In a world of EV concepts focussing on either maximum range, outright performance, or blistering quarter-mile times, Polestar has debuted one that promises to be fun. The Polestar O2 is a hard-top convertible concept designed to be exciting and playful.
Maximilian Missoni, Polestar’s Head of Design, says: “Polestar O2 is our vision of a new era for sports cars. By mixing the joy of open top driving with the purity of electric mobility, it unlocks a new mix of emotions in a car. But as with all our cars, we are about more than just straight line sprints. It’s when you turn the steering wheel that the true fun begins.”
While the overall design of the O2 seems to be heavily inspired by the previous Polestar concept vehicle, the Precept, it looks a lot sportier as a wide and low two-door. It still has short overhangs, but the front bumper seems more aggressive with bigger vents on either end. The rest of the front end is a clean and vent-free design to channel air smoothly over it. Around the rear, the O2 has a sporty diffuser. The taillamps sticking out a bit from the body also act as air blades to reduce air turbulence at the back.
The sculpted bodywork behind the roof has a lot of work to do here. Not only does its design play a role in the car’s aerodynamic profile, but it also has to house the two-part hard-top panoramic glass roof.
Under its pretty skin is a bonded aluminium platform that will allow for high levels of rigidity at a lower weight. The combination results in sporty dynamic capabilities and the direct steering feel would make for a lively driving experience. It is adapted from the upcoming Polestar 5 sports sedan that is due to launch in 2024.
Inside the sporty cabin with a 2+2 seat layout, the front looks a lot like that of the Precept. Its dashboard is clean and minimalistic with only the air vents, a digital driver’s display and a vertically-oriented 15-inch central display. The front seats are similar to that of Precept with yellow seatbelts integrated into them, and the rear seats are understandably smaller in this sports car layout.
The upholstery is mostly made of sustainable materials such as a new thermoplastic and recycled polyester for all the soft components. The sustainability carries through to the body too which uses different levels of aluminium to ensure effective and efficient use of the metal.
Then there’s the coolest aspect of the O2 which has nothing to do with the car: it can deploy an autonomous cinematic drone camera on the move. The drone is meant to be housed in the same space as the roof would be and the groove down the middle in-line with the Polestar logo is like the runway for takeoff and landing. Polestar engineers have worked on a clever aerofoil behind the rear seats to create a calm area of negative pressure to facilitate the takeoff. This is where the digital nature of the concept’s reveal plays into Polestar’s favour as the exact mechanics of these features seem quite difficult to achieve.
The drone has been developed in collaboration with Aerofugia’s consumer electronic brand Hoco Flow. It can be deployed on the move to record a driving sequence and can follow the car at speeds of up to 90kph. The drone can track the car from a distance of up to 400metres. When parked, one can edit the drone footage on the central console and share it online.
Polestar has not disclosed any of the mechanical specifications of the O2 convertible in terms of battery, range or performance. Since the Precept got pushed towards production after the public response, the O2 may see a similar future or inspire a market-ready EV convertible from Polestar later on.
“Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand,” comments Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential. This is a taste of what we can design and engineer with the talent and technology we have in-house. It looks incredible, and being able to lower the roof and not hear an engine promises a superb sensation.”
Off the bat, the Polestar O2 looks cooler (but not prettier) than other upcoming all-electric variants of sports cars like the Lotus Emira and Maserati MC20. If it can deliver the way that the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2 have, a production-spec Polestar O2 is an exciting prospect.
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