You know why the Mazda MX-5 is so beloved? The P1800 Cyan takes all the best features of the MX-5 and gives them some steroids!
For those of you not familiar with the model, the Volvo P1800 was a lovely little sports car produced in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, this Cyan in the headline makes a very important distinction from the original one.
You see, Cyan Racing used to be the Volvo factory racing team and after a few decades of success and some business sales and renames, it spawned Polestar Racing and a bit later Polestar performance road car division which is now owned by Volvo. This Cyan Racing is the name that the racing division of the same company that developed Polestar got after the sale of the road division.
So, what does this all mean for the P1800 Cyan?
Well, it means it is a lovely classic with a stunning design and modern technology developed by a company that surely knows how to make performance vehicles.
Image Source: Cyan Racing, https://media.cyanracing.com/browse/engineered-cars/cyantribute
New Tech, Old Philosophy
However, it’s not all just for show.
The P1800 Cyan is one of the cars that you cannot really find easily these days, not in terms of the model or power, but in terms of philosophy. Power is heavy and even a performance hot hatch such as the Mercedes-AMG A45s has 1600 kg.
The P1800 Cyan is a car with more power and less weight. Far less weight!
With 308 kW of power and 455 Nm of torque any car would have a nice push. But a vehicle with the curb weight of 990 kg is a rocket!
The engine is a 2 L turbo unit with direct injection mated to a razor-sharp 5-speed dog-leg manual gearbox sending the push to – need we say – rear wheels.
It is the epitome of a performance vehicle designed primarily for the joy of driving, much like the MX-5 but with much more power, less weight and heaps of modern performance benefits.
For example, the P1800 Cyan has things like lightweight carbon fibre prop shaft, LSD with customizable ratio, double wishbone front and rear suspension with adjustable camber and toe for both and also caster and bump steer for the front, adjustable damper and rear anti-roll bar stiffness, adjustable steering ratio, steel and carbon fibre body, titanium roll cage…
It is powerful, lightweight, cool, beautiful AND you can customize heaps of driving features to suit your driving style. You know, because driving style made loads of difference in the performance setup before electronic nannies kicked in.
However, while the philosophy is old and things like ESC and ABS don’t exist, it is by choice. The P1800 Cyan is significantly different from the original Volvo P1800 with a body that is modified to allow wider track and larger wheels.
Even the inside is changed. It is obviously based on the feel of the lovely original and its era, but given a delicate upgrade. Just look at it!
The P1800 Cyan is for the Volvo P1800 what Singer is for classic Porsche vehicles. And that means one bad thing.
Image Source: Cyan Racing, https://media.cyanracing.com/browse/engineered-cars/cyantribute
The Price
Cyan Racing plans to make a limited number of these lovely little beasts and they will all start from about $680,000 AUD! Yeah, that’s steep.
It is also a beautiful car, absolutely stunning, that offers the driving experience beloved by the masses but practically non-existent nowadays. What many car fans dream of now exists. We’d love to get our hands on one.
SOCIALS GUIDELINES:
Better than the MX-5 in every way. Yes, we dare say that and we love the MX-5! The P1800 Cyan is what driving is all about. And it is just so BEAUTIFUL!
If you like Singer Porsche reimaginations, you’ll love the P1800 Cyan!
Behold the epitome of driving joy! The P1800 Cyan is one of the best cars we’ve seen in the past few years and we drive a new one every week. Yes, it’s that good.
Image Source: Cyan Racing, https://media.cyanracing.com/browse/engineered-cars/cyantribute
