Polestar goes rallying with one-off Arctic Circle edition EVs
All-electric Swedish carmaker, Polestar, has unveiled three ‘Arctic Circle’ editions of its cars ahead of their competitive debut at the annual FAT Ice Race in Austria.
The rugged versions of the Polestar 2, Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 have been developed in conjunction with the brand’s chief test engineer, Joakim Rydholm – himself a former podium finisher on the Swedish rally scene.
The Polestar 2 Arctic Circle benefits from a 30mm suspension lift, the Polestar 3 40mm, and the Polestar 4 20mm. Each car gets three-way adjustable Öhlins dampers, and white ‘Rally Legend’ OZ wheels housed in studded Pirelli ice tyres. Additional rally hardware includes front spotlights, chunky mudflaps, Recaro racing seats, and ‘Swedish Racing Gold’ tow hooks.
The Swedish Racing Gold theme is carried over to the bespoke Arctic Circle livery, where it is paired with Polestar’s signature ‘Snow White’ colour.
The Polestar 2 Arctic Circle is based on the 496bhp, dual-motor version of the popular EV, and gets a brace strut at each end, while the other two just receive it at the front. Further modifications to the ‘P2’ include ski mounts with a set of all-terrain skis from Chamonix-based Black Crows.
The 510bhp, Polestar 3 twin-motor Performance has a Dakar-ready look thanks to a custom roof basket packing a spare wheel, a light bar, and snow ladders. Meanwhile, the 536bhp dual-motor Polestar 4 – the company’s newest addition – comes with the Black Crow skis and a drift handbrake.
“We created something truly special when we worked on the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle, and to now apply that formula to our two new SUVs has been a fun and challenging task,” said Rydholm.
“We have worked closely with our leading technology partners to bring bespoke engineering solutions to these cars that emphasise our performance DNA and make them incredibly fun to drive.”
Polestar’s newly-appointed CEO, Michael Lohscheller was equally as enthusiastic about the brand’s rally-ready specials.
“The Arctic Circle collection illustrates our unique performance DNA, rooted in motorsport and combined with Scandinavian design,” he added. “We develop our cars under challenging conditions within the Arctic Circle in Sweden, and at the FAT Ice Race we will showcase that on ice there is nothing better than a Polestar.”
The FAT Ice Race will take place in Zell am See on February 1, 2025 and will also see the debut of the one-off Audi Q6 e-tron offroad.
Polestar has yet to announce whether the Arctic Circle models will be offered as production models. However, its Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 started life as a one-off, experimental prototype created for the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and went on sale – albeit in very limited numbers – two years later.
