I've just completed a test drive of the 2008 Volvo C30 T5 for "About.com". The C30 won't be in US showrooms until October but Volvo Canada has it now so I was able to get the jump on my US colleagues, a rare happening as the Los Angeles media pool is a big one. In my review I made much of the new car's similarity to the Volvo 1800ES sportswagon of the 1970's which I also tested when it was new (age has its advantages). I'm showing the 1800ES here not just because it's a classic but because, in my opinion, it's considerably more attractive than the C30. And vastly superior in visibility to the rear. Obviously the new car, which comes with a 5-cylinder, twin-cam, turbocharged engine, delivering 217 hp through a close-ratio 6-speed manual to the front wheels, is way ahead technologically. Performance, handling and steering turn-in are equal to, or better than, anything in its class. The concept, that of a 2-door wagon variation on a sports coupe theme, remains the same as the 1800ES. But if I had a choice, and the funds, I'd take the original. You can read the full review and see a "photo gallery" of the 2008 Volvo C30 "here".