Volvo says it will exit the Swedish Touring Car Championship and could pull out of V8 Supercars after 2016 as “motorsport does not conform with our brand”.
VOLVO CARS marketing director Alain Visser told Dagens Industri the decision to reassess the company’s involvement in motorsport is part of its Way to Market strategy. This strategy will see Volvo pull pack on its motorshow involvement and explore selling cars online.
“Motorsport does not conform with our brand, where we stand for smaller engines and safety. We are therefore pulling out of STCC (Swedish Touring Car Championship), for example, as soon as the contracts permits.”
So, what does this decision mean for Polestar Racing which runs Volvo’s motorsport entry into V8 Supercars? Well, a spokesperson told Touring Car Times that the brand would continue to race through 2015 in the STCC and through to the end of 2016 in V8 Supercars.
“The STCC contract runs out after 2015 and V8 Supercars after 2016. We are going to evaluate our participation after that, as we for example have done a number of times in the past for the STCC, a championship we have taken part in since 1996.
“We have a long-term contract with Volvo as the official motorsport and performance partner. The form of cooperation regarding motorsport between Volvo and Polestar is currently being evolved and we look positively towards the future.”
Polestar has done a pretty good job in its first V8 Supercars season … will you miss it if they leave?
I think being involved in the supercars has helped boost the views of Volvo’s from just safety to fun and sporty also. It will be a shame to lose them right when smaller engines will be coming in to play etc.
You’re right, Adam. Just because the brand officially withdraws it doesn’t mean someone won’t still race a Volvo in V8s, or Supercars as it’ll eventually become, but it is a shame, especially since the brand with its Polestar relationship has done so well in touring car racing in Europe and Australia. And, who knows who else might join the series… a Range Rover Sport SVR?
A 4wd version of supercity would be interesting. Svr vs q7, vs x5/6, vs cayenne, vs touareg vs Bentley, vs jag. Would be Awesome!