2006 Evolve C30 Concept Information and History

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Image credits: © Evolve.

Customized Volvo C30 by Evolve Debuts at 2006 SEMA Show

Cutting-edge design meets radical motorsports technology

Las Vegas, Nevada (October 31, 2006) – Take the outrageous notion of blending a Formula One car with a hot European street machine and you've got the idea behind the Volvo C30 concept by Evolve Cars Inc. This one-off show car started life as a European spec version of Volvo's youthful new C30 – unveiled to rave reviews at the 2006 Paris Motor Show. Letting its imagination run wild, Evolve created an enthusiast's dream machine that draws on F1 technology and its renowned track record of maximizing the performance potential of Volvo vehicles.

With its stunning aesthetics combined with staggering performance capabilities, the Evolve C30 targets the enthusiast who seeks the ultimate Volvo sport compact. From the street, to the strip to the track, this driver wants a car that can deliver the goods on the promise of serious performance, excellent handling and head-turning style.

To achieve the muscular stance it envisioned the Evolve team began by removing all the vertical panels on the car. It then painstakingly added six inches of width at the rear fenders, tapering to zero stretch at the tips of the front fenders. The pronounced wedge shape and broad rear shoulders give the C30 a menacing hunkered-down look. Up front, an adjustable F1 style front spoiler commands attention. At the rear, a functional diffuser accelerates air as it exits the vehicle to help keep the car glued to the tarmac at speed. A roof-mounted rear spoiler can be adjusted by the driver to tailor downforce as desired. The body was sprayed in an eye-popping shade of BASF Glasurit Competition Yellow with Silver and Graphite highlights.

Under the hood, Evolve has modified the stock C30's 2.5-liter turbocharged engine to deliver pavement-blistering performance. A combination of increased air volume and pressure matched with proper fuel and spark delivery through tuning yields an estimated 507 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and a stump-pulling 468 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,800 rpm. Sequential twin turbochargers are the keys to extracting maximum performance. Carefully engineered plumbing and boost management with Turbosmart components tie the turbos together to create a brutally forceful combination.

Instead of a traditional intercooler, Evolve devised a totally cool solution it dubs the Charged Air Cooler. Integrated with the factory air conditioning refrigerant system, an evaporator was constructed inside a fabricated sheet metal intake manifold. Hot, charged air from the turbos crosses over super-cooled piping prior to entering the throttle body. This dramatically reduces the intake charge temperature making the heated air considerably cooler than ambient outside temperature. Engine exhaust enters a five-into-one header, feeds the turbos, passes through a catalytic converter and exits via a custom-built muffler and twin, rear-facing exhaust tips located high in the quarter panels.

While the Volvo C30 is a front-drive car, Evolve decided to leverage the full potential of its talents by converting it to all-wheel drive. This arduous task required underbody modifications to route a driveshaft to the newly installed rear differential. Electronically controlled AWD employs custom software created for this application by Haldex of Sweden – a name familiar to Volvo aficionados as the supplier of Volvo's other production models. A 6-speed manual transmission puts the driver in charge of the action.

Continuing its quest for creativity, Evolve engineered and built its own brake system for the C30. The front caliper assembly consists of more than 100 components resulting in a 14-piston billet aluminum work of art. Rear calipers are six piston assemblies. Each piston/cylinder is finned and exposed to 360º of airflow to reduce the tendency for brake fluid to boil during repeated high-speed use. The massive two-piece directionally vaned rotors measure 386mm in front and 362mm in the rear and feature an exclusive Evolve slot pattern. Evolve devised a mechanical/hydraulic parking brake system that uses stock brake handle components to exert hydraulic pressure upon the front calipers. Its two small 'master cylinders' are mounted on the front strut tower bar for easy viewing. The parking brake system locks the front wheels allowing the driver to 'load' the turbochargers for brutal off the line acceleration.

To optimize handling, Evolve once again took matters into its own hands. The front suspension is fitted with hand-built strut tubes around double-adjustable Koni cartridges. Heavy-duty Eibach springs support the front end for a firm, track-ready setup. With the switch to AWD, a clean slate approach was taken for the rear suspension. Fabricated control arms connect to an adjustable ladder bar to keep the independently acting rear wheels firmly planted under varying loads. Koni struts activated via pushrod assemblies can be spied from the rear of the car through the lower air diffuser. Evolve's quick height adjustment suspension enables the driver to vary the front ride height underhood using a standard socket on a strut-to-chassis interface. Rear height is similarly changed using a single adjuster positioned in the center of the rear diffuser.

Rounding out the performance package is an aggressive set of wheels and tires. The Evolve C30 rides on 265/30-19 Pirelli Pzero Rosso tires in front and monstrous 355/25-19s at the rear. The massive rear tires neatly tucked into the modified rear fenders gives the car a track-ready appearance. Multi-piece forged alloy Evolve wheels are sized 19 x 9 inches in front and 19 x 14 inches in the rear. As utilized on most every racecar, Evolve wheels feature a true single center nut method of attachment. Graphite painted center sections with spun brushed aluminum wheel hoops gives the Evolve C30 just the right attitude.

In true racecar fashion, Evolve took a minimalist approach to interior design. A six-point chrome moly safety structure was meticulously TIG welded in place. Evolve leather upholstery in two-tone perforated black and smooth graphite colors is contrasted with yellow stitching. The same pattern is applied to the steering wheel. The C30's signature floating center console was remade with translucent plastic to serve as a focal point for the interior. Volvo's stock Premium Sound System features 650 watts of Alpine® amplified power, 10 loudspeakers from Dynaudio® and Dolby® Pro Logic II Surround sound. Evolve added a hands-free Bluetooth mobile phone system for safer communication while driving.

Evolve Cars, Inc. designs, builds and markets unique styling and performance products specifically for late model Volvo vehicles. Based in Southern California, Evolve products are distributed domestically and internationally through select Volvo dealerships and other independent suppliers. Refer to www.evolvecars.com for more information.

Concept Overview

As one walks around auto shows, 'custom showcars' are often simple conglomerations of readily available aftermarket parts. Each of these 'custom' cars has 'Company X' engine modifications, 'Company Y' brakes, 'Company Z' suspension components, and the list goes on. Automotive enthusiasts dig into the details of these show cars and find them to be quite typical--cookie cutters of other cars with nothing overly special or unique. EVOLVE adopted a philosophy on the EVOLVE C30 to not do anything typical, to be creative in every element, and truly invent. The EVOLVE engineers and fabricators challenged themselves not to create anything expected. With only a handful of off-the-shelf parts used, most every component was handcrafted using a combination of old world craftsmanship and the most modern of machining equipment and techniques, depending on the task at hand.

Exterior Design

Pulling heavily on the F1 car theme, EVOLVE started by completely slicing all of the vertical sheet metal off of the sides of the car from front to rear. The sheet metal was then reattached with six inches of width added to the rear, tapering to zero 'stretch' at the front tips of the fenders. In doing so, EVOLVE achieved more of a wedge shape, allowing for staggering wheel and tire fitment and creating an even stronger presence. The pronounced rear shoulders of the C30 are made even broader, giving the car a very muscular look. Considerable front end exterior modifications include integrating an adjustable F1 style front spoiler which maintains the dynamic lines of the C30 when viewed in profile. The rear view is dominated by the functional rear diffuser, accelerating air as it exits from under the vehicle to create downforce at speed. A billet aluminum fuel filler is flush mounted on top of the rear bumper. Gone are traditional, expected tailpipe tips exiting from under the rear of the car, replaced by twin, fabricated tips on each rear corner of the car at the rear of the shoulders, framed by a billet aluminum surround. An adjustable roof spoiler features an adjustable rear wickerbill to tailor the amount of rear downforce desired. The lower edge of the car terminates at the bottom edge of the door, created the illusion of a shorter car by not having any side sills. All bodywork was painstakingly shaped, smoothed, and sprayed with BASF Glasurit paint in (so appropriately named) Competition Yellow with Silver and Graphite highlights.

Interior Design

After stripping the interior to bare metal, the EVOLVE fabricators engineered a proper six point Safety Structure for the car of chrome-moly material. Meticulously TIG welded in place, the Safety Structure offers significant chassis rigidity while increasing driver protection. The clean, understated upholstery features EVOLVE leather in two-tone perforated black and smooth graphite colors contrasted with yellow stitching. The EVOLVE steering wheel is stitched in the same perforated black and graphite leather. While it is expected for a 'showcar' to have every interior piece painted or highlighted, EVOLVE refrained and created just a few touches. The C30's unique center console was remade with translucent plastic which is illuminated when desired.

In Car Entertainment
Many 'showcars' have big audio-video systems. A true performance car is not going to take the weight penalty of additional monitors, amps and speakers, so the EVOLVE team was quite content with the Premium Sound System that is available from the factory. Featuring 650 watts of Alpine® amplified power, ten loudspeakers from Dynaudio®, and Dolby® Pro Logic II Surround, the system simply rocks. When considering the factory integration, imaging of the audio and clarity, this factory system puts most 'showcars' to shame. The only interior electronic modification EVOLVE added was a hands-free Bluetooth mobile phone system which is integrated into the center console for safer communication while driving.

Sequential Twin-Turbochargers

Increasing power utilizing superchargers or a larger turbocharger being too traditional for the EVOLVE C30, a sophisticated sequential twin-turbo system was created. Small turbochargers deliver near instant boost off the line, but run out of breath to make the big power at the top of the RPM band. Large turbochargers can have significant lag at the bottom of the power band as the turbo is spooling up, but deliver a brutal top end charge. By combining a small and large turbo on the same engine, a 'best of both worlds' scenario is created. Carefully engineered plumbing and boost management with Turbosmart components tie the two turbos together and create a brutal combination. Instant boost created by the small turbo accelerates the C30 from a stop and through the bottom of the powerband as the large turbo is spooling. A smooth transition is made between the small and large turbo as a consistent volume and pressure of boost is delivered to the engine. When the throttle is snapped shut, twin plumb-back Turbosmart blow off valves redirect the metered, charged air back into the system to further eliminate any turbo lag when the driver's right foot goes back down.

Charged Air Cooler

As air is compressed, it is heated. Hot air being ingested by the engine proportionally decreases power. As such, charged (boosted) air needs to be cooled before it enters the engine for maximum power potential. Common means of cooling charged are Air/Air or Liquid/Air intercoolers. However, EVOLVE wanted to do something different than use a traditional intercooler. Leaning on science, technology, and a thorough understanding of cooling requirements for charged air, an innovative, light-weight heat exchanger was created. Integrated with the factory air conditioning refrigerant system, an evaporator was constructed inside of a fabricated sheet metal intake manifold. Correct refrigerant amounts are regulated by a secondary expansion valve. Hot, charged air from the turbos pass over super-cooled piping just before entering the throttle body, dramatically reducing the intake charge temperature. Overall vehicle weight is reduced due to elimination of the intercooler and related plumbing. While Air/Air intercoolers often struggle with efficiency percentages, the EVOLVE Charged Air Cooler has the ability to make the heated air considerably cooler than ambient outside temperature.

Exhaust System
A handcrafted five-into-one header was built and ceramic coated to transfer exhaust from the engine to the turbochargers. After passing through the black ceramic coated exhaust housings and spinning the turbo impellers, exhaust gasses are routed through additional 3in. (76mm) coated tubing and through a US EPA legal (49 states) catalytic converter. After the catalytic converter, exhaust pulses are managed by a single in, two out chambered and baffled custom built muffler that actually straddles the driveshaft and precisely splits the exhaust to the two sides of the car. After the muffler, the spent gases pass through heat managing wrapped tubing through the quarter panels and out the unique exhaust tips. The internal design of the muffler creates a high pitched exhaust note that is music to any auto enthusiast's ears.

Other Underhood Highlights
Fabricated sheet metal heat shielding abounds to keep the heat from the turbos away from critical components. EVOLVE silicone hoses are kept in place by Turbosmart clamps and direct the charged air while Thermo-Tec products keep heat out of the maze of electrical, oil and water plumbing. Engine movement is limited by urethane-bushed bracketry integrated into the fabricated strut tower brace. The stock rubber-bushed engine mount on the bottom of the engine is replaced by an aluminum bracket integrating a adjustable heim joint.

Drivetrain

The Volvo C30 is currently offered only as a front wheel drive vehicle. EVOLVE's extensive knowledge of Volvo's factory componentry led them to a conclusion that making the car a true all wheel drive car was feasible, but not easy. Reconfiguring the underside and floor pan of the C30 involved relocating the fuel cell, manufacturing several custom brackets, building the custom exhaust around the AWD components, and integrating the electronics with the car's existing CAN-BUS information processing system. The AWD system allows the C30 to get all four wheels digging into the tarmac, and performance is further enhanced by custom software created just for the EVOLVE C30 by Haldex of Sweden, manufacturers of the Volvo AWD system. The transmission is the enthusiast's choice of a six-speed manual gearbox.

Calipers
There are a lot of great braking systems on the market. While AP Racing and parent company Brembo make excellent products, they simply weren't unique enough for the EVOLVE C30. So, we engineered our own system. Hundreds of hours of engineers designing and CNC machines cutting have yielded what we believe to be one of the most unique brake systems ever, both visually and functionally. The front features a caliper assembly consisting of over one hundred components combining to create a fourteen piston work of art that will stop the C30 in record time, lap after lap. The rear calipers are six piston assemblies based on the front caliper design. The surprisingly lightweight calipers have each of the piston/cylinder assemblies finned and exposed to 360 degrees of air flow to reduce the tendency for brake fluid to boil during punishing track sessions. Precision metering of the brake fluid within each caliper based on orifice sizing allows easy modulation of brake application.

Rotors
The front calipers envelop 180 degrees of the 15.2in. (386mm) front rotors. The rear calipers clamp on 14.25in. (362mm) rotors. Each rotor is a two-piece design developed in racing to produce a lightweight rotor that can compensate for the different expansion rates between the hat and rotor and eliminate the possibility of rotor warping. The rotor and hat have a floating mount system, which utilizes 14 high strength alloy steel drive pins, which allows for both axial and radial float. In order to keep the rotors from making noise when cold, the pins are mounted with anti-noise springs which allow the rotor to grow but eliminate rattle. This float also allows the rotor to self center between the pads. Thirty-two directionally curved vanes in the rotor act as a centrifugal air pump and actively move cooling air through the rotor as it rotates helping to shed heat quickly and reduce brake pad fading. The aluminum hats incorporate a unique angle drilling process to further enhance the circulation of cooling air.

EVOLVE Mechanical/Hydraulic Parking Brake System
There is not a performance caliper on the market which accommodates a mechanical parking brake system. Many a 'showcar' has simply done without a parking brake. Additionally, most of the world's supercars (Ford GT, Porsche Carrera GT) rely on an auxiliary parking brake caliper which looks like an afterthought. Combining innovation with function, the EVOLVE Mechanical/Hydraulic System was created. Utilizing the existing parking brake handle, mechanism and cable, EVOLVE transfers the force exerted on the cable into hydraulic pressure which acts upon the pads in the front calipers. The two small 'master cylinders' (one for each side for further redundancy) are mounted on the strut tower bar in plain view underhood.

Front
Rather than relying on an off-the-shelf 'adjustable coil-over suspension', EVOLVE hand built strut tubes around double-adjustable Koni cartridges. Heavy 500lb. springs support each front corner for a firm, track-ready set up. A camber plate is integrated into the upper strut mounting. An EVOLVE anti-sway bar helps keep body roll in check. Front wheels are adjustable for spring rate, height, compression, rebound, caster, camber and toe.

Rear
Having scrapped the entire stock C30 FWD rear suspension gave EVOLVE a clean slate to create something truly extraordinary. Fabricated control arms connect to an adjustable ladder bar style to keep the independently acting rear wheels firmly planted under varying load. Koni struts are activated via pushrod assemblies and are on display in the center of the rear diffuser. Rear wheels are independently adjustable for spring rate, height, compression, rebound, caster, camber, toe, bump-stop, and even the suspension's intersect point of how the drive loads are applied to the chassis.

EVOLVE Quick Height Adjustment System
Most every racecar has a method of adjusting ride height to optimize the car's suspension characteristics for a given track or conditions. The usual method of adjusting a performance car's ride height is with the car raised and manually turning the spring perch, altering the spring perch in relation to the strut. For a showcar, hydraulic cylinders or pneumatic (air) bags replace the springs and allow quick height adjustment, but in very few cases are appropriate for track or even road use. Tired of the usual raise the car, get dirty, time consuming process of changing the ride height of standard adjustable coil over systems, the EVOLVE engineers designed and implemented a different approach. In the front, creation of a unique strut-to-chassis interface allows quick height adjustment from underhood with the car on the ground using a standard 17mm socket. In the rear, a single adjuster positioned in the center of the rear diffuser changes the position of the strut/spring assembly allowing for quick height adjustment. Rear left-to-right height adjustment can be fine tuned at each strut individually.

Wheels and Tires
Knowing that 'wheels make the car', EVOLVE went extreme. A call to Pirelli to discuss tire options yielded respectable 265/30/19 Pirelli PZero Rosso tires for the front and staggering 355/25/19 Pirelli PZero Rosso's for the rear. This much rear tire is what dictated the extension of the rear body work. No, there is not a wider 19' streetable tire made…

The unique EVOLVE 'F1' multi-piece wheels are sized 19in.x9in. front and 19in.x14in. rear. The wheels feature a true motorsports influenced single center nut locking mechanism for quick wheel/tire changes. The centers are finished in graphite with the outer hoops finished in a contrasting brushed aluminum finished with clear coat paint.

Source - Volvo

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