Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

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Van
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Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

Post by Van » Thu Sep 06, 2018 6:47 pm

The Dutch magazine 'Autoweek' this week features a Volvo 480 to be tested for maximum power. It did surprisingly well! 118HP left from the factory 109! The magazine posted a video on YouTube.
after over 10 years parted with the 1995 Volvo 480 ES 2.0

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Dgrimaud
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Re: Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

Post by Dgrimaud » Thu Sep 06, 2018 7:25 pm

You can see the turbo gauge on the dash. Not sure it's à 2L.

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WRDendy
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Re: Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

Post by WRDendy » Thu Sep 06, 2018 9:07 pm

That's a strange car - GT badge on the tailgate, 2.0L engine under the bonnet with excess horses, turbo gauge on the dash. As far as I recall, their was a 'GT' on the continent that was nothing like the UK version, in other words, standard leather interior, standard springs, lots of colours rather then red or green, not limited production, and (I think) available in 2.0L N/A and 1.7L turbo varieties. My suspicion therefore is that it's a standard continental GT (not the Bentley version!) with a 2.0L engine, and the owner has added the gauge cluster from a turbo instead of from an early ES, and the turbo gauge itself is probably doing very little, or perhaps showing manifold pressure or something.

Then again, if it's producing 118HP then that sounds like a turbo that has somehow not had a single horse go missing since it left the factory, but then why would you put a 2.0L manifold on it, and would it even fit? It it's a 2.0L then I want to know what they've done to it! :lol:
Formerly known as 'Jaster'
Current: '94 GT & '88 ES
Former: '89 ES

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brinkie
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Re: Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

Post by brinkie » Thu Sep 06, 2018 9:50 pm

It's definitely a 2 litre N/A car.
This car has been on the Dutch forum in 2013, the then-owner explained how he wired a vacuum tube to the turbo gauge so it functions as an economy meter.
http://www.volvo480forum.com/index.php/ ... #msg105823

The then-owner sold the car in 2014. Apparently it didn't get proper attention, because the video shows the car is suffering from a lot of body rot. The APK (our MOT) has expired in June so it's probably going to be broken up for spares anytime soon.

Also, I don't trust rolling road measurements. My car was measured by the same magazine on their event in 2014, and it supposedly had 121 bhp and 187 Nm! Not very long after I discovered one of the cilinders had only 8 bar compression, effectively making the car having a three cilinder engine. No way it had 121 bhp!
See for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SHchKv-2vw
Robert.

Present cars: 1994 Volvo 480 GT 2.0i, 1999 Volvo S70 2.5 Europa, 2010 Volvo V70 2.0F Momentum

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WRDendy
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Re: Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

Post by WRDendy » Fri Sep 07, 2018 7:41 am

That makes sense, so in other words the extra 9HP is probably due to the margin of error on the rolling road (and then some). Can't see the Dutch forum without logging in but it sounds like I called it correctly on the turbo gauge as well.

I love the colour of your GT, and I see you have a turbo gauge cluster too. Is it a similar setup?
Formerly known as 'Jaster'
Current: '94 GT & '88 ES
Former: '89 ES

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Dgrimaud
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Re: Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

Post by Dgrimaud » Fri Sep 07, 2018 9:14 am

brinkie wrote:
Thu Sep 06, 2018 9:50 pm
It's definitely a 2 litre N/A car.
I watch the video first on the phone, but now I can see at 1'04'' that's a 2L.
I can not read the page linked on the NL forum because I'm not registered, but thanks for this info.

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Van
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Re: Volvo 480 powertest in Dutch magazine

Post by Van » Fri Sep 07, 2018 7:56 pm

In general we know the 2l engines are conservatively rated. I know my car was healthy though I doubt it would have had 118HP.
after over 10 years parted with the 1995 Volvo 480 ES 2.0

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