When the big boss usually doesn’t miss work on the first day of the week, that wasn’t exactly the case for a bunch of them who joined the PLDT Alpha Track Day recently at the Clark International Speedway.
The sponsoring PLDT Alpha Enterprise brought to Clark some shiny, high-speed “toys for the big boys” for all invitees to enjoy with the Volvo S60 series as the main cars.
Trading their formal wear for the racing suit, the big bosses were given the option to “choose their weapon” and drive either the 1.6-liter T4 or the 2.0-liter D3 turbodiesel variant of the S60.
The day was indeed a revelation for those who thought the Volvo S60 are not meant to go fast.
“Both cars delivered superbly on track much to the delight of the car aficionados present. For those who may not be familiar, Volvo cars are actively participating in international racing events like the World Touring Car Championships and we are happy that we are now doing it locally to showcase our cars on the track and prove that this is indeed a new breed of Volvos—designed for passion, precision and performance,” Loi Concepcion-De Guzman, Volvo Philippines AVP for marketing services, said.
Race track participants particularly enjoyed the pulling power of the 2.0-liter D3 turbodiesel variant of the S60, which packs a powerplant that boasts of 400 Nm of torque that gives quick, sure power, as well as low emissions.
It ensures immense driving pleasure while enjoying the fuel efficiency of up to 22 km per liter.
“The single turbocharged engine infuses the drive with the composed feeling of being in control in all situations without compromising on the fun of driving,” De Guzman said.
On the other hand, the 1.6-liter T4 variant of the S60’s 180 horsepower and 240 Nm of torque delivers top performance and during the race day, had the drivers fling their cars around with ease and confidence.
“The S60 has advanced multi-link rear and McPherson spring strut front suspension mounted on a rigid body with a low center of gravity. This package translates into a feeling of being in command and in safe control as the front and rear suspensions interact to provide stable braking and crisp steering,” De Guzman explained.
After the karting activities in the morning, the top 40 drivers were allowed to practice their skills on the track.
With strong confidence in its products, Volvo Philippines was the only car brand that day to allow their cars to be tested and competitively run on the tracks, including the surprise leg for the Volvo S60 T6 Top Driver Shootout where the Top 3 drivers were able to experience the raw power of the 304 hp, 44 Nm of torque of the top-of-the-line variant, the All-Wheel Drive T6 S60.
With its advanced Haldex AWD technology, the All-Wheel Drive T6 S60, offers instant traction that gave the biggest smiles from the top performing drivers.
The All-Wheel Drive T6 S60’s Advanced Stability Control monitors the car’s behavior and makes high precision micro-adjustments with maximum speed, to further enhance stability in sharp curves and during rapid lateral movements.
The Corner Traction Control by torque vectoring of the All-Wheel Drive T6 S60 enables the drivers to pivot around bends with more grace since this feature activates the braking of the inner wheel and redistributes engine torque to the outside wheel.
Those who want to deactivate the anti-skid feature of the car only had to engage the DSTC Sport Mode via the Volvo Sensus driver-controlled interface, which allows more spin, and thus, more fun for the experts.
But while Volvo Philippines promises exhilarating drive at the race track, the company said Volvo is still firm on its promise to safety.
“Volvo has numerous innovations that allow the car to cleverly ‘think’ for the driver like the standard City Safety feature in the S60 that features pedestrian avoidance technology,” De Guzman said.
City Safety uses a digital camera and radar to constantly scan the road ahead and warns the driver when it identifies particular shapes—like outline of people—who may be at risk in front of the car.
More importantly, the system will employ full brake force to stop the vehicle—that is, if the driver does not react in time. Volvo calls this Collision Warning with Full-Auto Break and Pedestrian Detection