The Flying Brick returns: Volvo's iconic Group A 240 Turbo roars again at Zolder

Alongside the 850 estate campaigned in the BTCC, the Group A Volvo 240 Turbo is arguably one of the most iconic and recognisable cars from Swedish motorsport history. At the end of November we travelled out to Circuit Zolder with Filip Engdahl to test the famous car, which has been meticulously restored from the ground up by Belgian company GDM Motors.

The racing version of Volvo’s best-selling 240 became one of the most iconic touring cars of the 1980s in Group A specification. Built on a humble, box-shaped family sedan, it surprised the racing world by becoming a championship giant-killer, often beating machinery from touring car stalwarts BMW, Rover, Ford and others. This was on account of excellent torque from the 2.1l inline-4 turbo engine, strong reliability, and great straight line speed despite its boxy shape.

Until recently the base road car was Volvo’s best selling model (surpassed now by the XC60), and you will still frequently see fine examples of the marque driving around Sweden being cherished by their long term owners in service as family cars with six (or even seven!) figures on the odometer.

In a sign that this was no mere marketing exercise and they were serious about success, Volvo produced an ‘Evolution’ batch of their 242 two-door sedan version to satisfy the homologation requirements of the time; which included a different intercooler layout and stronger components to maximize the model's performance within Group A limits.

It’s racing accolades include the 1985 European Touring Car Championship and 1986 Deutsche Produktionswagen Meisterrachaft (DTM precursor), as well as numerous overall wins when it was campaigned in the UK and Australia; which is where the affectionate term of ‘The Flying Brick’ was allegedly coined in reference to its surprising speed despite the unrefined aerodynamic body shape.

Ten cars were originally created by GDM Motors, with some sold to private customers and the remaining examples currently being campaigned by the team in various historic racing series around Europe. One of the Group A 240s has even recently been repurposed to an off-road variant and made its debut on the Belgian Kortrijk rally stages recently. The Nordica/Volvo Dealer Team Europe-liveried car that FIlip tested is now in an ‘evo’ spec from the original strictly enforced Group A build following a season in the national Belcar series… meaning that its currently putting out 450+ horsepower from the 1980s production-based 2.1l engine.

On a freezing cold and damp November day at Circuit Zolder, FIlip drew upon his V8 Thundercar and GT4 racing experience to tame that turbo charged 450 horsepower on the rear wheels, and quickly found the 240 to be a well-balanced and compliant race car. He was amazed to discover that GDM Motors leave no stone unturned in their restoration, even going to the detail of replicating the exact turbo boost pressure (and associated lag) of the original car for the ultimate authenticity.

They say don’t meet your heroes, but I just spent time driving one of mine! The drivability and attention to detail from GDM Motors is incredible, and it is such a privilege to get the chance to drive some of Swedish motorsport history.

"It’s definitely one of the nicest and easiest cars I’ve ever had to drive and get used to. The brake especially is probably the best brake I’ve ever felt in a car, it’s so easy to modulate and you get the feeling for it straight away. I even locked down to one of the chicanes but you could just ease off and feel the grip instantly come back. It’s an amazingly built machine and just a wonderful car to drive."

Technical Specifications

2.127cc – inline 4 cylinder/B21ET – 340hp (approx 450 in current ‘evo’ specification)

5 speed close ratio gearbox – Limited Slip Differential with oil cooling

Completely restored and reinforced bodywork with fully welded safety roll cage, according to FIA safety standards

330mm front brake discs, 304mm rear discs, 4-pot racing brake calipers

Pedal box with dual brake cylinders and adjustable brake bias

Bespoke wiring harness, 100L safety fuel cell, automatic fire extinguisher system

Integrated air jacks

Advanced suspension with reinforced wheel linkages and specific developed shock absorbers, springs and torsion bars, adjustable suspension geometry

Center lock light alloy racing wheels 9x17” with racing tires

FIA Historical Technical Passport

Built 100% to FIA Appendix K and the official Volvo Group A homologation sheet.

We'd like to extend our thanks to GDM Motors for providing Filip with the opportunity to test such an iconic car, and Circuit Zolder for use of their facilities. To learn more about GDM Motors, including their other BMW CSL 3.0 and 635CSi restorations, you can visit their website here.

All photos by Sprite Photography