If you head out to your local used car lot looking for a late model front-drive hot hatch with a manual gearbox you'll probably expect to find something from Ford, Volkswagen, or Honda. Add a turbocharger to the requirements list and Honda drops off the table, and if you want something that has more than 4 cylinders the list gets really small and something from a Scandanvian OE pops to the top. Find this 2011 Volvo C30 here on eBay
bidding for $5,000 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go, located in Maribel, WI.
If you get into the Volvo C30 expecting a GTI level of suspension tuning or the reflexes of a Mini Cooper, you might be disappointed. However, if you get into the C30 with a 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix as your baseline -- you might be pleasantly surprised.
And that is the thing about the C30: it might have a 2011 vin number, but it is a decidedly old school car with a focus on low end torques and driver comfort. The 2.5 liter B5254T7 inline-5 pushes out 227 horsepower and 236 ft-lbs of torque (which is available at a tractorlike 1500 rpm) into a front mounted 6-speed manual transaxle.
See a better cheap hatch for your collection? tips@dailyturismo.com
I have a nephew that is shopping for a first car. He wants an Alfa (off the table), Saab, or a Volvo.
ReplyDeletePretty interesting choices for a 15 year old. For the money one can buy a pretty great Saab or Volvo.
He has found a few 60R and Viggens for around his 5k budget. People are especially dumping Saabs for nothing. I believe they think there is not going to be any service support.
I like the way these cars look and they remind me of the 1800. They are hard to find around here (NE).
ReplyDeleteYeah, I believe that backlight was meant to invoke the 1800es' defining characteristic. This example sits a smidge higher than I'm used to seeing. I remember pricing a build on one of these online and it got spendy real quick; this one looks pretty sleek compared to the cladded few we see around SoFla. I always thought that this would make a cool rally-themed runabout, but I'm stupid like that.
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of the C-30 so this car was hit in every panel sounds like it was stuck inside a pinball machine be nice to know the whole story on this, did come across one @ the Honda dealer recently when i got my new rig.
ReplyDeleteSo is every- body wrecking these another rebuilt titile.
ReplyDeletehttp://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/5277482799.html
"If you head out to your local used car lot looking for a late model front-drive hot hatch with a manual gearbox you'll probably expect to find something from Ford, Volkswagen, or Honda." ....2005-2006 MINI Cooper S is where it's at. About as go-kartish as you can stand, for great prices these days.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my esteemed fellow Anonymous. The derivations of these wonderfully Scandanavian hot hatches that attract are the R, and the massively well developed and hyper $$ Pole Star. I drove one on a test drive and was encouraged to "find its potential." It would take someone with far greater skills than I have. But, it still lacked the immediacy and the constant tapping on your psyche like a Mini Cooper S with the Bilstein upgraded suspension will do. I have a 10' Clubman with JCW mapping.
ReplyDeleteAfter 60K, it is still really difficult to not drive like an asshole, sorry. "Today I am NOT using the sport button, I am going to maximize my fuel mileage." It never gets old. And if I act like a Fast and Furious fuck-up, I still get 30-34mpg, instead of the 37-39 it usually gets.
Also, having owned several nice 1800S & later E's and ES's, the pastiche was not compelling.
I hope the seller has a good luck selling it, he'll need it if he responds to all questions like the one he was asked on ebay.
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