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.
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Long time readers know that I have a huge soft spot for the cars that are built by the descendants of Uncle Olaf, yet it has been a very long time since I’ve driven a new Volvo when it was new. When the C30 was announced in the Fall of 06, I fell in love with the shape almost immediately. The fact that the shape was penned by a Canadian was just an added bonus.

I picked up the not so little 4 seater this afternoon and very quickly fell in love. From the grippy cloth seats to the way the controls fall easily to hand, this car fits me like a glove. Not to mention that the 2.4 liter 5 cylinder sounds like an Uber Quattro and the 5 speed transmission is buttery smooth. This isn’t the boosted version, but who cares? It makes the right noises, squirts through traffic with ease and just feels COOL.

Later in the week, you’ll get the full report. I’ll give you the hint already that it will be pretty positive.

Oh yeah…the 3 hockey bag test is on hiatus for this one!

The aftermarket works awfully quick sometimes. The new Volvo C30, released only last week, has already been released to the tuners and there will be 3 tweaked models at SEMA. While 2 of the models may be aimed more at the tuner crowd, the third (or perhaps the first) offers much more significance to long time Volvo fans.

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That’s right, the stunning new Volvo C30 is the vision of a good old Canadian boy.  Simon Lamarre grew up in Montreal and currently lives in Sweden, where he is a Studio Chief Designer for Volvo Car Corporation.

Great to see a guy from my generation, who grew up in the same country leaving his mark on the international stage. You can learn a bit more about Simon on his new blog.

Ooohh yeah baby…a Swedish pocket rocket! Here in The Garage, we have a bit of a fetish for old 2 door OVLOV’s. From Ian Lok’s 122s, to a pair of 242’s that used to live here we’ve had a lot of fun in 2 door bricks. George from the Swedespeed forums snapped this pic of the new C30. We’ve gotta get one of these things. 3 kids be damned, I’m Jonesin’ for a 2 door Volvo

Thanks to Jalopnik for the tip.