VOLVO V70 R 1997-1999 Photos, engines & full specs

The V70 R was a true factory-sleeper. From the outside, not too many people would believe how fast that car actually was. Like its predecessor, the 850 R, the V70 R was built for those looking for a family vehicle fun to drive and not break the bank. Apart from a few clues, the vehicle was bland-looking and didn't attract too much attention.

It was built on the same platform as its predecessor and shared some of its components. But on the outside, there was a slight change of dress-code. At the front, the designers installed new headlights with rounded edges and smoothed corners. The grille featured chromed vertical slats and seemed to be smaller than the one installed on the 850. A trained eye could have noticed the lower bumper look, with a wider, V-shaped air intake in the middle and two side-scoops on the outer sides. In the back, Volvo put a roof spoiler on top of the flat, vertical liftgate.

The interior was not too much different than the facelifted version of the 850. It featured a rounded instrument cluster with a similar design for the dials. Its wide front seats with high bolstered sides offered a comfortable ride and good support for their occupants during hard cornering. There was room for two adults in the back and, as an option, an integrated child seat in the middle.

Under the hood, Volvo installed an upgraded version of the same powerplant fitted on the 850 R. The Swedish engineers managed to squeeze another ten hp from the same inline-five engine.