Volvo P1800 Cyan: 414bhp restomod spawns GT version

Swedish firm Cyan Racing has revealed a grand tourer version of its bespoke Volvo P1800 Cyan, which brings improved performance and a custom interior. 

Cyan Racing, which is located in Mölndal, just south of Gothenburg, first revealed the P1800 Cyan in 2020 as a motorsport-inspired homage to the original Volvo P1800, which was itself launched in the 1960s. 

The new P1800 Cyan GT features a similar design to the 2020 car's, but revisions have been made beneath the metal. The biggest difference is that the adjustable suspension has been tuned specifically for country roads and long-distance driving.

Inside, the GT is fitted with sand-coloured leather and fabric upholstery, with more comfortable seats than in the original P1800 Cyan. The brand also claims the cabin offers better sound insulation than before. There’s also a new roll cage, which is claimed to improve the car's rigidity. 

Power remains similar to the 2020 car's. The GT offers between 345bhp and 414bhp from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. That power is managed by a five-speed Holinger gearbox, while kerb weight comes in below 1000kg. 

All cars are restored from an original Volvo P1800 by Cyan Racing’s team of engineers, who also carry out the extensive re-engineering. The firm says the process to build one – which includes customer personalisation, design, fabrication and engineering – takes between 12 and 15 months. 

Cyan Racing hasn’t revealed pricing for the P1800 GT, which will be extremely limited in production, but the original restomod was priced at £379,000 when we drove it in 2020. Watch the video below for our impressions.

The original Volvo P1800 was on sale from 1961 to 1973, with a choice of either a 1.8- or 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, paired with a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic transmission. 

Cyan Racing, which was founded in 1996, is the official motorsport partner for Geely, Volvo’s China-based owners. It won the 2017 World Touring Car Championship with a Volvo S60 and the two World Touring Car Cups for Lynk&Co.