Originally Posted by
Scoff
I agree that it's a strong engine, I know because I've been tuning them for years. I've experimented with the OE fuel and igntion modules no end, fitted and mapped standalone for them and anything else you can imagine, but don't get too hung up on the Porsche thing. The performance of the engine is shocking really. The camshaft is horribly restrictive, the cylinder head not much better, and the ignition map is not a lot to shout about.
The engine starts to come alive when you fit the ES N/A camshaft, but still, more than 230hp is very hard to do. Not great news when you think that the lowly C1J can match it quite easilly with an off the shelf camshaft. The real bonus of the Volvo engine is, as you say, its build quality. It is leagues ahead of the C1J, as are most Renault F engines.