POLESTAR CONCEPT BST: HOW POLESTAR WANTS TO TAKE ON PORSCHE
This close-to-production study breathes life into the Polestar O2 concept and gives it a racing makeover.
In an attempt to break away from its Volvo origins, Polestar's CEO has been adamant that the brand is a performance-focused one, aiming at stealing customers from Porsche. Besides being an audacious plan to take on the biggest guy in the yard, it can be tough to believe considering Polestar mostly launched with quick but practical electric hatchbacks and crossovers.
But Polestar does have confirmed plans to build a bespoke electric sports car. It was previewed by the O2 concept a few years ago, which will materialize into the production Polestar 6, which is expected to arrive in 2026. Now, we see a further evolution of that idea. Meet the Polestar Concept BST, which looks ready for the track.
When I saw the O2 concept at the Goodwood Festival of Speed a couple of years ago, it was a static showpiece, not a working prototype. Still, it made a big impression with its adaptation of the trademark Polestar design for a low-slung two-door drop-top. Now Polestar is returning to Goodwood, this time with a working prototype that will go up the famed 1.6-mile hill climb, and it’s way more aggressive than the initial concept.
The BST's basic body is the same as on the O2 concept, with more aggressively flared wheel arches, a more aggressive splitter in the front, side skirts that stick out more and a prominent diffuser to work together with the big rear wing. The 22-inch wheels are also more aggressive than on the initial study, and they give you a glimpse of the beefy rotors gripped by trademark gold-finished Polestar calipers.
The motorsport-inspired silver paint and BST decals on the side complete the aggressive racing look. What’s even more interesting, though, is what you can’t see. This car is built around a new bespoke electric sports car platform called PPA (short for Polestar Performance Architecture), which will make it “the pinnacle of the current Polestar lineup.”
It will also be used to underpin the Polestar 5 sedan, which will go head-to-head with the recently revamped Porsche Taycan when it debuts in 2025.
What makes the PPA platform special is the fact that it is made out of bonded aluminum elements, like the original Lotus Elise. This chassis-building technique is used to keep weight down, and it will help the Polestar models undercut their rivals on weight, which is a big problem for performance EVs, many of which weigh a lot more than a comparable ICE car due to their heavy batteries.
Ironically, even though it was once Lotus’ mantra to “add lightness” to its vehicles, the British sports car maker’s Porsche Taycan fighter, the Emeya, is heavier than its German rival, tipping the scales at almost 5,500 pounds. We don’t have an official mass figure for the Polestar 5 yet, but there's a strong chance it will undercut both rivals on weight thanks to its special construction.
Polestar hasn’t released any specs for the Concept BST either. If it borrows the Polestar 5’s powertrain, it could have 884 horsepower, good for a zero to 60 mph acceleration time of 3.2 seconds. With its bulging fenders and big wing, the new concept may preview a more aggressive BST performance version of the, which could have 1,000 hp and drop its benchmark sprint time to under 3 seconds.
The Polestar 6 will debut in 2025 and go into limited production in 2026. Only a small batch of 500 cars is planned for production, but if there’s demand, more will probably be built to compete with the upcoming Porsche Boxster and Cayman EVs.
Or maybe even the Porsche 911—but if you come at the king, you best not miss.
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2024-07-11T12:43:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd