A Used Volvo S80 V8 Is An Understated Quick Saloon With The Potential For Brutal Exhaust Noise

After hearing what a V8 Volvo S80 sounds like with some louder mufflers, we got thinking: would one of these subtle Swedes make a good used buy? It’s certainly an intriguing proposition. Performance is decent with the 4.4-litre powerplant offering 315bhp, allowing the saloon to reach 62mph from a standstill in 6.5 seconds, while build quality and reliability are both excellent.

It won’t be terribly exciting to drive, with the four-wheel drive chassis set up more for safety rather than fun, but with a lovely leather-lined interior and great refinement, this is a classy way to get around at a reasonable pace.

And it’ll cost you less to buy than a similar aged Audi S4, while having a slightly friendlier image. Most importantly, as we’ve seen, all it takes is a muffler swap to make one sound incredible.

Tempted? Don’t expect to find huge amounts of them in the classifieds - if you’re looking in the UK, at least. This example is one of the few V8 S80s for sale on these shores, but it seems promising. It’s done 69,000 miles and is up for £7,800.