Volvo C70 (P80)
1998-2004 Volvo C70 - P80 Platform - Coupe & Soft-top Convertible
Volvo has a long history of 2-door coupes, with models like the P1800, 2-door variants of the 240, and "personal luxury cars" like the 262C and 780, with both designed by famed Italian coachbuilder Bertone and assembled at their coachworks in Turin.
With both the 240 and 780 ending production in the early 90s, Volvo needed a new 2-door, and the new P80 platform designed for the 850 sedan and wagon provided a modern base for the new C70.
In addition to the coupe (hardtop), this next generation 2-door luxury car also had a convertible variant, with the powered fabric top fully stowing or deploying at the press of a button.
The C70 came to the US in 1998 in both light-pressure turbo (LPT) and high-pressure turbo (HPT) variants of Volvo's now-ubiquitous "white block" 5-cylinder engine. Either engine can be paired with a 5-speed M56 manual, a 4-speed AW50-42, or (from 2000 onward) a 5-speed AW55-50 automatic transmission.
Volvo's pioneering safety features like SIPS side-impact protection were standard, and the convertible C70 additionally had the ROPS roll-over protection system, with a specially reinforced windscreen frame and automatically deploying roll hoops protecting passengers in the event of a rollover.
The C70 coupe was sold until 2002, with the convertible carrying on until model year 2004. A handful of unsold 2004 cars were sold by dealers in to 2005. Its replacement, the P1-based, 2nd-gen C70, debuted in 2006.
- First generation C70
- 2-door coupe and convertible based on the Volvo P80 platform
- Sold in the USA from 1998 through 2005
- USA models were equipped with inline 5 gasoline engines
- USA light-pressure turbo models had a 2.4L "2.4T" engine, FWD, and a manual or automatic transmission
- USA high-pressure turbo models had a 2.3L "T5" engine, FWD, and a manual or automatic transmission
Model information is based on the USA vehicle market. Other model variations may exist outside the USA.
