1996 Volvo 850 R Estate: A '90s Sleeper

This may seem like an ordinary road worn Volvo wagon, a sight commonly seen on here, however, look more closely at that back badge (or the entry title), and you'll see this old Swede is a bit more than it seems. This is indeed a Volvo 850 R, the real deal Volvo wagon of the late '90s. 

To understand the 850 R, we need to learn about the 850 T-5R. The 850 T-5R was introduced in 1995 as a sportier option to the 850 Turbo. The T-5R would tout an engine producing around 245 HP, allowing the car to reach 0-60 in about 5.9 seconds. Its drag coefficient was only 0.29, which may seem surprising for such a boxy vehicle. This made the T-5R a factory sleeper, as its outward appearance said otherwise about the T-5R being fast. On top of that, Volvo wasn't known for making sporty vehicles, as cars like the 240, 740, and the 940 weren't particularly quick. Yes, the turbo versions of the 240, 740, and 940 were pretty quick, but those weren't as mainstream as the naturally aspirated vehicles.

Anyways, the T-5R was a huge success, and Volvo decided to continue the production into the following year, however, at a catch. Volvo wanted the T-5R to be its own model, so the 850 R was introduced, carrying over a lot of the same elements of the T-5R. The R was essentially the same car, but it just made a bit more power, and came equipped with a stronger transmission. 

Today, these are very rare cars to come across, as Volvo only made a couple thousand of both the T-5R and R models. The most desirable of the two would be the wagon, painted in Faded Yellow, but only 49 were ever imported into the US.