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Volvo Pure Tension concept folds solar charging pavilion into trunk

Even by the 'anything-goes' standards of concept cars, this one is a head-spinner: the "Pure Tension" Volvo V60 Pavilion, commissioned by Volvo Italy and winner of the Pure Volvo Pavilion Design competition. The alien form seen hovering all over the rendered V60 is a pavilion, as in the kind erected for trade shows or outdoor events. Developed by Synthesis Design + Architecture, Buro Happold, and Fabric Images, the pavilion is a flexible mesh structure held in place by a carbon fiber rods.
What's more, the mesh is embedded with photovotaic cells so that the pavilion can absorb energy from the sun or indoor lighting, making it a portable charging station. It can power itself or the crossover, the V60 at the center of it all being a diesel hybrid that plugs straight into the pavilion. When it's time to go, the entire structure can be folded small enough to fit in the trunk of the car.
We're told it will be shown in September in Rome. Even if we never see this particular creation on the streets, it's comfortable proof that our future will eventually be wilder than we can imagine.

2015 Volvo Ocean Race XC60 priced from $42,100*

Every three years, a half dozen or so teams of sailors embark on an epic eight-month, round-the-world sailboat race formerly called the Whitbread Round the World Race and known since 2001 as the Volvo Ocean Race. This year's event started a month ago in Alicante, Spain, and will end next June at the Swedish automaker's hometown of Gothenburg. And to mark the occasion, just as it has in years past, Volvo has launched a special edition of one of its roadgoing models.
The Volvo Ocean Race XC60 was launched this weekend at the Miami Auto Show. Based on the XC60 crossover we know well, the limited edition is distinguished by its Ocean Blue II paintjob, unique 18-inch wheels, a choice of black or light leather interior with orange stitching and a series of special badges inside and out.
Buyers will be able to choose between the T6 Drive-E and T6 AWD models, priced from $42,100 and $43,600 respectively. That represents a $1,200 premium over models on which they're based, on top of which, Volvo has confirmed in correspondence with Autoblog, the usual $925 destination charge applies.

Junkyard Gem: 1983 Volvo 240 DL Sedan

The most iconic of all the Volvos — all the Swedish cars, for that matter — sold in the United States is and always will be the brick-shaped 200 series, which could be purchased new here from the 1975 model year all the way through 1993. Though it was an evolution of the earlier 140 series and looked nearly identical to its ancestor from any rear angle, the 240 (and, to a much lesser extent, 260) remains the most recognizable Volvo ever made. Because these cars were quite sturdy and inspired such devotion from their owners, plenty of them remain on the road to this dayÂ… and that means plenty of them wear out every year and end up taking that final tow-truck ride to the boneyard. Here's a bread-and-butter mid-1980s 244, with the sensible four-on-the-floor overdrive manual transmission and well-oxidized Richelieu Red paint, found in a self-service yard near Denver, Colorado. Prior to the 1980 model year, U.S.-market Volvo 200s were named according to a very logical system: the model name was a three-digit number, with the first digit indicating the car series, the second digit representing the number of engine cylinders, and the third digit showing the number of doors. Typically, the trim level would come after that. Just to confuse everyone, Volvo did away with everything but the trim levels when identifying these cars. Thus, this car would have been badged as a 244 DL during the 1975-1979 period, but for the first half of the 1980s it was called simply the Volvo DL. Of course, everyone who knows old Volvos today just calls this a 244, period. DL stood for Deluxe, so of course it was the cheapest trim level. The list price on this car started at $11,085, or about $31,090 in 2021 dollars. That was cheaper than a new BMW 320i ($13,290 or $37,275 now), but more expensive than more luxurious and powerful Japanese competitors such as the Datsun 810 Maxima by Nissan ($10,869 or $30,485 today) and Mazda 626 Luxury Sedan ($8,895 or $24,950 today). If you insisted on an automatic transmission in your '83 DL sedan, the price tag went up an additional 390 bucks, or about $1,094 now. This car has the base four-speed manual with the overdrive actuated by a switch on the shift knob. With 107 horsepower from this 2.3-liter straight-four engine, this car wasn't particularly quick. However, it weighed less than 3,000 pounds (despite its blocky appearance), so it got out of its own way well enough when equipped with a manual transmission.