Swedish EV specialist, Polestar, took the virtual veils off its most recent creation this week, the so-called Polestar 2 ‘Arctic Circle’. This is a one-off performance EV created to push the limits of the Polestar 2 platform and see exactly how it would behave in some of the harshest environments in the world, hence the name.
This isn’t the first time Polestar created a high-performance EV. The last time we saw such a creation from the Swedish Volvo sub-brand was back in 2021, when the Experimental Polestar 2 was shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. That was a rather different approach to this new one though, as it had a lowered and stiffer suspension compared to the ‘regular’ Polestar that was already on sale. This time, we’re looking at a car that was created with a different purpose in mind, namely to be able to conquer tougher terrains.
To this end, the Polestar 2 ‘Arctic Circle’ model comes with a modified suspension as well, but this time raised compared to the standard model. It sits 1.18 inches higher and has 19-inch OZ Racing wheels on, featuring studded winter tires. The 245/35 R19 rubber incorporates no fewer than 490 studs per tire.
The Polestar 2 Arctic Circle is built on the Long Range Dual Motor model and features a number of enhancements, including three-way Ohlins dampers that are 30% softer than the original setup. The optional Performance Pack’s four-piston Brembo brakes were added to the mix, and the car now features a launch control system controlled by the steering wheel’s shift paddles.
The Experimental and Arctic Circle have one thing in common: they both have more power than a conventional Polestar 2. The new one-off EV’s motors were tweaked to produce 469 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. If the numbers sound familiar, it’s because a recent OTA update for the production car claims to deliver the exact same figures.
The electric liftback looks significantly more aggressive to go along with the added oomph, with rally car-inspired features like extra lights and a carbon fiber skid plate for greater underbody protection. Polestar equipped the Arctic Circle model with a rear-mounted recovery strap and a carbon fiber snow shovel in the cargo compartment to complete the kit. The Recaro bucket seats in the front with a charcoal finish and the custom matte grey/white livery are also worth mentioning.
Despite how cool the car seems to be, the Swedes have no intentions to put it in production. The goal of this one-off was to show the world a Polestar 2 that had been modified for winter rallying. Joakim Rydholm, the company’s principal chassis engineer is a trophy-winning rally driver, so he knows his stuff when it comes to rally vehicles.
