front seats on our tester were supportive and comfortable and clad in a grippy cloth that would be great for the odd lapping day. The back seat isn’t quite as cavernous as the 242 was, but is far easier to access. Our 7 & 9 year old boys were more than happy in the back seat and I was surprised that I was able to fit my ample girth back there for my photo session without too much trouble.

Our tester came equipped with the optional Dynaudio stereo, which sounds so good that it would be a must when optioning out your own C30. Another must have is the large sunroof. It just makes the whole experience that much more fun.

While we’re talking about interior stuff, I have to mention the one place that the C30 is lacking: Usable storage. Here in The Garage, we are all about the real world reviews and storing one’s stuff is part of real life. For some reason, European automakers can’t seem to grasp that us North American’s have lots of stuff that follows us around and we want somewhere to put it. Even owners of 2 doors. With a Canadian designer, you would think the C30 would have addressed that issue. Unfortunately not. Way back in the early Nineties, when I worked in a Volvo store, it was pretty common to hear consumer complaints about the absent or poorly thought out cup holders. The C30 has cupholders. That said, I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that most (or at least many) Volvo owners swill their Starbucks from an environmentally friendly tall travel mug. It is a shame that the cupholders are directly in front of the shifter and having a cup in either receptacle means that the driver must maneuver around his java to change cogs. I’m no design guy, but how about an offset cupholder or something to enhance the shifting experience. I know, we should concentrate on driving, not sipping caffeine.

Beyond hiding the little stuff, the C30 has a decent amount of stuff space with the rear seats folded down. A couple going away for the weekend would be fine. The family going to hockey practice is obviously a different story. We weren’t even going to attempt our signature 3 hockey bag test with this one. The single hockey bag test shows that we could fit 2 in a stretch.

So enough carping about family life. Does the C30 live up to the 2 door Volvo history. Oh yeah, it lives up to it completely!

I was fortunate back in the day to have owned both a 242GT and a 242 Turbo. The GT was light, nimble and quick and an absolute blast to drive, while it’s fire breathing (literally) Turbo brother was faster than a 5.0 Mustang. The strange thing was that for all it’s speed, the Turbo car wasn’t as much fun to drive as the normally aspirated GT. Somehow, I have the feeling that the C30 might be the same type of machine. The C30i that we drove was a normally aspirated 2.4 liter 5 cylinder with 170 horsepower, which may be a tad overshadowed by the 2.5 liter turbo version with 230 ponies. The old adage that the more horsepower the better, isn’t always true though, as the 2.4 has exactly the right amount of power to make the C30 a fun to drive little coupe. It is responsive, strong through the entire rev range and makes the C30 an absolute blast to drive. Oh, and did I mention that the straight 5 has exactly the same sound as an Eighties era Audi Uber Quattro? The sounds this machine makes are enough to make the enthusiast’s lingonberries tingle!

I’ve spent the winter testing a wide variety of people haulers, so spending a week with a 2 door hatch was a welcome diversion. The C30 is thoroughly modern, but is made up of enough vintage Volvo DNA that it conjures up memories of carving up a windy country road in a 2 door Volvo from 20 or 30 years ago. While The Garage home base is occupied by a family of 5, this 4 seater was so much fun to drive that we will be seriously considering one when the time comes to replace the small car in the house.

Well done Volvo!