“recenth : LAST August, I test- drove the new Volvo C70 Coupe, a sporty, “two-door version of the $70 sedan (formerly ‘the 850). Due to production prob- lems, C70's didn’t start arriv- * ing.in dealer showrooms until uus Spring, so T decided to test-drive it again.co see how it, stacks up against the introduced fercedes- Benz CLK320 and Saab 9-3, as well as the aging but popular ! BMW 328is and. 323is.- The C70 Coupe is based on the sane front- wheel-drive platiorm as the high-performance 1997 850R: sedan, and was ‘designed in Collaboration Wwith.a small but well-known i! torsports engincer- y called TWR kinshaw Racing). TWR previously assisted in the design of the sporty T5-R sedan and wagon (later called 850R) The C70 is built in a Volvo /TWR plant in ddevalla, Sweden, . The C70°s nose is almost identical co the 1998 $70 anand V70 wagon, but rom the windshield pillar rearwards, the C70 is com: pletely different. The stylish C70 has an arched roofline, steeply raked rear window, Jarge wrapdround railights, anda high trunk with a ty definitive lip. The rear of the ar has.a combination of styling: ‘elements that, look rto the BMW 328], Mustang GT. atnique en w hich T find more handsome the T look at it. €70’s interior is also = V70 wagon. Its four passen- A tures are extensi ~ wood trim on the dash and ger interior offers body-hug- ging, lcather-covered front ket seat and two bucket- pe rear seats with a centre armirest. Access to the rear assisted by front forwards when the seatback is is folded forwards, and auto- miatically’slide back to the: original position nthe seatback is pulled‘up: How ever, the electric opera- tion is quite slow. Rear headroom is ade- quate for adults up to abour, 5°9” ral, and there’s plenty of rear legroom because the front seats allow rear passen- gers feet to be streeched out wider the front seats. ‘The ar side windows don’t wind down, but they do flip our. There is a pass-through behind the center rear arm- rest for. skis, but'the rear seat- cks do not fold down. hboacd has a typi- ke upright face, large buttons and.dials, and softened edges. Standard fea- , including : dashtop, and an in-dash “three-CD changer. There’s north shore news AUTC THE ail-new 1998 Volvo C70 Coupe is a high-performance four-passenger luxury coupe with a turbocharged 236 horsepower five cylinder engine, available five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission, and luxuriously-equipped interior with leather and wood trim. Test drive the new Volvo C70 at Specialty Motors at 1235 Marine Dr., North Vancouver. The trunk is big for a coupe, and easily accessed by a low trunk lip. As with other Volvo's, the C70 has plenty of safety fea- tures, both passive and active. console/armrest with covered storage and two cupholders. However, if you open the centre armrest, the cuphold- ers go with it, creating a potential spilling hazard. also cight-way power heated front seats lumbar sup- port (the driver's seat has i 3 dual console, a 400 wart, 10- speaker premium sterco sys- tem chat incorporates 2 speaker in the middle of the ~~ . BODY SHOP ‘The very best quality — work at prices anyone can afford. Euro; cars are our specialty. TavconmovIve™ | ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS BCAA and ARA Approved “We've got the parts & the service you need, AT PRICES YOU CAN AFFORD! CONVENIENT HOURS Mon-Fri 7:30am - 8pm: Sat 8am - 6pm, Sun 9am - Spm ; = } All Inquiries Car Care Products: © ICBC & Private Claims § 2s Car ¢ % Sale this week 980-8200 on 984-0277 '#4-262 E Esplanade, N. Van 1451 Fell Ave., N. Van No Matter What Yeu Drive... Alignment, Be! , Complete Suspension: ‘Same owner since 195: Customer Satisfaction Built-Us ... WE CARE! 176 Pemberton Ave. 985-7455 North Vancouver Liina: “COOLING. s) STEMS, Radiator Cooling System & Air couse Service « Specialists for 46 ys ¢ Gas tanks « Heaters ies © 134A Conversions» Be Eat) Guaranteed Best Price Fast Drive-in Service Passive satery features include front and side airbags, Volvo's SIPS side- i jon, roll cage, front and rear fog lights, iour adjustable head restraints, and four three-point seat- belts. ‘The rear three-point seatbelts pull from the centre of the car rather than from the outside, much like those in BMW automobiles. ‘This design is reputed to prevent rear passengers banging their heads together in a col My only complaint here is thar the front seatbelts are not height-adjustable. The C70 also offers active safety features such as stan- dard ABS, four wheel disc brakes, and traction control {with an on/off button on the dashboard). The only powerplant avail- able is a turbocharged 236 horsepower 2.3- litre DOHC 30 valve five-cylinder motor. It can be mated to a standard four-speed automatic trans- _mission with shift programs tor Sport, Economy and Winter (third gear starts) ora - five-speed manual transmis- sion, The four-speed auto- matic transmission offers a quick kickdown, crisp shifts and overall smoath operation. See C70 page 34 Ce ular. Phone Koowiledgeat jeable : Sales “in House Service. ve _ Same: Da Complete mechanical repairs. "| Gov't certifi d inspection station| ‘|: Nor-est Radiators | 1175 West 14th St. North Van’ {3 b1KS south of Marine off Pembertun} Mon to Fri: 8:30-5:30 Sat 8-3 984-0374 | MERCEDES SPECIAL! ‘ | JEEP SPECIALISTS | Salish Auto Daus. 4 SPring Tune-Up a Speciall ECHANICAL plus parts, mast Chaysler vehicles V6, Va, extra 28 years on the North Shore! Father & Son business where you can talk to the German mechanics who work on your car. Waiter Jr, Walter Sr. 987-3133 lube & filter + 4 wheel broke check wien © Elevincal © ChecX cooling systems & heating « Rotate tices © Check all belts, kanes & fluids. dunt Regency Plymouth Chrysler Jeep Inc. S8O0-BS014 1177 Marine Dr. North Van - , Includes. Up to 5 titers Castro! 1Gw30 oil, Fram oit iter, check all tights, belts & hoses, rotate tires and set tire PIESSUIE. Most cars & tight trucks. im, OPEN 7 DAYS! 1596 Pemberton Ave. Nonth Vancouver Showroom Aute, 987-2297 Keep Your Car In Showroem Shape! Main & Men. Hwy, North Van Wetmore Motors ud .|2203 Marine Dr., W.Vvan' 922-0168