I'm looking at a 95-97 850 turbo and I want to know what is really different between a t-5 and a t-5R is the turbo bigger or is the cpu set to a higher press can I get a lsd in the non r t-5 is there a bigger i/c in the R??
I know the R comes w/ 17 in rims and the non R has 16’s leather is an option in the non R and standard in the R but I really want to know what are the internal engine differences and is there a “best” year to buy like the 91 was in the 740’s
Any help thanks

Try this---
Direct from Volvo:

Thank you for contacting Volvo. Information regarding the 850 R series
is available online by registering for the "Owner's Circle" section of
our website and clicking on "Driving" and then "Older Model Info".
Volvo produced approximately 5000 R's between 1995 and 1997.

Drive Safely,
John Willets
Volvo Cars of North America

Specs: 95, 96, 97

1995 850 T-5R Sedan


See the 1995 850 Maintenance Schedule
Volvo's Owners Manual Library

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FEATURES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Safety
Driver and front passenger supplemental (air bag and knee bolster)
Side Impact Protection System Air Bags
Five 3-point, inertia-reel belts. Front seat belts have automatic height adjustment and pretensioners
Five padded head restraints (center-rear is adjustable)
Anti-lock Brake system (ABS)
Side Impact Protection System
Daytime Running Lights
Remote keyless entry
Central power door locking system which can be operated from three positions, includes trunk and fuel filler lid locks
Security System
Traction control System (TRACS)

Interior
Dual Zone Electronic Climate Control with separate controls for driver and front passenger
AM/FM stereo cassette, Dolby, anti-theft circuitry,4 Channel 160 watt amplifier, CD changer capability, 8 speakers
8-way power adjustable driver's and passengers seat with 3-position memory and adjustable lumbar support
Graphite leather seating surfaces with distinct inserts
Tilt/telescopic Leather steering wheel
Black Burled Walnut trimmed instrument panel and floor console
Power glass sunroof with slide and tilt positions and sliding sun shade
Cruise control
Front and rear floor mats
Front door-panel storage pockets. Front seat back storage pockets
Long-load pass through to trunk
Tool kit
Interior cabin light delay
Two entry lights (in front door foot wells)
Four, front and rear reading lamps
Illuminated, lockable glove box
Illuminated vanity mirrors in driver's and front passenger's sun visors
Luggage compartment light
Split 60/40 folding rear seat; front passenger seat backrest folds forward
Integrated child booster cushion in rear center armrest *For children age 3 and over, weighing between 50-80 lbs (23-36kg) and between 46 and 54 in. (117 and 137 cm.) in height.
Four cargo tie-down rings
Power windows with auto down for driver's window
Trip computer
Heated front seats
Outside ambient temperature gauge with freezing warning

Exterior
Dual power mirrors with heating elements
Tinted windows
Two-speed windshield wipers with intermittent cycle
Rear-window defroster with automatic timer
Open door traffic warning lights on doors
Special Lower front Bumper and spoiler with integrated fog lights
Rear fog light
7" x 17" 5-Spoke Titanium Grey Alloy Wheels. 205/45/17 ZR Rated Pirelli P-Zero Tires; 6.5" x 16" 5-Spoke Metallic Grey Alloy. 205/50/16 ZR Rated Tires. No Charge (OPTION);
Rear-spoiler
stainless steel door sill plates
Wiper washer system for headlights

Engine
Transversely mounted, 2.3 liter, 5-cylinder double overhead cam, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminum engine block, forged vanadium steel crankshaft and connecting rods, cast-in iron cylinder liners, interior piston cooling nozzles, sodium filled exhaust valves, water cooled turbo housing, microprocessor-controlled multi-point, direct port fuel injection system with Lambda Sond. Electronic ignition system with knock sensor. Exhaust driven turbocharger with intercooler
Horsepower (SAE net): 240 @ 5200 rpm
Torque (ft/lbs., SAE net): 221 @ 2100 rpm
Compression Ratio: 8.5:1

Transmission
4-speed microprocessor-controlled automatic with lock-up torque converter and selectable shift modes (Economy/Sport/Winter) Final drive ratio: 2.54

Suspension
MacPherson strut with asymmetrically mounted coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, 21 mm stabilizer bar.
Delta-Link semi-independent rear suspension with coil springs, extra firm gas-filled shock absorbers, 20 mm stabilizer bar.

Tires
7" x 17" Titanium Grey 5-Spoke Alloy Wheels. 205/45/17 ZR Rated Pirelli P-Zero Tires; 6.5" x 16" 5-Spoke Metallic Grey Alloy. 205/50/16 ZR Rated Tires. No Charge (OPTION);

Steering
Power-assisted rack and pinion, 34.5 ft. turning circle, 3.2 turns, lock to lock

Brakes
Four-wheel, power-assisted disc brakes.
Front: 11-inch diameter, ventilated discs with sliding calipers.
Rear: 11.5-inch diameter solid discs; Proportioning valve on rear brakes. Three-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS); Separate self-adjusting mechanical drum parking brakes

Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase 104.9 in. 266.5 cm.
Overall Length 183.5 in. 466.0 cm.
Overall Width 69.3 in. 176.0 cm.
Overall Height 55.7 in. 141.5 cm.
Front Track 59.8 in. 152.0 cm.
Rear Track 57.9 in. 147.0 cm.
Trunk Capacity 14.7 cu ft. .42 m3
Curb Weight 3148-3208 lbs. 1431-1458 kg.
Interior Total Volume 111.5 cu ft. 3.16 m3

Color & Upholstery
Colors Black, Yellow
Upholstery Black

Options
Sport Suspension Package 21 mm front stabilizer bar, 20 mm rear stabilizer bars, extra firm shock absorbers (OPTION)


1996 850 R Sedan


See the 1996 850 Maintenance Schedule
Volvo's Owners Manual Library

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FEATURES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Safety
Driver and front passenger supplemental (air bag and knee bolster)
Side Impact Air Bags
Five 3-point, inertia-reel belts. Front seat belts have automatic height adjustment and pretensioners
Five padded head restraints (center-rear is adjustable)
Anti-lock Brake system (ABS)
Side Impact Protection System
Daytime Running Lights
Remote keyless entry with alarm
Central power door locking system includes trunk and fuel filler lid locks
Traction control System (TRACS)

Interior
Dual Zone Electronic Climate Control
SC-815 Premium Sound System with in dash CD, cassette, eight speakers, 200 watts amplifier, anti-theft coding, pre-wired for Volvo Compact Disc Changer
8-way power adjustable driver's seat with 3-position memory; 8-way power adjustable passenger seat with 3-position memory.
Split leather and Alcantara suede upholstery
Tilt/telescoping Leather steering wheel with color accents
Scandinavian Light Birch or Black Burled Walnut wood trim on instrument panel and floor console
Power glass sunroof with slide and tilt positions and sliding sun shade
Cruise control
Front and rear floor mats
Front door-panel storage pockets. Front seat back storage pockets
Long-load pass through to trunk
Tool kit
Interior cabin light delay
Two entry lights (in front door foot wells)
Four, front and rear reading lamps
Illuminated, lockable glove box
Illuminated vanity mirrors in driver's and front passenger's sun visors
Luggage compartment light
Split 60/40 folding rear seat; front passenger seat backrest folds forward
Four cargo tie-down rings
Power windows with auto down for driver's window
Trip computer
Heated front seats
Outside temperature gauge

Exterior
Dual power mirrors
Tinted windows
Two-speed windshield wipers with intermittent cycle
Rear-window defroster with automatic timer
Open door traffic warning lights on doors
Special Lower front Bumper and spoiler with integrated foglights
Rear fog light
7" x 17" Titanium Grey Seven-Spoke Alloy. 205/45/17 ZR Rated Pirelli P-Zero Tires; 6.5" x 16" Five-Spoke Alloy. 205/50/16 ZR Michelin MXM. No Charge (OPTION);
Rear-spoiler
Stainless steel door sill plates
Headlamp washer/wiper

Engine
Transversely mounted, 2.3 liter, 5-cylinder double overhead cam, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminum engine block, forged vanadium steel crankshaft and connecting rods, cast-in iron cylinder liners,microprocessor-controlled multi-point, direct port fuel injection system with Lambda Sond. Electronic ignition system with knock sensor.
Horsepower (SAE net): 240 @ 5200 rpm
Torque (ft/lbs., SAE net): 221 @ 2100 rpm
Compression Ratio: 8.5:1

Transmission
4-speed microprocessor-controlled automatic with lock-up torque converter and selectable shift modes (Economy/Sport/Winter) Final drive ratio: 2.54

Suspension
MacPherson strut with asymmetrically mounted coil springs, forged aluminum lower link arms, hydraulic shock absorbers, 21 mm stabilizer bar.
Delta-Link semi-independent rear suspension with coil springs, gas-filled shock absorbers, 20 mm stabilizer bar

Tires
7" x 17" Titanium Grey Seven-Spoke Alloy. 205/45/17 ZR Rated Pirelli P-Zero Tires; 6.5" x 16" Five-Spoke Alloy. 205/50/16 ZR Michelin MXM. No Charge (OPTION);

Steering
Power-assisted rack and pinion, 34.5 ft. turning circle, 3.2 turns, lock to lock

Brakes
Four-wheel, power-assisted disc brakes.
Front: 11-inch diameter, ventilated discs with sliding calipers.
Rear: 11.5-inch diameter solid discs; Proportioning valve on rear brakes. Three-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS); Separate self-adjusting mechanical rear-wheel drum parking brakes

Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase 104.9 in. 266.5 cm.
Overall Length 183.5 in. 466.0 cm.
Overall Width 69.3 in. 176.0 cm.
Overall Height 55.7 in. 141.5 cm.
Front Track 59.8 in. 152.0 cm.
Rear Track 57.9 in. 147.0 cm.
Trunk Capacity 14.7 cu ft. 1.6 m3
Curb Weight 3148-3208 lbs. 1431-1458 kg.
Interior Total Volume 111.5 cu ft. 12.4 m3

Color & Upholstery
Colors Black, Red, White
Upholstery Alcantara Beige or Grey


1997 850 R


See the 1997 850 Maintenance Schedule
Volvo's Owners Manual Library

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FEATURES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Safety
Driver and front passenger supplemental restraint system (air bag and knee bolster)
Side Impact Protection System Air Bags
Five 3-point, inertia-reel belts. Front seat belts have automatic height adjustment and pretensioners
Five padded head restraints (center-rear is adjustable)
Anti-lock Brake system (ABS)
Side Impact Protection System
Daytime Running Lights
Remote keyless entry with alarm
Central power door locking system which can be operated from three positions, includes trunk and fuel filler lid locks
Prewiring for security system & front fog lights
Traction Control (TRACS)

Interior
Dual Zone Electronic Climate Control
SC-815 Stereo cassette with in-dash CD, eight speakers, 200 watts
8-way power adjustable driver's seat with 3-position memory; 8-way power adjustable passenger seat with 3-position memory;
Adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support
Split leather and Alcantara (Suede upholstery); Leather-faced upholstery (OPTION)
Leather-wrapped steering wheel with color accents
Scandinavian light birch or burled black walnut wood trim on instrument panel and floor console
Power glass sunroof with slide and tilt positions and sliding sun shade
Cruise control
Front and rear floor mats
Front door-panel storage pockets. Front seat back storage pockets.
Long-load pass through to trunk
Tool kit
Interior cabin light delay
Two entry lights (in front door foot wells)
Four front and rear reading lamps
Illuminated, lockable glove box
Illuminated vanity mirrors in driver's and front passenger's sun visors
Luggage compartment light
Split 60/40 folding rear seat; front passenger seat backrest folds forward
Four cargo tie-down rings
Power windows with auto down for driver's window
Center console with cupholders.
Trip Computer

Exterior
Dual power mirrors
Tinted windows
Two-speed windshield wipers with intermittent cycle
Rear-window defroster with automatic timer
Open door traffic warning lights on doors
Prewiring for security system & front fogs
Rear fog light
17" seven spoke Alloy Wheels with high performance tires
Special lower front bumper and spoiler with integrated fog lights

Engine
Transversely mounted, 2.3 liter, 5-cylinder , exhaust driven turbocharger with intercooler, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminum engine block, forged vanadium steel crankshaft and connecting rods, cast-in iron cylinder liners, microprocessor-controlled multi-point, direct port fuel injection system with Lambda Sond. Electronic ignition system with knock sensor.
Horsepower (SAE net): 240 @ 5600 rpm
Torque (ft./lbs., SAE net): 221 @ 2100 rpm
Compression Ratio: 8.5:1

Transmission
4-speed microprocessor-controlled automatic with lock-up torque converter and selectable shift modes (Economy/Sport/Winter) Final drive ratio: 2.54

Suspension
MacPherson strut with asymmetrically mounted coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, 20 mm stabilizer bar.
Delta-Link semi-independent rear suspension with coil springs, gas-filled shock absorbers,19.5 mm stabilizer bar

Tires
7x17 Seven-spoke Alloy; 205/50/16 ZR Rated tires

Steering
Power-assisted rack and pinion, 34.5 ft. turning circle, 3.2 turns, lock to lock

Brakes
Four-wheel, power-assisted disc brakes.
Front: 11-inch diameter, ventilated discs with sliding calipers.
Rear: 11 1/2-inch diameter solid discs; Three-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS); Separate self-adjusting mechanical rear-wheel drum parking brakes

Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase 104.9 in. 266.5 cm.
Overall Length 183.5 in. 466.0 cm.
Overall Width 69.3 in. 176.0 cm.
Overall Height 55.7 in. 141.5 cm.
Front Track 59.8 in. 152.0 cm.
Rear Track 57.9 in. 147.0 cm.
Trunk Capacity 14.7 cu ft. .41 m3
Curb Weight 3148-3208 lbs. 1431-1458 kg.
Interior Total Volume 111.5 cu ft. 3.1 m3

Color & Upholstery
Colors Black, White, Bright Red
Upholstery Leather: Ivory, Graphite, Light Grey
Split Leather and Alcantara Suede: Beige, Grey
Plush: Beige, Grey, Graphite
Velour: Beige, Graphite, Light Grey

Options
Cold Weather Package Heated front seats, Wiper washer system for headlights, Outside ambient temperature gauge with freeze warning

The 850R has the 17" wheels with lower profile tires, fancier front bumper, hotter ECU (which holds boost a little longer), beefer suspension and special leather interior. Despite the slight extra turbo boost I've heard that acceleration times between the 850 Turbo and 850 R are near identical. Actually the 850 Turbo may even be a hair quicker due to smaller wheels (16" as opposed to 17"). I believe the horsepower difference between the two is 18hp which is negligable.

Still if you get a chance to get the 850R, go for it! It looks fanastic and also may hold more value due to the fact that it's a limited edition vehicle. Good luck!
--
'95 Volvo 854 Turbo: Gold Edition
K&N Air Filter, Leather, 6 disc CD-changer, Rear Spoiler
tinted windows

The Rs had a bigger turbo and ran more boost. Max boost was limited
to something like 10 or 30 seconds then it backs off to the same
setting as the non-R turbo (not that in 10 seconds you would be
pushing 80MPH from a stop). All tubros limit boost in
first gear if you have an automatic transmission. Actually,
the word limit should probably be "manage" since the ECU in
modern cars allow the designers to exploit the full power and
still keep the tranny parts intact.

Volvo has never supplied a LSD on any cars in U.S. market.

In Europe, the Rs (at least the 70 series Rs) had a viscous
coupled transmission setup (manual tranny, I assume) to improve
traction. The 70 series R models never made it to the U.S.

I think there is an after-market source for LSD but it would be way
expensive. I'd imagine LSD would also add to the torque steer.

>(not that in 10 seconds you would be pushing 80MPH from a stop)

that should be:

(note that in 10 seconds you would be pushing 80MPH from a stop)

cause you will :)

I'm a 780 and C70 guy myself, but from what I've gathered, volvo made an R model of the 850 sedan and wagon from '95 to '97 here in the states. It was called the T5R in '95, and the 850R in '96 & '97. Biggest visible difference being the 5 spoke titans (gorgeous!) on the T5R which were changed for the 7 spoke volans on the 850R. I'm sure there are more differences, but that's all I know off the top of my head. I'm sure more folks can elaborate on the year-by-year differences, but I would speculate that the '97 is the one you want. When I was considering an R model, I was eyeing '97s only.
-Jon
--
CPT Jonathan T. Belmont-- '99 C70R 46K 'Valdemar'

Ok beside the computer and the rims and other aesthetics is there any engine differences like thicker cylinder walls or thicker rods and which turbo did the t-5 and t-5r sport are they Mitsubishi or Garret or some mixture of the two also is the auto trany weak? or can I just throw a mbc (manual boost controller) on and run 15 psi all the time without worrying about damage?

There are no internal engine diffs on the turbo vs. R model that
I am aware of. (But the turbo engines are different then the
normally aspirated.)

You can't easily add boost with mechanical devices. Some guys have using
a dawes (sp?) device so you could search the archives for that. Most
use the TME ECU chip set sold in North America by IPD (tme.com, ipdusa.com).
There are other chip tuners. In general, modifing the ECU is probably
the safest way to go (my opinion).

See this post on turbos: http://www.brickboard.com/AWD/?id=140010

I believe the 850R used the TD04HL-16T turbo mentioned in the above
post.

You can also search (below, to the right) on "TD04HL-16T" or other
turbo models to find other posts discussing them (a search just
on "turbo" yielded way to much).