860-HP Volvo 240 Wagon Sleeper Races McLaren 570S, Color Us Impressed

A 1989 model owned by a gentleman from Georgia, the wagon looks rather unassuming. The only parts that indicate hi-po sleeper are the Hoosier tires out back, which measure a whopping 26 by 11.5 inches. Look even closer, and you'll further notice the 240's bone-stock exhaust tip welded to the actual exhaust.

Good for 860 horsepower at the wheels, the rear-drive Volvo weighs in the ballpark of 3,300 pounds (1,497 kilograms) with the owner behind the wheel. Equipped with a Tremec-supplied manual, the family-sized 240 features a 5.3 with a completely stock bottom end. Caleb, the owner, didn't mention what gen-four small block we're dealing with, albeit we do know that it's a turbo V8 with an iron block.

A bit rusty here and there, the Volvo has to prove itself against a much newer machine with a twin-turbo V8 located right behind the driver's bottom. Enter the McLaren 570S Spider, whose owner claims 570 to 580 horsepower at the crank. McLaren is known to underrate its production cars, but without any confirmation on the dyno, this 570S Spider makes precisely 570 metric horsepower (or 562 hp).

Not as torquey as the Volvo, the Macca weighs 3,314 pounds (1,503 kilograms) without the driver. Pictured with Pirelli rubber, the rear-drive supercar from Woking has a big advantage over the 240, that advantage being a quick-shifting transmission of the dual-clutch variety. Launch control also needs to be highlighted, and to nobody's surprise, the 570S Spider asserts dominance over the 240 from a dig.

On the other hand, the British supercar doesn't stand a chance from a roll. The folks at Hoonigan decided on 40 miles per hour, meaning 64 kilometers per hour in the metric system. Even though the 240 is a little squirrely in the first instance, it hooks up in no time, and then pulls harder than the Macca to the finish line.

Caleb and 570S Spider owner J.R. raced from a roll twice to see whether the first roll was a fluke or not, and much to the surprise of J.R., the McLaren lost again. Considering the aerodynamics of the 240 compared to the 570S, and the 1,000 feet (305 meters) from start to finish, it's all the more impressive to see a three-decade-old Volvo win by just around two car lengths.

Unfortunately for 240 enthusiasts, modern-day Volvo wagons couldn't be more different. We also have to remember that both the V60 and V90 will go the way of the dodo in the nearest of futures due to rising demand for crossovers. Volvo is also pivoting toward electric propulsion to the detriment of ICE, hybrids, and PHEVs, with Volvo Cars aiming to make the switch to fully electric by decade's end.

Over at McLaren, the 720S-replacing 750S marks the beginning of the end for purely internal combustion series-production McLaren vehicles. The 750 in 750S obviously stands for 750 ps, meaning 740 horsepower. Capable of sprinting to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in merely 2.7 seconds, the 750S kicks off at $324,000 for the Coupe and $345,000 for the Spider.