"I'm just honestly looking forward to getting out there and giving it a red-hot crack."
The 650hp machine got its first workout at Phillip Island last week, but won't make its public on-track debut until Saturday - the official test day at Sydney Motorsport Park.
McLaughlin admits the team, formerly Garry Rogers Motorsport, is somewhat anxious about Saturday, given the car's limited run time.
"We're almost a little bit nervous because you just don't know where you're at," he said.
"But once we start the engine and get out there, I think we'll know exactly where we are after the first couple of corners.
"I'm just looking forward to doing that because I'm sick of talking about it."
Volvo's arrival brings to five the number of manufacturers in the V8 Supercars field, following last year's debut of Nissan and Mercedes-Benz alongside incumbents Holden and Ford.
Between the newcomers' seven entries in 2013, only one - Rick Kelly's Nissan Altima - managed to crack the top 15.
But 20-year-old McLaughlin reckons Volvo can better that.
"Obviously they didn't go very good so it's kind of not going to be hard to top them off," the reigning rookie of the year said.
"There might be a few teething problems at the start of the year, but overall I think we've got a pretty fast package to start the year with and we can only improve from now on."
Defending champion Jamie Whincup and teammate Craig Lowndes will be kicking the covers off their Red Bull Holdens on Thursday night, just hours before rivals Ford Performance Racing unveil theirs.
-AAP
