zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Wrenching
/
FCP Euro Put BMW E60 M5 ITBs On A Volvo 850 And The Sound Is Almost Too Good
FCP Euro Put BMW E60 M5 ITBs On A Volvo 850 And The Sound Is Almost Too Good-February 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:30

Underhood view of a Volvo 850 retrofitted with individual throttle bodies.

don’t always get a lot of respect in enthusiast circles. They’re safe, sane, comfortable and sensible, and those things don’t generally jive with drivin’ fast and kickin’ ass. That isn’t to say, though, that and super capable handling if they’re tweaked just a little, and the proof of this lies in the company’s racing efforts throughout the years.

No racing Volvo is as famous or beloved as Despite not being wildly successful in-period, it was burned into our collective consciousness the first time it hit a curb and went on two wheels. Now, the fine folks at , and while the whole video series has been great, this video, in particular, absolutely takes the cake. Why? Because they figured out how to slap one half of the individual throttle bodies from on the naturally aspirated inline-5 cylinder Volvo.

I’ll let that sink in for a second.

So, now that we’re living in a world where this kind of mad science has been done, how did they do it, and was it worth it? To answer the first question, they hired an engineer () to do a whole lot of 3D scanning of the Volvo, its engine, and its engine bay. From there, he used CAD and rapid prototyping via 3D printing to iterate on the design and confirm fitment, and when that was done, he had the trumpets and other assorted bits 3D printed in metal. Oh, and he made a custom airbox, too.

To answer the second question, I have to say that the sound would make it worth the mods alone, but the car actually responded really well to this modification, gaining around 25 peak horsepower but a whole bunch more torque, and the area under the curve was significantly improved. In the end, the car made around 175 hp at the wheels, which is pretty good for a mildly built Volvo engine. The limiting factor for power now seems to be the camshafts, but who knows if or when those will get swapped out.

This whole build series is worth a watch, but the really wild stuff happens in season two, which, in addition to the ITBs, sees the car get a custom set of long-tube high-rise headers, which also add considerably to the gorgeous racket that this very angry wagon produces. You owe it to yourself to slack off at work and check the series out.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Wrenching
Some Dealerships Are Illegally Selling Cars Above MSRP
Some Dealerships Are Illegally Selling Cars Above MSRP
We all know that certain cars that are either limited production models or high demand will often be In some states this is illegal if not documented correctly. But you could be paying too much for that car even if you are not buying a hot model. According to, some...
Feb 16, 2026
Here Are Ten Of The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars On eBay For Less Than $5000
Here Are Ten Of The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars On eBay For Less Than $5000
Last week, , and you delivered, albeit a bit slower because I assume hypermiling was involved. Here are the best gas-saving cars on eBay, for less than the price of your average new car's down payment. Here's a car that takes the reliable and not-at-all unpredictable handling of a Reliant...
Feb 16, 2026
Here's A Supercharged Jaguar XKR For The Price Of A Honda Civic
Here's A Supercharged Jaguar XKR For The Price Of A Honda Civic
What makes happiness? Is it a child's smile or an overwhelming sense of accomplishment? Nope. Not even close. Happiness is made by a V8 engine with a supercharger which, coincidentally, has - and then some. Yours for price of a moderately equipped Honda Civic EX-L. The first car that was...
Feb 16, 2026
You Can Be Both Fast And Furious With This Acura Integra Movie Car
You Can Be Both Fast And Furious With This Acura Integra Movie Car
We all remember the first time we saw The Fast and the Furious on the big screen, and most of us peeled out of the parking lot in our 127hp Honda Civic EX. If you long for those days when you made the VTEC kick in, now is your chance...
Feb 16, 2026
eBay Challenge: The Most Fuel Efficient Cars For Less Than $5000
eBay Challenge: The Most Fuel Efficient Cars For Less Than $5000
"Slow and steady wins the race" is an age old slogan that implies those who conserve their energy and pace themselves are the ones around long enough to reap the fruit of their frugality. Today's eBay challenge is to find an equally frugal car under $5000 that sips fuel like...
Feb 16, 2026
The Volvo V60 Cross Country Will Probably Kill The V60 Wagon
The Volvo V60 Cross Country Will Probably Kill The V60 Wagon
As a former owner of a Legacy GT wagon, I have a love/hate relationship with the Subaru Outback. On the one hand it is a fine wagon/crossover thing, it's also the reason the Legacy wagon no longer exists in the US. My long-roof loving friends, history may repeat itself with...
Feb 16, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved