We often forget this because it feels like a billion years ago now, but Polestar was originally the motorsports, tuning and performance arm of Volvo before it was spun off into an independent EV brand. And Volvo has a long history in both rally car and touring car racing. That's why it's nice to see the modern iteration of Polestar lean into that vibe with this new family of EVs.
Let's get this out of the way first: No, these Polestar electric vehicles are concepts, not destined for production. But the Arctic Circle collection, as it's called, gives us something fun to fantasize about as we sit in our cubicles waiting for winter to be over. And it certainly makes me wish Polestar would spring for some rally-inspired performance on its street cars too.
Polestar last gave the original Polestar 2 the Arctic Circle treatment back in 2022, but this year, its lineup is (finally) bigger and better than ever. Now the Polestar 2 sedan is joined by the Polestar 3 crossover and Polestar 4 coupe-crossover, and all of them come packed with loads of racing goodies.
The three EVs are equipped with adjustable Öhlins dampers and increased ride heights between 20mm and 40mm per car, Pirelli studded tyres, rally-legit OZ Racing wheels, quad front spotlights, tow hooks, racing bucket seats from Recaro, roof light bars, mud flaps and other tweaks. Oh, and the Polestar 2 and Polestar 4 pack all-terrain skis on their roofs, while the Polestar 3 gets a roof basket with a spare tire up top.
Polestar is already good at the stark, minimalist, high-tech everyone-wears-a-black-turtleneck Scandinavian energy; I like seeing the brand embrace the rally-driver side of things too. I'd even love to see more of it on the road, somehow.
The three cars will make their public debut at the 2025 FAT Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria, this weekend. Check out the photo gallery below for more.
Gallery: Polestar Arctic Circle
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
