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However, once you watch the video after the break, you may considering an alternative title in the likes of “Who is the Most Idiotic Reality TV Show Producer in the World” since the enlightened creators of the show came up with the fabulous idea of testing Netherlands' most incompetent drivers on an unsafe course.
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Pegged as the world's first diesel plug-in hybrid, the eco-friendly V60 is the result of close co-operation between Volvo Cars and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall, and it promises to offer low fuel consumption and CO2 levels, combined with long range and high performance.
Mr. Li thinks Volvo should build larger cars for the Chinese market and go after the premium segment with BMW/Mercedes competitors. Volvo higher-ups, on the other hand, want smaller, more efficient cars that may not necessarily appeal to premium buyers. Li says he's willing to bend a little if the managers running Volvo won't, because "they have brought Volvo to where it is today...They must have good reasons."
The Detroit company said that the transaction will be made in the form of a note in the amount of US$200 million and the remainder in cash.
It's worth noting that Geely has acquired Volvo at a fraction of what Ford paid for the Swedish automaker at $6.5 billion in 1999.
Ford said that even though Geely owns 100 percent of Volvo, due to the fact that the Swedish automaker's cars share core components and technologies with its own vehicles, it will continue to supply the company with powertrains, stampings and other vehicle components for an undefined period.
Automotive News states that there may have been a "snag due to problems at Ford Motor Co."; regardless, Chairman Li says, "We're ready to seal the deal...If the deal fails, the problem is not on our side. We have not violated any part of the agreement."
So what was the fuss all about, we hear you ask? Simply put, a new video campaign for the Swedish automaker's models. Nothing more, nothing less. If you insist on learning the details, check out the PR blabber after the jump.
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Their latest and most likely last vehicle to be developed under the "loving" arms of Ford before the Swedish company falls into the hands of China's Geely Motors, is the all-new Volvo S60 sedan that will premiere at the Geneva Salon on March 2.
That we already knew. What we didn't know is that Volvo may surprise us with a sporty version(s) of the S60 as this blurred teaser image and a series of videos titled "Naught Volvos Are Coming" suggest.
The Volvo specialist from Germany has prepared several goodies for the most recent version of the C70 including a new front apron, rear diffuser, sport exhaust system with unique tail pipes, lightweight alloy wheels in sizes up to 20'', a sport suspension system that lowers the ride height by 30mm and a bevy of interior upgrades such as custom decorative and leather trims.
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The new Swedish mid size sedan with the refreshing styling will have its formal debut at the Geneva Salon next month and go on sale this summer.
At launch, the 2011 S60 will offer a menu of two petrol and two diesel engines (depending on the market) including a new 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline unit with 203HP. Watch the videos after the break.
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The premium model, which this time is aimed directly at cars like the Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class, is described by Volvo as the firm's most dynamic car ever produced, not only in terms of styling but also in terms of driving characteristics.
It's sculptured shape with the coupe-like roofline was previewed by the S60 study at the 2009 Detroit Show, and even though the design has been toned down a notch, it remains very close to the (well-accepted) original concept.
Both cars continue to use a 1.6-liter diesel with 109HP and 240Nm of peak torque that's hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox.
However, Volvo's engineers employed a smart battery recharging system that 'forces' the alternator to charge the battery only when the engine is operating at low load (e.g. when driving downhill), while they also redesigned the tensioner and alternator pulleys.
"Smart battery recharging is the most important measure," says Ulf Nordström, Technical Project manager at Volvo Cars.
"It is primarily thanks to this that we have dipped below the 120-gram level that gives car owners tax breaks and other benefits in a number of European countries. What is more, one might say that we offer the normal driver one free tank of fuel a year," Nordström added.
The Swedish automaker said that the reduction in fuel consumption from a combined 4.9 lt/100 km to 4.5 l/100 km means that someone driving 15,000 km a year will save 60 liters of diesel or as Nordström put it, one fuel tank.
Volvo did not disclose any performance figures for the updated 2010MY S80 and V70 DRIVe, but just to get an idea, the 2009MY S80 DRIVe accelerates from standstill to 100km/h in a claimed 12.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 118mph or 189 km/h.
We say that, while any efforts to improve CO2 emissions and fuel consumption are more than welcome, fitting a puny 1.6-liter diesel engine in cars of the size and weight of the S80 and V70, isn't exactly pioneering anything new...
Even though Volvo did not mention anything about Ford, we suspect that the new four-cylinder unit that combines turbocharging technology and direct injection with twin variable camshafts, is either the same engine or heavily based on FoMoCo's new 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that will be used on several cars including the European Mondeo and the Australian Falcon.
Volvo said that the new 2.0 GTDi petrol engine produces an output of 203 horsepower and 300 Nm or 221.3 lb-ft of peak torque that is sustained from 1750 rpm all the way up to 4,000 rpm.
The engine will be offered in combination with Volvo's automatic six-speed Powershift transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox
"We've succeeded in making a four-cylinder engine that is as powerful as a 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit, and it's also much more energy-efficient," said Magnus Jonsson, head of Product Development at Volvo Cars.
"One of the most important reasons behind the results is our new, patented turbo system that has been tailor-made for smaller energy-efficient engines," Jonsson added.
With this new engine and the six-speed manual gearbox, the S80 sedan accelerates from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.9 seconds while returning a combined fuel consumption of 7.9 lt /100km which is equal to 29.8mpg US and 35.8mpg UK.
Volvo said that the new 2.0 GTDi engine is being initially launched on markets that offer tax incentives for engines below two liters in displacement including South-East Asia, the Netherlands, China and Japan, adding that more countries/regions will follow later in the year.
Swedish carmaker Volvo has popped the covers off its new S60 sedan that will make its first public outing at the Geneva Salon in March 2010 with production and sales set to start in early summer of the same year. Albeit toned down a notch, the exterior design of the production model has remained incredibly close to the concept model that appeared at this January's Detroit Show retaining its sloping, coupe-like roofline and curvy waistline as well as the distinct front-end styling.While Volvo has yet to release any photos of the interior, it is believed that the styling will again be influenced, though to a much less degree, by the concept model's cabin featuring a same shape dashboard.
Contrary to its predecessor that was awkwardly positioned between the BMW 3- and 5-Series, the new S60 is sized and designed to compete directly against the smaller bimmer and the Audi A4 in the small executive sedan segment.
Underneath the sheetmetal, the 2011 S60 uses a variation of Ford's EUCD platform that underpins cars like Volvo's own S80 and the European Mondeo and S-MAX / Galaxy.
No technical details were disclosed, but Volvo promises that the new S60 will be more driver orientated that its predecessor.
"The all-new Volvo S60 is sculpted to move you. It looks and drives like no other Volvo before and the car's technology will help you to be safer and more confident behind the wheel," says Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.
The new sedan is expected to be offered with a variety of gasoline and diesel engines including Ford's new EcoBoost 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine featuring turbocharging, direct injection and outputs ranging from 150 to 180 horsepower.
Among other highlights will be a new Pedestrian Detection system that can detect pedestrians in front of the car and brake automatically if the driver does not react in time.
Life at Volvo is about to get busier. Joining the updated C70 hardtop-convertible at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany is the gently facelifted C30 hatch. As with the C70, the front-end of the C30 has been restyled taking styling cues from the S60 Concept. This translates to larger (maybe a tad too large in our opinion) and 'swoopier' headlights, a more distinct grille treatment with a new honeycomb pattern unique to the C30 as well as redesigned wings and bonnet."The front of the Volvo C30 has become more dramatic and expressive," said Fedde Talsma, Exterior Chief Designer at Volvo Cars. "The angled lines of the front bumper together with the new headlamps, which are drawn offset and up, reinforce the impression of speed and sportiness.".
At the back the C30 gets a new rear bumper treatment with deeper lines and wavier contours while the black plastic panels have been replaced with more body colour lower down.
Other new exterior features for the 2010 model year include the introduction of a vibrant Orange Flame Metallic colour, visible exhaust tailpipes in the T5 and D5 models, two new alloy wheel options one of which is white and the choice of five different colors on the lower trim from the Contrast Color Collection models.
Furthermore, Volvo has developed a new styling kit for the 2010 C30 that includes foglamp decor, a front skidplate, side scuff plates and a rear skidplate, all finished in an aluminum look.
Inside, changes are limited to the introduction of a new trim option for the center console called "Oyster Burst Déco" which is said to be inspired by the surface texture of the classic Swedish Hagström.
Volvo is also introducing a new optional sport chassis for the C30 with stiffer springs, dampers and roll stabilizers as well as a lower steering ratio that gives 10 per cent faster response to steering wheel input The new sport chassis is available in all C30 versions except for 1.6D DRIVe.
There are no changes in the engine line-up with the C30 being offered (depending on the market) with the same gasoline and diesel drivelines with power ranging from the 100HP 1.6-liter petrol to the 230HP turbocharged 2.5-liter petrol unit.
