I bought a 1997 850 glt about 1 year ago. It does not have any markings on it that say "turbo". When I took it to a volvo repair shop today they said it was a turbo.

How can I tell if the car is a turbo?

Did volvo really make an 850 GLT that looks like the base model but had the turbo engine?

Dave,


Since I am a bona fide 850 guy I'll give you a little information on your model. 1997 was the only model year in which the GLT (mid-line level) was offered with that light-pressure turbo engine. It produces 190 horsepower and 197 foot-pounds of torque. This is essentially the same engine used in today's S60s and XC70s. The improvement in acceleration is noticeably felt in the mid-range (between 25 and 50) and pickup there is a lot quicker than in a normally aspirated base model.

I highly recommend you take extremely good care of your car, as it is becoming a highly coveted car among Volvo enthusiasts. How many miles do you have on it currently? I wish mine was a turbo but I make do with my base model, which is a '96. It has but a mere 83k miles on it.

Thanks guys. I've had a couple other turbos, including a 740. The turbo lag was so much more noticeable in those cars, I'm just surprised that this is a turbo car.

I'm going to look for some turbo style wheels.

There are three engines. Non turbo (base model), Light Turbo (GLT), and Turbo (Turbo model, T5). So, you have a light pressure turbo.

you sir, have the low pressure turbo but a turbo indeed!