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In Europe, they have much tougher inspection standards, as well as driving license standards. Both the cars and the drivers are more likely to be in the shape required to drive for 3 hours at 100 mph. They had 2/7/9 series in Europe. They had even more engine choices, depending on the country. They even had a 2 liter 16V Turbo in Italy. They retained the Turbo Diesel (we had it only for a couple of years). They even intercooled it. They retained the B230FT right up to 1998, while the US lost it in 1995. They had an improved manual transmission, the M90, that never made it to the US. Some final drives may have been the same, some may have been different. Ours varied a lot here, as well. Our final drives ratios ranged from a 3.31 to a 3.54 to a 3.73 to a 3.91 to a 4.10 in the 2/7/9 series. I am pretty sure that the European ranges were the same, but don't know if, say a 1995 940T auto would be the same here as the same car there. It is not uncommon that the Europeans give a higher numerical final drive for the US model so the car will have better stoplight acceleration, but fit the Euro model with a lower one for better economy. Economy final drives were fitted in the US briefly when it appeared that the US government might require higher fuel efficiency and that oil prices might go permanently higher, but fuel economy no longer seems to be very important here so final drives that provide good acceleration are back.
In the 250,000 miles of driving that I have done in the US in Volvo Turbos, I have yet to have the opportunity to go 100 mph for 3 hours.
Philip Bradley
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