We were introduced to the Polestar O2 concept back in March and learned much about where the Gothenburg, Sweden, EV company was heading, and that concept looked like it would make a great successor to the incredible Polestar 1. At the time, it was only supposed to be a well-designed and functional model to help differentiate Polestar from Volvo and Geely, which are more relaxed compared to the performance powerhouse that Polestar started as. Now after a viewing of the O2 during the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England, there’s more talk of making the Polestar 5-based roadster into a full production vehicle. It’s just that you might have to add a bit of encouragement to make it happen.
In speaking with Top Gear during Goodwood, Polestar boss Thomas Ingenlath stated, “My ambition is to make it a production car, but it’s not that easy.” Instead, of just hopping it into the production line right after the Polestar 5—the 870 hp sedan the O2 borrows its underpinnings from—they want to take their time and make sure it’s the right idea to produce. Using the example of a painting, where you allow the paint to dry and look at it afterwards. “When you’ve painted a painting,” said Ingeniath, “it’s always good to let it rest, and look at it after a couple of months and still see if it’s a good painting.”
What makes both the O2 and the Polestar 5 notable is the rear motor. Rather than borrow something from Geely or even Volvo, the rear motor is developed and built in-house by Polestar. When combined with the front motor, the 5—and presumably the O2—is capable of putting out around 870 hp. For Polestar, however, it’s not just about making power.
“(That) 870 horsepower will not be outstanding, because Tesla can do that, everybody can do that,” said Ingenlath. While talking about the 5, specifically, he added, “The question then is how that thing drives, and I’m 100 percent sure the guys in the UK team and our tuning specialists in Gothenburg will make 5 an enjoyable car for drivers. That it really handles, how precisely it settles, how precise it is in the steering.”
While great for a sedan, we can also imagine the fun times with the top down in a two-door 2+2 roadster. Especially after what Polestar was able to do with the 1, a limited run model that had some incredible performance. If you happen to agree, now’s the time to start talking to your Polestar dealer or emailing them saying, “I want that.” Otherwise, the O2 will just mix into the environment of concepts and potentially disappear once its usefulness is done. And that would just be a damn shame.
Keyword: Deep Breath: Polestar O2 Roadster Production Teased by Polestar Boss