The Next Level; With its two new R cars, Volvo hopes to wash away some of its conservative image.(News)

Byline: WES RAYNAL

The Paul Ricard circuit in southern France, near Marseilles, has been completely rebuilt with plenty of Bernie Ecclestone's money into what track officials hope will be the world's best test facility. The extensive renovations make Paul Ricard (see sidebar) as good a track as you'll find anywhere in the world.

But it still seemed a bit strange that we ventured to Paul Ricard to test drive Volvo's new S60R sedan and V70R wagon. A Volvo at a racetrack? Hmmm. Isn't a sporty Volvo a contradiction?

Volvo knows it is boring, boxy, reliable and safe and is looking to enhance its image (aren't we all?). Thus Volvo is branching out into-gulp-performance cars, hoping to give its appearance as a maker of ultra-safe family vehicles a kick in the slats.

Actually, Volvo does have some performance-car experience. The company produced the 850 T5R in the mid-1990s, and in Europe won the 1994 British Touring Car title. Touring car star Rickard Rydell helped develop the S60R and V70R, but two more R car programs (a C90R and a V40R) were canceled to save money.

Volvo unveiled the S60R sedan and V70R wagon at the Paris show (AW, Oct. 14, 2002). The S60R was originally shown in Paris in 2000 as Volvo's Performance Concept Car, while the V70R was first shown as a concept at the '01 Frankfurt show.

Volvo calls the all-wheel-drive R models the most technologically advanced cars the company has ever produced, and on paper they promise to be pretty hot: Volvo's 2.5-liter, turbocharged inline five powers them, producing 300 hp at 5000 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque at a down-low 1950 rpm. The engine is equipped with continuously variable valve timing, and the pistons and connecting rods have been reinforced to handle the extra power. Comparisons to BMW's M3 are inevitable-its straight six produces 333 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque.