Saint’s P1800 reborn

By Jack Rix

08th May 2009

It’s a classic that’s young at heart! A replica of Volvo’s famous P1800 Coupé – the car that featured in the hit Sixties TV series The Saint – has been given a modern twist to create the ultimate retro GT. Similar to the Mercedes 300SL we featured in Issue 1,062, the P1800 has been brought bang up to date by Bo Zolland, head of Swedish design firm Vizualtech. And in these first official pictures from the company, we can see the changes close up.

A new front wing, active rear diffuser, flat underbody and side skirts all help to improve aerodynamics, while the deep oversize alloys and redesigned interior give it an up-to-the-minute appearance. The new P1800 will also be longer by 70mm at the front. While the 1961 original delivered only 100bhp from its 1.8-litre engine, this 2009 remake sets its sights much higher. Squeezed under the bonnet is Volvo’s current 4.4-litre V8, borrowed from the XC90 SUV. This is mated to a six-speed manual box, while the P1800 also gets a turbo, upping power to 550bhp.

Zolland’s design was commissioned by Vox Customs – a Swedish coachbuilder run by Mattias Vöx, the head Koenigsegg engineer who hand-crafts supercars. The P1800 remake will enter very limited production, although there’s no word on price or a release date yet.