The Cheapest Twin-Turbo Car You Can Buy Used
Two words can stop a car conversation cold: “twin-turbo.” Drop them casually at the right moment and you’ve essentially played a Royal Flush — the table belongs to you. Sure, a handful of ultra-exclusive machines like the Bugatti Veyron go further with four turbochargers, but a sequential pair bolted to your engine is the time-honored entry ticket to serious performance. Ever since Maserati pioneered the twin-turbocharged car in the early ’80s, forced induction in pairs has been the go-to formula for manufacturers chasing big power without crippling lag.
Here’s the part that surprises most people: joining the twin-turbo club doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, the cheapest twin-turbocharged car on the used market is a super saloon — and quite possibly the most convincing sleeper you’ve never thought about. Strap in, listen for the turbos to spool, and drive responsibly. This is sensible speed, twin-turbo style.
The Volvo S80 T6 Is The Cheapest Twin-Turbocharged Used Car
1999 Volvo S80 T6 Specs
|
Engine |
 18 autotech Twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter inline-six |
|
Power |
268 hp |
|
Torque |
280 lb-ft |
|
0-60 mph |
6.8 seconds |
|
Top Speed |
150 mph |
Source: Volvo
Not only is the Volvo S80 T6 the cheapest twin-turbocharged car out there, it’s also one that most people would have forgotten about — if they ever knew about it in the first place. You probably wouldn’t look twice if one of these understated Volvos was parked outside your house right now. That anonymity is precisely what makes it one of the great sleeper cars of its era.
The S80 Was The Car To Take Volvo Into Mercedes Territory
The S80 was very much the product of Volvo’s late-’90s push to sharpen its image. The company had already called in Porsche to help engineer an outrageously quick and impossibly cool wagon, and now it had its sights set on buyers who might otherwise choose a BMW or Mercedes rather than a Labrador and a set of roof bars. The boxy, cardboard-aerodynamic styling was out; sculpted, chunky lines with rounded edges were in.
The S80 T6 Was Groundbreaking — Because There Was No Wagon Option
The S80 was Volvo’s flagship: a full-size luxury sedan that combined safety, performance, and a base price of more than $40,000 at launch. It made its debut in May 1998 riding a brand-new platform Volvo internally called P2. Perhaps the most surprising thing about this sedan was, well, that it was only a sedan.
Until that point, most Volvo models had offered both sedan and practical estate body styles, but the S80 was sedan-only. It still carried the usual Volvo safety innovations, including an Inflatable Curtain for side-impact protection and front seats engineered to reduce whiplash injuries.
The S80 T6 Came With A Feisty Twin-Turbocharged Six-Cylinder Engine
The S80 launched with a six-cylinder inline petrol and a five-cylinder diesel, but the crown jewel of this Swedish luxury lineup was the T6. It uses a 2.8-liter inline-six (later enlarged to 2.9 liters) fed by a pair of Garrett turbochargers. Power is rated at 272 horsepower, sent to the front wheels through either a manual or automatic transmission. Top speed is a genuine 150 mph, making the S80 a quick, left-field luxury cruiser. One of Volvo’s own brochures at the time cheekily asked, “Is this really a Volvo?” The answer is yes — and today you can pick one up for remarkably little money.
Here’s How Much A Twin-Turbocharged Volvo S80 Will Cost
Aside from special models such as the T-5R and the cool V70 R, used Volvos from the ’90s and 2000s are not exactly the most sought-after cars on the planet. One of the biggest issues with the S80 T6 is that, even though its swoopy lines were a genuine step forward for Volvo’s conservative styling department, the T6 didn’t offer much visual differentiation from a diesel model.
You can’t help thinking Volvo could have spiced things up with a subtle spoiler or some badging — anything, really. So unless you’re specifically hunting a luxury performance sedan that most onlookers would mistake for a well-used Stockholm taxi, this one probably isn’t on your radar.
The Prices Of Used S80 T6s Are Incredibly Low
That obscurity keeps prices impressively low. Used examples of the 1999 Volvo S80 T6 can be found for well under $3,000 through mainstream valuation guides, making it one of the most affordable twin-turbocharged cars on the market. If you step up to a later 2002 model, you won’t pay much more. In 2002, the S80 T6 carried a base price of $46,819 and came with the 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged 24-valve inline-six producing 268 horsepower, capable of reaching 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. Low-mileage or cleaner examples will naturally command a premium over book value, so shop carefully. We found this 1999 Volvo S80 T6 in Las Vegas for $5,995.
Here’s What Makes The S80 T6 A Good Used Buy
Beyond its surprising pace, the S80 T6 delivers a lot of car for very little money. This near-$50,000 luxury sedan at launch also featured a tuned suspension for nimble handling relative to its size, and the inline-six was engineered for efficiency compared to the V8s in rival performance cars — returning a city driving rating of 19 mpg. Volvo’s proprietary engine emission control technology eliminated 95 to 98 percent of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gases.
The Volvo S80 Is Packed Full Of Features
This being a Volvo, it performed extremely well in both European and American crash tests. The S80 T6 includes an array of safety features: side-impact protection systems, side airbags for front passengers, head air-curtains for front and rear passengers, pre-tensioner seat belts, whiplash-reducing headrests, and ISOFIX child seat attachment points. There is also a list of comfort and convenience features that would have impressed any boardroom at the time, including cruise control, a multi-disc CD player, dual electronic climate control, and a premium audio system.
Other Cheap Twin-Turbocharged Options
If the S80 land yacht doesn’t float your boat, there are a few other bargain twin-turbo options worth considering. The 2007 BMW 3 Series 335i Sedan packs a strong 300 horsepower and can be found for very little money on the used market. If you’re after a twin-turbocharged sports car wearing an American badge, look no further than the overlooked Dodge Stealth, which can hit 60 mph in a brisk 5.2 seconds. A mid-’90s example remains one of the more affordable twin-turbo sports cars you can find.
Sources: KBB.com; Volvocars.
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