Are fun!
I had a slow day in the office so I managed to head out on the North circuit (Druitt) at Sydney Motorsport Park. There is a Supersprint on the weekend and this was an extra practise more or less.
I had been out before in a Renault 12.. that hadn't really prepared me for the performance of the 220,000km S40 T4.
As it turns out one of the instructors on the day used to race the S40 and 850 with Jim Richards back in the late 90's. He fondly remembers the S40 he drove, confessed it was anything but a passenger car. Driver seat right back behind the B pillar, engine shoved as low as possible and as far back as possible, proper works touring car at the time when Volvo were into competition.
Anyway he jumped in at the end and showed me all the cocks up I was doing;
-Jumping of the brakes hard and causing the thing to under-steer
-braking early / way to early and not nearly hard enough
-Fixed a bunch of lines through corners (generally just not being patient and turning in way to early.
Holy heck it was fun!
Here is a GPS lap and video before instruction!
https://serious-racing.com/p/IfBa.html
I got to about 170 before I grew scared and broke for turn 1, carrying about 150 over it, then nearly 100 through the chicane that makes the North circuit fun. Its a downhill into a sharpening left hander that opens to an off camber right on exit. You can be pretty brave here and the Volvo was drifting a couple of times through the whole section which meant I was pushing waaaay to hard, but heck it was fun :D
There is enough stick in the ol' girl when you flatten it for it to pull you to the left or release gently and you can straighten up and head back on the line.
Get yourself to a track day! (if you don't already)
I literally borrowed a mail tub, and unloaded the crap from my car (not unsubstantial) including taking the roof racks off, then it was just a check of the pressures and fluids and off you go.
Also, I feel so much better about my crap Volvo. Knowing it could throw me around the track makes me love it more as I sit in the commute on the way home.
"I bet that Civic in front of me hogging the right hand lane didn't have his car thrashing around a race track today".
I thought to myself as I adjusted the radio to clearly hear Patricia Karvelas on ABC RN Drive this afternoon.
Anyway you really can just turn up with your car and off you go!
Highly recommended!