Volvo Activates V8 Supercars Campaign

Volvo is wasting no time exploiting its multi-million dollar commitment to V8 Supercars, with an updated television commercial, a road car media launch, a national dealer meeting and customer entertainment all planned to coincide with the Clipsal 500 Championship opener in Adelaide.

Volvo Car Australia managing director Matt Braid revealed it’s all part of a campaign that will support the brand’s new S60-based two-car assault on the V8 Supercars Championship.

“We will be doing activation at all the rounds,” Braid told v8supercars.com.au.

Volvo’s V8 campaign links its global performance and motorsport partner Polestar with Garry Rogers Motorsport to run two S60s under the Volvo Polestar Racing banner for Scott McLaughlin and V8 Supercars rookie, Swede Robert Dahlgren. 

Braid explained that vision of the V8 Supercars was being edited into the TVC for the S60 road car, replacing footage showing the Polestar-run Scandinavian Touring Car Championship S60. It is scheduled to go to air for the first time during the Clipsal 500 meeting.

“We talk about motor racing and S60 there and explain the heritage, so now we get to do it on a more localised basis by using actual local V8 footage,” Braid explained.

Braid said VCA would hold a national dealer meeting in Adelaide and then entertain between 80-100 dealers and other guests at the Clipsal 500.

It will also fly motoring journalists in to view the racing before the first Australian drive of the updated S60 Polestar high-performance sedan the next day. 

Volvo’s global sales boss Thomas Andersson will attend the launch as will Polestar owner Christian Dahl, who will be in Adelaide for the Clipsal 500. Dahlgren, who played a key role in developing the road car will also be on-hand.

“There are not too many companies that can lay claim to being a race car builder and be heavily involved in road cars,” Braid said. 

“Christian Dahl is heavily involved in designing race cars and racing engines and also designing a performance road car, the Volvo S60 Polestar. I think that’s the proudest link we have. It’s a true link, there’s a real lineage there.” 

The S60 racer was revealed in its Volvo blue livery and Valvoline signage last week at a launch in Sydney, which included McLaughlin driving the car across the harbour bridge with a police escort. 

Both cars then ran in anger for the first time at the sydney.com Test Day at Sydney Motorsport Park last Saturday. The only glitch on an otherwise trouble-free day was a power steering hose failure on both cars that meant they missed the public grid walk at lunchtime.

“For me personally I was probably more concerned about the harbour bridge run because there are more variables that can go wrong on a day like that,” Braid said.

“At the track we are testing, it’s pre-season and this sort of stuff (the power steering issue) is expected.

“I am disappointed the fans didn’t get to see the cars in that instance, but they were running around the track all day, the feedback was good, they didn’t miss seeing the cars, just the touch and feel part. 

“But overall what’s been achieved we were pretty pleased with.”

Braid said the sydney.com test was a proud moment for all involved in the project.

“I think it is great recognition of the work people have put in. The car looks great, the feedback is great. Now it’s hopefully going to be competitive in the season.”

Stay tuned to v8supercars.com.au to see the TVC with the Volvo S60 V8 Supercar when released.