Polestar is to Volvo what AMG is to Mercedes or M to BMW. Polestar is a company with a racing pedigree and a perfect fit to develop some of the naughty production cars in the Volvo range. The latest examples are the S60 and V60 vehicles.
Styling
On the outside the Polestar kit enhances the athleticism of both vehicles and includes new 20-inch wheels, redesigned front bumper and side sills. Inside a few Polestar additions like steering wheel, seats and other finer details transform the standard look into a driver-focused cabin. The end result is still Scandinavian class but with a bit of an edge.
Powertrain
Power is provided by a fettled 3,0-litre, six-cylinder, turbopetrol T6 motor delivering 257 kW and 500 N.m and which sends to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission (with launch control and paddle shift). This enables both vehicles to reach 100 km/h in 4,9 seconds and 200 km/h in 17,7 seconds from a standing start.
The suspension is courtesy of specialist damper supplier Ohlins and 80% stiffer springs compared with those of the standard car. The braking department is covered by Brembo and include 371 mm ventilated discs up front gripped by six-piston callipers and ventilated discs at the rear.
The bad news
Only a limited number of Polestar edition S60 and V60 vehicles will be produced and South Africa is not earmarked to receive any. The lucky countries are Sweden, Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK and America.
The good news
The new 2,0-litre, Drive-E engine range (that will eventually replace all other Volvo engines), will be launched imminently in South Africa. According to Volvo Car South Africa, chances are excellent that a Polestar version of this engine will follow later. The exact details, timing and pricing will only be available later this year.
