Joakim Rydholm, the chief chassis engineer at Polestar, has created a one-off rally-inspired version of the company's Polestar 2 model.
The Polestar 2 Arctic Circle has seen a number of tweaks to make the car more capable of running in snowy Arctic conditions, such as in the north of Sweden where Polestar often tests its new models.
"Tuning a chassis on snow and ice," he said, "allows us to develop our cars in what feels like slow motion and with better accuracy. With such low levels of grip, we can feel and analyse the dynamics at a much slower pace than on tarmac, which means we can really fine-tune the way our cars behave, down to the smallest details. This is my absolute favourite place to develop cars."
A spare-time rally driver, Rydholm started with a dual-motor Polestar 2 Long Range as the basis for his build and made significant changes in order to make the car quicker and more agile on snow.
At first glance, the car looks the part with 19-inch OZ Racing rally wheels shod using custom-made 19-inch studded winter tyres featuring 490 4mm metal studs per tyre for extra grip. Four Stedi Quad Pro LED spotlamps adorn the front end as well as a carbon fibre skid plate under the front bumper for underbody protection. The rally theme continues elsewhere with an exterior livery in matte grey and white as well as Recaro front bucket seats inside. The ride-height too has been raised by 30mm.
Also better for coping with the winter conditions are 30 per cent softer springs with three-way performance Öhlins dampers which have been specially set-up for this car. Front and rear strut braces have been fitted to increase both the torsional rigidity and steering responsiveness, while the car has also been equipped with a new prototype launch control system operated with steering wheel-mounted paddles. The Polestar's standard four-piston Brembo front brakes remain, and power is up thanks to the addition of the Performance Pack, an optional extra on the Polestar 2 which, by altering the software, increases the power from 408hp all the way up to 476hp.
"I wanted to have more fun than usual with this car," said Rydholm, "really being able to push it in terms of performance and handling in a winter environment like a frozen lake. 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."
The Polestar 2 Arctic Circle is a one-off and there are currently no plans to put it into production.