Apart from the Hoosier drag tires, the Volvo looks otherwise stock, with a few telltale signs that maybe there’s something special beneath the surface. From inside, the only hints at anything other than boredom are a modified instrument cluster and a shifter for the Tremec TR-6060 manual transmission. The sleeper build weighs 3,300 pounds, slightly lighter than the McLaren 570S it’s facing.
The 570S Spider is bone stock, tipping the scales at 3,314 lbs. With a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 behind the seats, the sports car can churn out up to 580 hp at the crank.
With the McLaren being less powerful, it has an advantage over the Volvo with its seven-speed DCT. You can account for human error and challenging launches with the 240 wagon and its stick shift, which was what happened in the first round of the 1,000-foot, standing-start drag race.