Polestar, the pure play electric performance car brand, has revealed a new concept car that redefines sports roadsters for the electric age. Named Polestar O2, the hard-top convertible is Polestar's vision of open-top performance and a thrilling driving experience - with all the benefits of electric mobility.

"Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand," comments Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. "It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential. This is a taste of what we can design and engineer with the talent and technology we have in-house. It looks incredible, and being able to lower the roof and not hear an engine promises a superb sensation."

Dynamics

Maximilian Missoni, Polestar's Head of Design, says: "Polestar O2 is our vision of a new era for sports cars. By mixing the joy of open top driving with the purity of electric mobility, it unlocks a new mix of emotions in a car. But as with all our cars, we are about more than just straight line sprints. It's when you turn the steering wheel that the true fun begins."

The driving experience in the Polestar O2 is designed to be lively, light and full of confidence. Predictability and playfulness are core to exciting, spirited driving. Tight body control, high rigidity and intuitive dynamics are inherent benefits of the bespoke bonded aluminium platform which is adapted from the Polestar 5, developed in-house by Polestar's R&D team in the UK.

The high quality and rigidity of the bonded aluminium platform are geared towards heightened dynamic response. Handling dynamics are taut thanks also to small roll angles and high roll damping, and the agile, direct steering feel is linear, with great steering torque build-up.

Design

Clearly related to the Polestar Precept concept car but with its own distinct character, the look of Polestar O2 shows how Polestar's evolving design language can be adapted to different body styles with a strong family resemblance. The low and wide body with an assertive stance, compact 2+2 cabin design, minimal overhangs and a long wheelbase, embody classic sports car proportions but with a clearly modern, electric feel.

"This car is a meeting point between technology and art, between precision and sculpture, with a determined but not aggressive stance," continues Maximilian Missoni.

Aerodynamics are manipulated to maximise range thanks to disguised design features like integrated ducts that improve laminar air flow over the wheels and body sides, and the rear lights that function as air blades to reduce turbulence behind the car.

Sustainability and technology

Polestar O2 also showcases advances in sustainability and technology. A new thermoplastic mono-material features extensively in the interior. The term "mono-material" describes the use of a single base material to manufacture different components.

In Polestar O2, recycled polyester is the sole material used for all the soft components of the interior: foam, adhesive, 3D knit fibres and non-woven lamination. This simplifies recycling and is a significant step towards greater circularity, while also reducing weight and waste.

Polestar sustainability teams believe that materials should be recycled, not downcycled. In Polestar O2, they have integrated a new method of controlling recycled content and improving circularity of metal components. Different grades of aluminium are used throughout the chassis to help deliver a thrilling driving experience.

These different grades are labelled, allowing them to be recycled more effectively and for their properties to be retained. High grade aluminium remains high grade, while other grades maintain their varied characteristics, allowing for greater material efficiency and a lower requirement for virgin aluminium.

Innovation

In a world increasingly driven by social media, the Polestar O2 features an autonomous cinematic drone integrated behind the rear seats. Developed in collaboration with Aerofugia's consumer electronics brand Hoco Flow, the concept drone can be deployed while the car is moving, to record the perfect driving sequence.

Polestar engineers have developed a specialised aerofoil that raises behind the rear seats to create a calm area of negative pressure that allows the drone to take off when the car is on the move. The drone operates autonomously, automatically following the car at speeds up to 90 km/h, and the driver can choose between an atmospheric sequence - great for a coastline cruise - or a more action-filled sequence with a sportier expression. After filming, the drone can autonomously return to the car. Video clips can be edited and shared directly from the 15-inch centre display when the car is parked.

"We wanted to emphasise the experience you can have with a car like the Polestar O2 in new and unusual ways," continues Maximilian Missoni. "Integrating an autonomous cinematic drone was something that allowed us to push the boundaries on the innovation front. Not needing to stop and off-load the drone before filming, but rather deploying it at speed, is a key benefit to this innovative design."

Polestar O2 continues the strong foundations laid by Polestar Precept as a vision of the company's future design, technology and sustainability ambitions. Polestar plans to launch three new cars over the coming three years, starting in 2022, each of which has potential to gradually realise some of the ideas presented by these concept cars.

Polestar's new electric roadster, the Polestar 6, is set to bring striking design and top-down fun to the world of EVs.

Polestar has announced that the new EV roadster is expected to launch in 2026, giving the company plenty of time to get the vehicle production ready. The Polestar 6 is to be the production version of the Polestar O₂ concept, first revealed in Los Angeles earlier this year.

The Polestar 6 as we see it today appears to be the same as the earlier concept, and still wears the O₂ concept name on the front fender. Finished in a sleek blue, it features the same bold plus-sign wheels and sharp, slanting roofline that cuts an imposing figure. Paired with the deep, low sideskirts and muscular wheel arches, it not only looks good, but devastatingly quick to boot.

The quoted performance figures back that up, with the Polestar 6 intended to share the same 800-volt EV architecture as the upcoming 2024 Polestar 5. Power output from the dual-motor system is set to be 884 horsepower, with 663 lb-ft of torque on tap. Polestar expects the roadster to achieve a zero-to-60 mph time of just 3.2 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 155 mph.

The Polestar 6 will be a hardtop convertible, built out of bonded aluminum as per other Polestar vehicles. As seen on the earlier concept reveal, it's a four-seater, though rear headroom does look limited with the hardtop installed. If you like rolling with the homies, make friends with those of shorter stature if you plan on taking long drives in the rain.

Like so many EV concepts, the Polestar 6 features slimline cameras in the place of mirrors. Expect these to be commonplace by the time it reaches production.

Inside, the concept's interior is spartan. There's a large portrait touchscreen in the center, along with a digital dash cluster in front of the driver. Similar to many other EVs like the Kia EV6, it takes advantage of the lack of a transmission tunnel to create a deep central storage area between the front passengers.

The Polestar 6 will be a regular production model. However, Polestar is also eager to celebrate the launch with limited-edition version. It will build just 500 examples of the Polestar 6 LA Concept Edition, finished in the unique 'Sky' blue exterior finish. This will be paired with a light-colored leather interior and the 21-inch wheels as seen on the Polestar O₂ concept.

Thus, if you want the Polestar 6 in the closest form to how it appears here, you'll want to get yourself the LA Concept Edition. Interested parties should look up their Polestar dealer post-haste, with customers able to reserve a build slot online starting from August 16.For those heading to Monterey Car Week, the concept vehicle will be shown at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance events from August 18 to 21. It will also appear at the 2022 running of "The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering."

The EV market is beginning to mature. Where we once had small urban runabouts and short-range hatches, we now have everything from luxury sedans to full-size SUVs in the market. It's only natural that sports models then follow, and Polestar is making sure that becomes a reality.

At the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Polestar is showing its expanded model line-up with the new Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 electric SUVs joining the Polestar 2 centre stage. Star of the show is the Polestar Concept BST, making its global debut at the famous motoring festival. In the first glance paddock the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 are joined by the Polestar 6 Concept, marking the dynamic debut for the electric roadster concept.

Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar said: "Now we are a brand with three models in production, it's great to see them here together for the first time at a global event. Goodwood Festival of Speed is full of the most exciting cars and the most enthusiastic crowds, so it's the perfect place for us to tease our Polestar Concept BST. This car is a demonstration of how far we can push our performance brand - Polestar turned up to 11, if you will - and a demonstration of how we could apply the BST formula to our line-up in the future."

The Polestar Concept BST features bespoke bodywork, finished in a classic motorsport silver, with muscular flared arches, extra wide track and 22-inch forged alloy wheels. An aerodynamically optimised bonnet, with its unique vented design, is framed by an aggressive front splitter. The motorsport theme continues at the rear with an extreme rear wing and a design completed by the bespoke racing-livery inspired graphics.

The Polestar 6 Concept, located in the first glance paddock, will be demonstrated driving up the 1.2-mile long hillclimb in front of the festival's crowds. Engineered alongside the Polestar 5 and using its bespoke bonded aluminium Polestar Performance Architecture (PPA) platform, the Polestar 6 will represent the pinnacle of the current Polestar lineup.