The 2004 Volvo S60 R Was "The Most Fun To Drive Volvo Ever"

Screenshot: YouTube/MotorWeek

These days, 300 hp isn’t a whole lot. Toyota sells a Camry with more power than that, and you can buy a dang Kia with more than 500 hp. But back in the early 2000s, a 300-hp engine was much more rare. While the current Ford Mustang GT makes 486 hp, back in 2004, it only made 260 hp. Which may give a little context to why the 2004 Volvo S60 R and its wagon variant, the V70R, were so exciting at the time.

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Yes, it was a luxurious family sedan like we’ve come to expect from Volvo, but it also happened to be more powerful than a Mustang GT that year. Its turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five-cylinder engine made 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, which in MotorWeek’s testing was enough to hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and run the quarter-mile in 14.4 seconds. Plus, it had something you can’t get anymore — a six-speed manual transmission.

It wasn’t just any manual transmission, either. It was the legendary spaceball shifter. Or perhaps “infamous spaceball shifter” if you (incorrectly) don’t like the look. It was also a sign that the S60 R was meant to be more than a quick, comfortable highway cruiser. Yes, the S60 R was also meant to handle well, and while it wasn’t quite on the level of the BMW 5 Series, as you can see below, John Davis was seriously impressed.

You really can hear the conviction in his voice when he declares at the end that “the 2004 Volvo S60 R is not just the most technologically advanced car that Volvo has ever produced. It is also the quickest, most powerful and without a doubt the most fun to drive Volvo ever.” And if John Davis says it, you know it’s the truth.

2004 Volvo S60 R | Retro Review