Road test: 2008 Volvo C30i

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!

c30-side.jpg

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.
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