The V70 R made a great vehicle for someone who wanted a station wagon—but sportier! Production numbers vary depending on the source you’re looking at, but among the later model years, it appears just several thousand Volvo V70 Rs were made.
The Volvo V70
was produced from 1996 to 2016 across three generations, and the Volvo V70 R was an option among the first two generations. The first generation spanned 1996 to 2000. The first-generation Volvo V70 R had unique styling features like blue gauge faces on its instrument cluster and a unique front bumper.
If you were really looking for a performance-oriented V70R, the R is the option you’d go with. Both AWD and FWD were available with either a four-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed automatic transmission, and the first-generation V70 R engines could generally generate 230 to 260 horsepower.
The second generation (2000-2007) took those performance capabilities further with a new turbocharged engine that could generate 290 or more horsepower.
Best of luck as you search for one in the wild! (And remember to protect it with a good car insurance
policy if you do.)