We’ve run plenty of stories on our site of interesting project- and racecars. This Volvo-powered Mercedes built by Mattias Kandevik has to be one of the most unique. Kandevik was working as a Mercedes-Benz technician when he started this project in 2011. Despite his leanings towards the Tri-Star the young Swede decided to ditch the standard engine for one from his homeland.

Check out this bike-engined Honda N600 or this V12-powered Ferrari 308, even crazier is this twin-turbocharged V12 Toyota Quantum.

Volvo power

The W203 C-Class gave up its original engine for something a bit stronger, a turbochargedd 2,3-litre Volvo four-cylinder motor. The new motor has been repositioned almost half a metre rearward for better weight distribution. The Volvo motor features forged pistons, forged rods and a modified crankshaft to deal with the levels of boost the engine builder wanted to run.

Custom 280-degree camshafts were fitted with adjustable timing gears. A custom aluminium intake manifold is mated with a three-inch throttle body borrowed from a Volvo 960. Boost is generated by a large Garrett GT4094R turbocharger. The fires are lit and controlled by a MoTeC M600 ECU. All told the motor produces 390 kW of power and 650 N.m of peak torque.

Upgraded driveline

To transfer that grunt to the ground a ZF five-speed manual gearbox from a BMW E36 M3 has been installed. A limited-slip diff has been borrowed from an E28 535i. The suspension includes a fully adjustable five-link arrangment in the rear. Coilovers front and rear, adjustable sway bars and uniballs/spherical rod-end bearings give Mattias plenty of adjustment options.

Braking duties start with Alcon six-pot calipers acting on 355 mm vented rotors up front with Brembo four-pots on 295 mm rotors in the rear. 17-inch RAYS alloys are shod with Yokohama slicks. The total mass of the car is 1 200kg with a 50:50 front-to-rear split.

Keep up with the latest on the Volvo-Powered Mercedes C-Class on the Kandevik Motorsport Facebook page.