Polestar, Volvo’s performance/tuning brand, is preparing to launch its first standalone model, possibly by the end of 2017.
The Swedish car manufacturer has confirmed its performance car arm will offer Polestar branded cars without the Volvo badge, as well as providing tuning packages under the Polestar Engineered brand.
While still under Volvo’s control, the aim of the newly revitalised Polestar will be “creating world beating electrified high performance cars”; don’t expect any more 500hp, manual, we’ll-only-make-six specials, basically. Heading up the operation will be Thomas Ingenlath, who will take up the CEO position having been Volvo Design Senior Vice President, and Jonathan Goodman, leaving the Volvo Senior Vice President Corporate Communication role to be COO of Polestar.
The new Polestar will continue with the range of optimisation packages for Volvos under the ‘Polestar Engineered’ banner, but its dedicated performance models will not carry any Volvo badges at all. The influence of Volvo, says Polestar, will provide synergies to “allow it to design, develop and build world beating electrified high performance cars.”
Unlike AMG, ‘M’ power and SVR, Polestar won’t rely on big and brash V8s to dominate and power its new sports car. Instead the Polestar sports car will be electric, possibly sharing powertrain components with the upcoming electric version of Volvo’s V90 and S90. The new car will suit the rumours that Polestar Cyan Racing, the team that runs Volvo’s racing cars, is to join Formula E soon.
The news of a Polestar sports car comes shortly after Geely, the parent company of Volvo and Polestar, acquired a majority stake in Lotus. This is very promising for the new electric performance car. Not only has the Norfolk-based outfit produced some fine sports cars in its 65 years, but it has also offered its engineering services to other manufacturers, helping set up and fine tune many different types of car.
