Volvo straight five

Perhaps uniquely, TWR reduced the capacity and removed the turbo of an engine yet gained power, cunningly turning Volvo’s 240bhp 2319cc five into a 325bhp 1999cc to meet the BTCC Super Touring rules. Now sitting much lower and farther back in the 850’s chassis, the engine revved to 8500rpm and drove via a six-speed sequential gearbox. The estate wasn’t the quickest 1994 BTCC racer, but it more than did the job of changing Volvo’s image.