Volvocrazed--so you're in doubt about whether it is an R wagon or not? I bought a 97 white R wagon in May with 49.8K miles on it. If you have the slightest doubt, walk around to the back of the wagon and look where it says 850. If there is an R after the 850, then it is an R model. If it peeled off or the owner removed it, then look at the interior. If it has suede seats front and back, it is definitely an R. No other model had them. You can NOT tell it is an R by looking in the engine compartment. It is identical to the T models, i.e. high pressure turbos.

I own two 97 wagons, one the white R, the other a dark teal GLT. Both have about 60K miles on them. Since manufacture (eight years) both have had the ABS module fail on them. Both have had the gas cap door fail to unlock. Both have had the evaporator (A/C) go south. I think truly both these cars are joined at the hip, though one is here in Oregon and the other is in southern Norway where my wife lives, and which I had shipped over to her in March 2001.

If you want something to get your wife to work in a speedy fashion, phone up IPD (check Google) and spend $795 for the flash patch in your engine control module that will spring the horsepower from 240 to 275. R wagons though are basically a pain in the _ss in my opinion, and we will not go into detail why I happen to own one. Because the airdam on the front bumper is so low, and if God loves you (and, more importantly, your wife), He will give you the intuitive foresight to avoid those six-inch parking curbs by hitting the brakes at the last instant. If He does not love you, the first day or so you or she or the friend you loaned it to will hear this nasty munching sound as you crumple the underside of the fiberglass air dam, neccesitating having to buy another one from Volvo. Forget the wrecking yards. Wrecked R models never make it there. Only God, luck, and good fortune will help you avoid this one. Non R's, this is not a problem, as the bumper will clear those six-inch concrete blocks. But not an R. And neither those steep little valleys from the parking lot to the street, as you pull on to it. Expect to hear a grating noise as the air dam caresses the pavement the day after you reinstalled it with a new paint job, and you will not be disappointed. You will learn over time and several bumper paint jobs, to pull onto the streets from a parking lot at a sharp angle, rather than 90 degrees.

As to the rims--the R wagon has a seven-spoke, 17-inch titanium rim. If yours has the 5-spoke sixteen-inch rim, it's because the previous owner sold the titanium rims to someone on ebay to pay for the new airdam he munched against a concrete parking curb.

Other than the above, it's a hellava beautiful car to drive. I won't go into more detail. Dick

The VIN would indicate which engine the car was built with. I do not know the code, but someone must, or you should be able to find it. Check the emissions stickers also.

Last weekend I went to a small brick get-together and one of the 3 Rs that were there had the rims that you mention. The manual for my R model mentions 16" wheels, turbo rims would seem like a possibility, as does bent original rims.

The 17" rims/tires are HARSH. I tell people that it bumps when I drive over the shadow of a telephone pole, the snow tires ride much better. Your wife might not like 17s anyway.

I have a red '96 855R and it does not have a rear spoiler.

I seem to remember that Rs were sold in white and green, and there was no limit to their numbers in '96.

You WILL like the way it goes, especially with the traction control off. The car is quite good in winter with traction control and snow tires, you can spin the wheels with snows on dry pavement if both wheels are spinning at the same speed.
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'96 855R, '64 PV544, 95 855, 854 - 385,000 miles put on 8 bricks.