The notion of fast Volvo estates being imported from Japan is fairly familiar by now. See the recently featured Polestar V60 T6 for proof of that. A fondness for the genre over here, combined with a limited supply and the availability of funky specs in Japan, has made the practice more commonplace in recent years. Strengthening values must have helped, too. Now it’s more than just V60s and V70s being brought over, because this is a Japanese Domestic Market C30 T5.
A rather nice one it looks, too, but we’ll get into that. The burning question is probably why a T5 is being brought over at all, because it seems like a niche choice even in Volvo circles. But it does make some sense. In a similar fashion to the big wagons, there’s really not much like a C30 out there - if you want one, nothing else is going to suffice. Moreover, the T5 gets the five-cylinder charm so desirable in the larger models, here sharing the 2.5-litre turbo in the old Focus ST tune, for 220hp and 236lb ft. This means it's fast as well as tuneful, scrabbling to 62mph in less than seven seconds and nudging 150mph flat out. Even without the traction advantage of cars like the V70 R, the C30 certainly qualifies as a fast Volvo.
As good examples of the 2.5-litre Focus ST become harder to find (and an interesting engine becomes more desirable by the day), so the C30’s case becomes stronger. The dearth of T5s in the UK will also have helped build the case to bring a Japanese car over. It was never a big seller in period, truth be told; those who wanted a 2.5-litre hot hatch were better served in the thrills department by the Focus ST with which it shared so much. Those who bought into the C30’s distinctive appearance would still get that with a smaller petrol or diesel engines. And if you needed a fast, spacious Volvo, the T5 estates were going to do the job much better than the three-door C30. Buyers had to really want the look and the five-cylinder performance to justify the T5. And stomach the price: in 2006 it cost £22,745, or just £1,000 less than a Golf R32.
So there were never that many: HowManyLeft reckons just 608 are remaining on our roads, across all the spec levels and pair of gearbox choices. Therefore getting a good used one is probably even trickier than expected, and makes such a seemingly nice import all the more desirable.
The spec here, which must have a more inspiring name somewhere than gold with grey, evokes the original (and quite smart) C30 Design Concept. It’s covered just 67,000 miles since 2007 and looks in fine fettle for it, with unmarked leather, a steering wheel free from wear and that dramatic floating centre dash without a scratch. It’s exactly as you’d like to see a C30 T5, apparently cherished over a decade and a half by people who knew what kind of rare groove hot hatch they were getting into. From the condition it would have to be assumed that maintenance has been kept up with over the years; hopefully there’s a nice wodge of paperwork with this import. You might not be able to understand any of it, but receipts in any language are always encouraging.
The catch? Well, it is an auto. Which will just be a five-speed, as a few still were back then. A six-speed T5 probably would have sold already. It could easily be argued that an automatic might suit the C30’s more mellow character (its Focus ST contemporary was manual only, tellingly), so it should be far from a dealbreaker. Especially at just £5,990; most of the Fords at this money will have six-figure mileages. And there’s not another 2.5-litre C30 on PH; indeed, you’ll only get a cheaper five-cylinder Volvo turbo by going older or higher mileage - or convertible. Just when it seemed like the affordable, interesting fast cars had disappeared, there’s a trusty T5 to the rescue.
SPECIFICATION | VOLVO C30 T5
Engine: 2,521cc, five-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220@5,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 236@1,500rpm-4,800rpm
MPG: 30.1
CO2: 224g/km
Year registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 67,303
Price new: £22,745 (UK, 2006)
Yours for: £5,990
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