Skip advert
Advertisement

Polestar’s North Pole stars: Ice rally-inspired Arctic specials show Swedish brand’s wild side

Trio of startling ice-rally concepts revealed in Australia demonstrate the high-performance potential of Polestar

Polestar has revealed one-off ice-rally versions of each of its three current models at the F.A.T. Ice Race held at Zell am See in Austria. The concepts are lightly modified with bespoke styling elements and subtle suspension changes… and one even has a fly-off handbrake!

All the models feature custom Öhlins three-way adjustable dampers with external gas reservoirs, meaning a ride height increase of between 20mm and 40mm depending on model. This is complemented inside by unique trim elements and Recaro Pole Position bucket seats. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

From here, the spec of each starts to diversify, with the Polestar 3 and 4 packing a rear strut brace and 20-inch OZ Rally wheels in a new Rally Legend design. These are wrapped in Pirelli winter tyres for road use, or studded tyres for progress in snow. 

The Polestar 4 goes even further by featuring a fly-off handbrake – something only usually seen on competition rally cars – situated within a bespoke carbon housing on the centre console. The Polestar 4 is also the most powerful of the trio, with 536bhp generated from its dual-motor set-up. 

The BMW iX-sized Polestar 3 is nearly as powerful with 509bhp, but hits back with a greater 910Nm combined torque figure from its two electric motors. Other unique features for the 3 include additional snow ladders and an LED light bar. 

The Polestar 2 features its own array of distinct elements, including not one, but two, strut braces and slightly smaller 19-inch wheels and tyres. Its powertrain has also been tweaked, but produces the same 469bhp and 680Nm of torque as the most powerful Dual Motor Performance Pack model. 

Beyond this, each has a white and yellow livery with lots of rally-inspired features. These include LED spotlights, roof racks, mud flaps and gold tow-hooks.

However, don’t get too excited… while the concepts provide a flavour of what’s possible from Polestar, there is no likelihood of the company creating a performance sub-brand inspired by them any time soon.

Tell us what you love (and hate) about your car. Take the Driver Power survey now and you could win a £100 Amazon voucher

Skip advert
Advertisement
News reporter

As our news reporter, Ellis is responsible for covering everything new and exciting in the motoring world, from quirky quadricycles to luxury MPVs. He was previously the content editor for DrivingElectric and won the Newspress Automotive Journalist Rising Star award in 2022.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New Polestar 7 is a premium SUV to challenge the Tesla Model Y
Polestar 7 render (watermarked) - front

New Polestar 7 is a premium SUV to challenge the Tesla Model Y

The new 7 will sit on a single-platform architecture in order to reduce costs, and our exclusive image shows what this compact SUV could look like
News
3 Feb 2025
Polestar backs the traditional car dealer network, rejecting agency sales
Polestar showroom

Polestar backs the traditional car dealer network, rejecting agency sales

Polestar is turning its back on stores and shopping centres, and will build a new dealer network
News
21 Jan 2025
Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art
Auto Express editor Paul Barker playing video games in a Tesla

Best cars with games tested: the current state of the in-car gaming art

In-car entertainment has come a long way in recent years...
Features
4 Dec 2024
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024: new cars and highlights
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024 - MG sculpture

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024: new cars and highlights

2024’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was a celebration of over 130 years of engine tech, but it also looked well into the future
News
17 Jul 2024

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price
Ford Capri - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price

Rebooted Seventies classic is now an electric SUV for a low monthly outlay. It’s our Deal of the Day for 5 February
News
5 Feb 2025
Best car insurance comparison sites 2025
Person browsing on a laptop

Best car insurance comparison sites 2025

It’s always a wise policy to shop around for car insurance cover, so which websites make it easiest?
Product group tests
6 Feb 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month
Jaguar I-Pace - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month

The I-Pace shows how good an electric Jag can be. It’s our Deal of the Day for 7 February
News
7 Feb 2025

Find a car with the experts