TG’s guide to concepts: the Volvo T6 Roadster hot-rod

Deep into the craze for all things retro in the mid-2000s, Volvo did something ambitious. In 2005 Volvo went to SEMA, the annual Vegas-based display of all that’s mad, bad and quite possibly dangerous in car modification.

Hot-rodding, in America-speak. And Volvo, the go-to 'soccer-mom' brand of choice, brought a hot road to the party.

Actually, to say it was all Volvo’s own work isn’t strictly accurate. The T6 Roadster was actually the brainchild of a Volvo employee by the name of Leif Tufvesson, who built his ideal hot-rod over several years from OEM Volvo parts. Bet Tufvesson’s local Volvo dealer was pleased.

The engine, a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six, was boosted to around 300bhp and mounted behind the passenger compartment.

Even allowing for those huge rear tyres, it’s fair to say the handling was probably quite interesting, especially as the entire car only weighed some 1,100kg. It’s like a steampunk Lotus Exige…from the Swedes.

While the parts-bin Volvo cabin looks a tad tame in the context of such a bizarre machine (that’s a five-speed automatic, not a manual gearlever, too) the steering wheel did at least fly in the face of normal Volvo logic.

Can you imagine trying to get that to pass an airbag safety test?

Over a decade later, Volvo’s on top form, sticking it to the sporty Germans with ice-cool relaxmobiles in the handsome shape of the XC90 and V90 models. All very worthy. Very sensible.

Time for another mad five minutes then, Volvo?