Spirited Driving Tips

Button Up Before Putting Your Foot Down

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of Volvo enthusiast “meet n drive” drives.

Action	Result
Check fluids	This shouldn’t need explaining. Do a quick preflight. Check oil, coolant, brake and steering reservoir. Transmission fluid check wouldn’t hurt if you haven’t done this in a while.
Keep your Volvo reasonably fit	Your Volvo’s fit level should match or exceed the type of driving you plan to do. Slow town cruising? You won’t need much. Spirited driving at a Volvo meet? You’re going to want to get close to a Stage 0. Track or rallye driving will require at least a Stage 0 level.
Clear everyday items out of the car before you leave	The speed (and fun) of a drive with fellow Volvo enthusiasts will surprise you. The number of loose items in a car used for everyday driving will also surpise you, probably on the first corner you take. This is not the time to secure your cabin. Do it at home before you leave.
Put tools etc. on the backseat floor	I like to bring a few tools on long distance drives and meet n drives. Unless you have a good place for extra tools like a cubbyhole or cargo net in your trunk/hatch, tools will likewise fly around during spirited driving. I put my ~40 pounds of tools in plastic storage shoeboxes, then I put those boxes on the floor in the backseat. It keeps the center of gravity lower, keeps them from distracting you around corners, and keeps them down if there were to be a crash.
Drive with heat on high, full fan	This is an old trick we used to use on cars prone to overheating. By turning on your heat, it pulls that heat from the engine area and helps keep the engine cooler. A cooler engine makes more power.