Marc Duez continues his discovery of GDM Motors’ Volvo 240 Turbo at the Legend Boucles
The Legend Boucles de Bastogne traditionally opens the Belgian rally season next weekend. One of the standout entries in the impressive field will undoubtedly be crowd favourite and former winner Marc Duez, who, just like at the 6 Hours of Kortrijk, will be at the wheel of the GDM Motors Volvo 240 Turbo.
When GDM Motors approached Marc Duez last year with the idea of jointly developing the rally version of their Volvo 240 Turbo, he did not hesitate for a second. “I immediately thought it was a fun and original idea,” says the Ardennes native. “I had already been involved in the development of GDM Motors’ circuit version earlier on. Building a rally version was therefore an obvious next step, given the success of the Volvo 240 Turbo Group A in the Belgian Rally Championship during the 1980s. It’s a truly interesting project. We competed in the 6 Hours of Kortrijk to get a first impression. Since then, the team has worked hard on the car to perfect the final details. I’m really looking forward to discovering the latest evolutions this weekend.”
Improvements have been made on several fronts.
Improvements have been made on several fronts. “First of all, we slightly adjusted the tyre size and track width, because the rear end was a bit too narrow,” explains Hendrik Béatse, CEO of GDM Motors and also acting as co-driver. “In addition, the gear ratio turned out to be a little too short, meaning the gears didn’t work optimally in technical sections and the top speed was also too low. With an adapted rear axle ratio, this has now been resolved, allowing the generous torque of the Volvo turbo engine to be fully exploited. We also installed a new engine, as the previous one already had quite a few kilometres on it, which was noticeable in Kortrijk. This means we are fully ready for the Bastogne adventure.”
The duo is looking forward to entertaining the spectators with the original Volvo. “I’m genuinely excited to get started,” Duez continues. “Once again, the entry list of 200 cars is incredible. Everyone is driving a Porsche or an Escort, while we’re competing with a big, original Volvo. The car will certainly attract attention and appeal to the crowd. In terms of preparation, the Volvo is truly top-class. The big question mark this weekend will be the weather. We’ll have to wait and see, but if there’s snow, it will of course be a completely different event.”
“Once again, the entry list of 200 cars is incredible. Everyone is driving a Porsche or an Escort, while we’re competing with a big, original Volvo."
Co-driver Béatse is secretly hoping for a white blanket. “Snow should be our territory! (laughs) Everyone still remembers Marc’s legendary runs with the Porsche in the Ardenne Bleue Rally in 2005. I think we couldn’t wish for anything better than to relive that with the Volvo. That said, we don’t want to present ourselves as potential winners. Showing that the car performs well and entertaining both the public and ourselves are our main objectives. Above all, we want to spark interest among enthusiasts, because the Volvo is faster than you might expect at first glance. There is definitely strong potential in this car for historic rallying,” Béatse concludes.