Autoforma Norrsken is the classic Volvo restomod you never knew you needed
Another day, another restomod, this one an early 1970s Volvo with a five-cylinder turbo engine
Remember the Cyan Racing P1800 with 414bhp from 2021? That sleek coupe has nothing to do with this sleekish estate, but it follows a similar restomod feel. Ah yes, the restomod bandwagon. Less of a bandwagon more an Australian road train, the latest to hop on being Dutch outfits Autoforma and Volvo Lotte collaborating to create this most unlikely of Instagram heroes: the Autoforma Volvo Lotte Norrsken to give it its official title.
Autoforma is the restomod arm of Niels van Roij design (the ones behind the Tesla Model S and Rolls-Royce Wraith shooting brakes) and is responsible for the design of the Norrsken and its three derivatives. Volvo Lotte, a Volvo specialist founded in 2015, is handling the engineering.
The three versions of Norrsken are Heritage Heaven for a more traditional look and light-touch restoration, modern marvel for a simplified, Singer Classic-style look and Forward Fashionista, for the more aggressive, performance-focused DLS-esque look and feel. The latter gets more significant mechanical upgrades including a rorty engine swap; more sinner than saint.
Under the bonnet of the Forward Fashionista is a modified Volvo T-5 turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine, which when installed in a Ford Focus RS500 was good for 350bhp.
There’s also a revised transmission, bigger brakes, reworked chassis geometry and new springs and dampers, quicker power-assisted steering and carbonfibre body trim. No numbers are given for the Volvo engine, though it’s claimed there’s a focus ‘on engagement, balance and everyday usability, rather than headline figures’.
It’s wider, lower and is fitted with wider carbonfibre arches and, naturally, has a squat stance. You’ll also find modern LED lighting, have the choice of two forged alloy wheel designs and there’s an optional roof rack. It is a Volvo, after all. Lots of small touches and tweaks add up visually to a cohesive whole. It’s tasteful, the P1800 ES character firmly intact, albeit with a shot of attitude and youthful verve.
That continues inside with lots of new materials and trims, crisp instrumentation and plenty of expensive metalwork. The seats are redesigned front and back for a better feel, support and space while maintaining a classic look. As with all of these restomods, the extent to which you can customise is directly correlated to the depth of your pockets.
How many are set to be made isn’t known or indeed when production is to begin, though it’s claimed there’s capacity for production of just five Norrsken examples per year.
Pricing for the most sporting, five-cylinder version, will start from €300,000 before taxes. So, being real, most will be over £500,000 after options, customisations and duties are covered. Making old cars modern remains an expensive business, regardless of the donor car.
