Somebody actually said “Boxy but good” to me today. Of course they were talking about my 740 Turbo Wagon, not the slick new XC90 Sport. To appease those potential customers who crave a bit of go along with the versatily of an SUV, Volvo has added all sorts of goodies to the XC90 V8. Interior and exterior styling bits, sport suspension, exhaust, 19″ wheels and a full techno package ensure that the XC90 Sport will not be mistaken for a soccer mom mobile.

More pics and Volvo press release after the break

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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.

Following unveiling the new C30, Volvo announced that the new 2 door will be sold in the US market. If memory serves correctly, the last time we saw a 2 door Volvo on North American soil was the 1984 242T. With a 2.5 liter 5 cylinder putting 218 hp & 236 lb/ft this will be one hot hatch. We can’t wait to get our hands on one of these when it debuts as a 2008 model.

Press release and loads of pics after the break

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After all these years driving demos, I finally need to buy my own car again. The timing couldn’t be worse, as we also need to reshingle the roof on The Garage at some point in the next couple of months. As a result, we are on a tighter budget than would have been the case normally so the used car shopping has begun. I think I’ll take this opportunity to bring our readers along for the ride. Fortunately todays’ shopping trip provided some incredible examples of what to look out for when you are buying a used car.

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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.

Ar Matey…they’ve found me treasure! Following a 2 month treasure hunt, a guy from Virginia has found the Volvo XC90 that Volvo buried in the Bahamas. In a generous twist, Volvo has surprised all 7 finalists in The Hunt with a new Volvo of their own. The lucky folks from around the world also receive a boatload of Pirates of The Caribbean toys and other swag.

fun filled press release after the break

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Following last week’s news that Volvo is set to begin selling in India, Lambo has begun selling the Gallardo, Gallardo Spider and Murcielago there. The initial sales target of 10 cars a year certainly seems attainable in a country of over a billion people. In fact, they have already sold 6 cars and delivered 2.

Via Autoblog

With the move to Mazda, life has changed around the Grant household, and my writing has changed with it. Leaving home at 6 am & not coming home till 8 ish every day (except for today…I was early at 7) doesn’t leave an awful lot of energy for anything. Being the freak that I am though, my mind is always running on like a slant six with bad gas. There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t have more than a few automotive thoughts & for the next little while I think I’m going to share some of my rambling thoughts.

As I mentioned yesterday, my new ride is a Mazda 6 wagon. It’s got a V6, with a 5 speed manual tranny. It may be the nicest Volvo I’ve ever driven. Yep…you read right, this Mazda feels like a Volvo. Joe at My Ford Dreams has some thoughts about this platform concept, but I’m not even sure if this thing shares a platform. I’ll have to look into that.

We picked up the new Kart engine last weekend & I finally got a chance to do the swap tonight. It is now on the kart & it runs, but doesn’t idle worth a crap. Since I’ve used the carb from the old engine, I think I’ve just got a varnish issue which I’ll deal with before practice.

Did I mention that the Mazda 6 wagon is wide enough that a kart will fit in the back?

A tech I know was killed on his new motorcycle on Wednesday evening. Hit by a car when he swerved to avoid an animal. I don’t know what more to say than it’s very sad. He was a really nice guy and a good mechanic.

Tomorrow is my birthday & I don’t know if I’ll have time to write, but if I get any cool car stuff, I’ll be sure to post pics over the weekend.

Also, don’t forget to visit Mark at Tapscott Behind the Wheel tomorrow to check out the weekly Carnival of Cars.