Volvo’s electric vehicle spin-off brand Polestar has revealed a rally-inspired, off-road-ready version of its debut electric car, the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle – but sadly, there are no plans to put it into production.
Created during cold-weather testing of Polestar’s production electric cars in the Arctic Circle – which span 15 weeks each year, and hit temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius – the Polestar 2 concept of the same name scores an array of off-road upgrades to “[bring] winter rally inspiration” to the electric sedan.
Developed by Polestar’s lead chassis engineer Joakim Rydholm, the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle fits a range-topping Long Range Dual Motor variant with a 30mm increase in ride height, plus 19-inch OZ Racing wheels wrapped in 245/35 snow tyres, each featuring 490 metal studs (which measure 4mm across).
Three-way Ohlins performance dampers – set to their ninth adjustment setting front and rear, out of 18 in total – and 30 per cent softer springs join new front and rear strut braces, carry-over four-piston Brembo front brakes, and a ‘prototype’ launch control system controlled via steering wheel-mounted paddles.
Four Stedi Quad Pro LED front lights, a grey and white livery, a carbon-fibre skid plate and the aforementioned OZ Racing wheels attract some much-desired “rally inspiration”, joining recovery hooks at the front and rear of the car.
Inside, unique charcoal Recaro bucket seats feature up front with Swedish gold accents, while in the boot there’s a carbon-fibre snow shovel and a recovery strap for extracting the vehicle from tricky situations.
Powering the Arctic Circle concept is the same dual electric motor and 78kWh battery setup as the standard Polestar 2, though it benefits from the recently-announced performance software upgrade to boost outputs to 350kW and 680Nm, up from 300kW and 660Nm.
In the production car, Polestar claims a 4.4-second 0-100km/h time – though don’t expect to match that figure on a loose surface, despite the fitment of grippier studded snow tyres.
“I wanted to have more fun than usual with this car – really being able to push it in terms of performance and handling in a winter environment like a frozen lake,” said Polestar chief chassis engineer Joakim Rydholm.
“The balance and predictability we have achieved with the raised ride height and specialised tyres are particularly noticeable when you enter a bend completely sideways, with a bigger-than-usual smile on your face, and in total control.”
Polestar has confirmed the new 2022 Polestar 2 Arctic Circle concept is just a “one-time-only showpiece”, and won’t enter mass production.
However, keen readers will note Polestar has used one-off prototypes to preview future features or upgrades headed for its production cars – namely the upgraded 350kW/680Nm electric motor tune, which later found its way in production cars with a purchasable over-the-air update.
Similarly, some have suggested the Arctic Circle concept’s launch control system – which Polestar calls a ‘prototype’, activated by a very production-ready set of steering wheel paddles – could find its way in road-legal Polestar 2 models in the coming months or years.
Keyword: Polestar 2 Arctic Circle electric rally concept revealed