Ian Fleming may not have been a spy, but many aspects of James Bond’s persona were drawn from the British author’s own experiences. Both were prolific smokers, for example, with a preference for the same cigarette brand.

Of course, there’s also the fact that some of 007’s exploits were inspired by Fleming’s real-life experiences as an intelligence officer during WWII.

But perhaps most importantly, both had a keen eye for fine cars.

So as the 25th Bond film hits cinemas, we’re taking a look back at Fleming’s automotive history.

1

Fleming, who also penned Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, never professed to be an expert on cars, sometimes calling in help to accurately describe Bond’s transport. Some errors still filtered through; an Aston Martin DB Mk.III is referred to as a DB3, and Bond’s own six-cylinder ‘Bentley Mark II Continental’ doesn’t exist by that name.

Bond’s debut ride may have been a 1930 4½-litre Bentley Blower, but Fleming began with a string of far more pedestrian cars.

In his pre-war youth he drove a two-door Buick and red Graham-Paige. After his stint in naval intelligence, he went through a Morris Oxford, Hillman Minx, and Citroen 8CV.

1

A clear highlight was a 1953 Bentley Continental R-Type, clad in a fastback body by coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner. Fleming ordered the car on behalf of close friend Ivar Felix Bryce, who inspired Bond ally Felix Leiter.

An Armstrong Siddeley and a Daimler convertible came soon after — the latter proving somewhat fateful in Fleming’s automotive journey. “I couldn’t stand the ugliness of its rump,” he told Automobilia in 1958. “And when the winter came and I found the engine ran so coolly that the heater wouldn’t heat, I got fed up with post-war English cars.”

1

Fleming sold the film rights to Casino Royale in 1955, buying himself a “luxurious present” in the form of a black 1956 Ford Thunderbird.

A manual two-seater, the car was ordered with “as little power assistance as possible.”

He had pondered a Lancia Aurelia B20 GT coupé or Mercedes 300SL, before deciding the Lancia was too much like “an angry washing machine.”

1

He said the Mercedes was “still more expensive and selfish,” pointing out how “the highly desirable SL has only room beside the driver for a diminutive blonde with a sponge bag.”

1

Fleming was pleased with the T-Bird, but was in the market for a new car by 1959. In a letter to friend Anthony Terry, he expressed interest in the fuel-injected Mercedes 220SE, but wrote he would “greatly prefer a convertible or sports type” bodystyle to the sedan.

1

By the time the drop-top and coupe 220SEs appeared in 1960, Fleming had bought another Thunderbird instead, a new ‘Square Bird’ model with four seats and a 7.0-litre (430ci) MEL V8. Bond would make his first and last appearance behind the wheel of a Thunderbird around this time, in 1961’s The Spy Who Loved Me.

1

Fleming did purchase one more British car in his final years, a 1962 AC Aceca coupe — one of just six powered by a tuned version of the Ford Zephyr’s 2.6-litre six. He ordered the car with Ruddspeed’s ‘Stage II’ conversion, which offered larger valves, lightened pistons, triple SU carbs, a four-speed manual gearbox, and even an FM radio conversion.

1

The author sold the car just a year later. It eventually made its way to a collector in Holland, before being repatriated in 1987. Auction house Bonhams sold the Aceca in 2010 for £79,255 (AU$145,423).

1

Fleming bought a Studebaker Avanti shortly after, finished in special-order black with matching dyed seats. “It will start as soon as you get out in the morning,” he enthused to Playboy of the coupe in 1963.

1

“It has a very nice, sexy exhaust note and will do well over a hundred and has got really tremendous acceleration and much better, tighter road holding and steering than the Thunderbird. Excellent disc brakes, too.

“I’ve cut a good deal of time off the run between London and Sandwich in the Avanti, on braking and power alone. So I’m very pleased with it for the time being.”

Fleming died of heart disease in August 1964, aged just 56. His final novel, The Man with the Golden Gun, saw assassin Francisco Scaramanga drive a red Thunderbird. Weeks after his death, a ‘Jet Bird’ Thunderbird would make its Bond screen debut in Goldfinger.

1

Halle Berry’s Bond girl Jinx would drive a 2002 Thunderbird in Die Another Day. A limited ‘007 Edition’ version released to the public in the same year, colour-coded to Berry’s bikini worn on-screen.

Though it’s obvious the T-Bird appeared due to Ford’s then-ownership of Aston Martin, some consider it a tribute to the Bond progenitor’s own tastes, almost four decades after his death.

No Time to Die is in cinemas now.

The Porsche 911 GT3 has reset the production car lap record at The Bend Motorsport Park, beating the marker set by its turbocharged sibling.

Supercars driver and Porsche driving instructor Luke Youlden was able to set a time of 3:17.05 around the 7.7-kilometre South Australian circuit, eclipsing the existing record of 3:22.006, set in May aboard a 992 911 Turbo.

While the GT3 has a significant power and torque deficit to the Turbo – 375kW/470Nm versus 427kW/750Nm – its track-focused weight saving of 200 kilograms compared to its aspirated stablemate help to drop five seconds off its final lap time.

1

Porsche continues to hold two lap records at The Bend’s longest circuit, with the Taycan Turbo S having put down the marker for electric production vehicles, as Youlden lapped it in 3:30.344.

The GT3 is currently available for Australian customers, with a choice of either a six-speed manual gearbox or the rapid seven-speed PDK dual-clutch on offer.

1

The Federal Government has made it a legal requirement for newly introduced light passenger and commercial vehicles (including utes and vans with a GVM of 3.5 tonnes or less) to have Autonomous Emergency Braking technology as early as 2023.

The laws will be enforced progressively, applying only to new models introduced to the local market from March 2023. Then after March 2025, all new passenger and light commercial vehicles sold will need vehicle-to-vehicle AEB.

Following this, vehicle-to-pedestrian AEB will then also be mandated on newly introduced models from August 2024, before applying to all new vehicles from August 2026.

1

Independent safety watchdog Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has welcomed the news, after advocating for regulation on standard fitment AEB since 2012.

ANCAP’s push to assess active safety technology as part of its industry-standard safety testing system from 2015 has driven manufacturers to fit AEB as standard equipment. It says 89.5 per cent of new light vehicles were fitted with AEB as standard as of June.

Anticipation for the legislation increased in October 2020 when the Federal Government issued its Regulation Impact Statement.

It proposed following Europe to enforce mandatory AEB on newly introduced models and then all new cars sold, respectively, from July 2022 and July 2024. Australia will lag Europe on the legislation change by nine months.

Introduced through Australian Design Rule 98/00 and ADR 98/01, the new laws were drafted by Nationals MP Kevin Hogan before being federally registered on Friday (November 5).

1

It’s a win for Australian road safety, with ANCAP sharing American and Australian reports that found AEB can reduce police-reported crashes by more than half and vehicle occupant trauma by almost a third.

The Government also estimates the changes will save the local economy $1.9 billion and 580 lives, while avoiding 93,740 injuries over 35 years.

But the laws could increase some vehicle prices if manufacturers pass on the equipment cost to the consumer. For instance, the $17,990 drive-away price of the MG 3 Core, one of the market’s cheapest and the light-car segment’s most popular cars, is not offered with AEB.

Details of Mercedes-AMG’s highly anticipated hypercar have been ‘leaked’ in the latest Forza Horizon video game, providing the first look at its performance figures.

Launching as the cover car in the Microsoft-exclusive Forza Horizon 5 earlier this week, players found the hypercar available to purchase in-game alongside other offerings from Mercedes-AMG – with previously unconfirmed power and weight information readily available.

According to the game, the Formula 1-engined machine develops 654kW and 725Nm from its 1.6-litre, turbocharged V6 engine – down on the projected 735kW+ output expected from its internal combustion engine and hybrid motors.

1

While the powertrain’s outputs are slightly down on what was first predicted, the AMG One’s relatively high weight of 1695 kilograms would be down to its battery systems and extra ancillaries, adding mass for the sacrifice of power.

Just shy of a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, the game shows 49 per cent of the AMG One’s weight is over the front axle, although this doesn’t take its aerodynamic aids into account which would likely even things up at speed.

1

The One was first launched at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show as the Project One, launched off the back of the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team’s three straight constructors championships, a feat it has now stretched to seven years with all cars powered by the V6 in the hypercar.

With a production run of 275 units expected, Mercedes-AMG is reportedly charging in excess of $5 million for each example, or in sports terms, around $2 million less than Lewis Hamilton’s bonus every time he wins a race.

Images of the 2022 Suzuki Baleno have emerged online, showing the car’s updated design ahead of its expected unveiling next year.

While the original source of the leak is unknown, a number of Indian media outlets have published photos of the facelifted Baleno, which appear to have been taken at a Suzuki production facility.

The new model has dropped the upright headlights and adopted a sleeker look, with the front end somewhat reminiscent of the Japanese-market Toyota Mark X.

3

A set of LED daytime-running lights are built into the L-shaped headlights, while LED tail-lamps feature at the rear.

Recent spy photos show the interior will also get a refresh, with its steering wheel borrowed from the Swift, revised climate controls, and a larger floating tablet-style infotainment screen – with sources telling Autocar the new model will also offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There’s no word yet on when Australian showrooms will start seeing the facelifted 2022 Suzuki Baleno, but with the car’s official reveal slated for early next year, it’s likely the model will arrive in the first half of 2022.

While there will be an extremely limited line-up of just a single vehicle to begin with – the Polestar 2 sedan – more Polestar models are coming.

Each Polestar model carries a simple numerical badge – following Sweden’s renowned love affair with minimalism.

Unlike many Volvo models, all Polestars are being built at the brand’s Chengdu plant in China.

Here’s our quick guide to all the Polestars we know about so far…

Polestar 1

1

Polestar’s first model was unveiled in late 2017 but started life four years earlier – as the stunning Volvo Concept Coupe that previewed a potential future S60 coupe.

Although the Polestar 1 adopted that concept’s shape, its body was made from super-stiff and super-lightweight carbon fibre (with the assistance of Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg).

For the 2+2 GT’s drivetrain, Polestar took Volvo’s T8 plug-in hybrid set-up – but added an extra electric motor to the rear axle.

A combination of 2.0-litre supercharged/turbocharged petrol (driving the front wheels) and dual electric rear motors produced outputs of nearly 450kW and 1000Nm. Rear-axle torque vectoring, Akabono brakes and an Öhlins continuously electronically controlled suspension aimed to give the Polestar 1 a more dynamic on-road experience than your average GT.

1

And as a car capable of operating on electric power alone for up to 150 kilometres, Polestar claimed the 1 offered the longest range of any hybrid. Last orders are now being taken for the limited-run Polestar 1 – though as a left-hand-drive vehicle only, it has never been on the cards for Australia.

It wouldn’t have been cheap, mind. In the UK, for example, it cost about $250,000.

Polestar 2

1

Another model that was originally a Volvo concept – in this case 2016’s 40.2. This five-door fastback is Polestar’s first all-electric car and its first global/volume model – available in both RHD and LHD.

The Polestar 2 shares its Compact Modular Architecture (CMA) platform with the Volvo XC40 compact SUV (which was previewed by the 40.1 concept).

Featuring an electric motor on the front and rear axles for all-wheel drive and combined outputs of 300kW and 660Nm, the 2 has a quoted 0-100km/h time of less than five seconds.

1

A 78kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides a relatively generous estimated driving range of 500km (based on Europe’s WLTP driving cycle).

An optional Performance Pack available in overseas markets adds Brembo front brakes, adjustable Öhlins dampers and 20-inch forged-alloy wheels (plus gold seatbelts and valve caps).

There’s also some noteworthy infotainment. The Polestar 2 was one of the first cars in the world to feature a new Google Android system that, via an 11.0-inch touchscreen, serves as the interface for vehicle functions and apps, and includes Google Assistant, Maps and the Play Store.

1

As a Volvo sister brand, safety remains an important consideration, naturally – and as the first Polestar to be independently crash-tested, the 2 has scored consistently high marks to register a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

Australian pricing for the model, that can be considered a rival for the likes of the Tesla Model 3, starts at $59,900 for the Standard Range Single Motor, before rising to $64,990 for the Long Range Single Motor and $69,900 for the Long Range Dual Motor.

However, the latter has significantly less equipment than the Volvo with which it shares its platform and electric drivetrain.

A $5000 Pilot Pack and $6000 Plus Pack are both needed to match the electric XC40 in terms of equipment, with an $8000 Performance Pack also exclusively available for only the Dual Motor variant.

Polestar 3 (due 2022)

1

Although the Polestar 2 is a high-riding fastback, the Polestar 3 will properly take the brand into the realm of performance SUVs – a segment it simply can’t ignore, owing to dominant popularity of the body style globally.

So far, the 3 has only been officially described as “a larger, SUV-style BEV”, though Polestar’s head designer, Max Missoni, has revealed to media that its design will be influenced by the company’s striking 2020 concept, the Precept.

As the Precept previewed a fresh design language for Polestar, the 3’s styling should make a departure from the 1 and 2 models that have obvious Volvo links.

The Polestar 3, which is expected to share its ‘SPA2’ platform with the third-generation Volvo XC90 large SUV, should make a natural rival for electric SUVs such as the Audi E-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes EQC and Tesla Model X.

Polestar 4 (due 2023/2024)

1

Details are sparse at this stage, but Polestar has revealed the 4 will be a smaller SUV than the Polestar 3 – proving that the numerical sequencing is not related to vehicle size.

The company says the Polestar 4 will have a “coupe-style roofline”, suggesting it could be a twin to Volvo’s C40 Recharge – what is essentially a differently-styled version of the XC40 compact SUV.

Polestar 5

1

The production version of Polestar’s striking Precept concept car will carry the Polestar 5 name and take the fight to the Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S.

The four-seater electric GT was originally intended to showcase the brand’s future in terms of design language, sustainable materials and digital technology, before a positive media and public reception prompted Polestar to put the Precept onto the assembly line.

That assembly line will be different to one on which the Polestar 2 rolls along. Polestar has confirmed the Precept production model will be built at a new facility, though still in China.

1

No powertrain details have yet been divulged; we merely know the car will be fully electric, as with all future Polestars (and all Volvos from 2030 onwards).

Indicating the Precept’s importance for the Chinese market, rear legroom and headroom are said to be priorities. This will be helped by a wheelbase reported to be more than three metres in length.

The production vehicle is also planned to feature some of the sustainable interior materials showcased in the Precept concept, which included carpets made from reclaimed fishing nets, seats made primarily from recycled PET bottles, and bolsters and headrests made from recycled cork vinyl.

It’s widely known that Polestar is closely linked with Volvo and also owned by China’s Geely Automotive, but there’s much more to the story behind the rise of Polestar.

Here we bring you 10 fascinating facts about the new brand that has the likes of Tesla squarely in its sights.

1 – Motorsport origins

1

The Polestar name was first introduced in 2005 – adopted by Swedish motorsport specialists Cyan Racing which, since 1996, had been running Volvo’s factory team in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. It was chosen as a tribute to “the origin of the company in the frozen north of Sweden and its strive towards perfection”.

The outfit last ran a Volvo racing car in 2017, when it won both the World Touring Car Championship driver’s and constructors’ titles with the S60 TC1. Cyan Racing, which has since dropped the Polestar name, now represents the Chinese Lync & Co brand – from Volvo parent company Geely – in the World Touring Car Cup (the successor to the WTCC).

2 – A circa-300km/h C30 hatchback was its first road-going car

1

Polestar was announced as Volvo’s official performance partner in 2009. And after Polestar took a racing-car version of Volvo’s C30 coupe-hatch to the 2009 Swedish Touring Car title, its engineers created a road-going C30 ‘concept prototype’ capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds and reaching in excess of 290km/h.

The C30 prototype was propelled by Volvo’s renowned 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine, which sent 336kW and 510Nm to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and Quaife limited-slip differentials. An aero bodykit was honed in Volvo’s wind tunnel.

3 – Polestar helped create Volvo’s Australian V8 Supercar

1

When Volvo made the shock move to enter the 2014 Australian V8 Supercar Championship, Polestar partnered with Garry Rogers Motorsport to co-develop the Volvo S60 V8SC.

Polestar developed the S60 Supercar’s 5.0-litre V8 from the 4.4-litre Volvo/Yamaha engine that had appeared in the likes of the XC90 SUV and S80 sedan between 2006 and 2011.

Producing 485kW and combining with GRM’s V8 Supercars nous, Volvo scored a surprising second place in Adelaide’s season opener – with a certain up and coming Kiwi young-gun behind the wheel called Scott McLaughlin. The McLaughlin/Volvo combination came third in the 2016 V8 Supercars championship ­– Volvo’s last season after the Swedish brand decided to phase out motorsport activities.

4 – S60 Polestar Performance sedan was exclusive to Australia

1

Australia had already enjoyed an exclusive taste of the Polestar brand before Volvo’s V8 Supercars foray. In 2013, the Polestar-developed S60 Polestar mid-sized performance sedan became a localised, 50-units-only, toe-in-the-water exercise as Volvo contemplated a return to sporty production cars.

With the supercharged six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive S60 considered a success, the sedan was joined by a wagon twin – the V60 Polestar – as Polestar’s first global Volvo production models.

The models were updated in 2016, including a more powerful turbocharged/supercharged four-cylinder engine.

5 – The Polestar brand was intended for Fast Volvos

1

When Volvo Cars acquired Polestar Performance AB in 2015, the intention was to take on high-performance models from the likes of BMW’s M division and Mercedes-AMG.

In 2017, however, the target essentially became Tesla, as Volvo announced Polestar would be a standalone brand focused purely on electric performance vehicles. Polestar would use Volvo platforms and other components, though no Volvo badging would appear on the cars.

6 – Polestar optimisation

1

Polestar is also responsible for some tuning software designed to improve the driving performance of regular Volvos. Improved gearshift speed and precision, recalibrated on- and off-throttle response, plus a slightly chunkier mid-range for the engine all aimed to deliver better drivability and driver engagement.

The update was available as an option before being introduced as standard on certain models. Polestar optimisation would go on to bring greater rear-wheel bias for all-wheel-drive Volvos when the dynamic mode was engaged or ESC switched off.

7 – Polestar engineered models

1

Buyers looking for a vehicle with the most obvious Polestar and Volvo links should look up the XC60 and XC90 Polestar Engineered models.

These flagship plug-in-hybrid SUVs feature a package of Polestar performance upgrades that include recalibrated engine software, Öhlins dampers, Akebono brakes, strut bar and lighter, forged-alloy wheels. They also receive a handful of exterior cosmetic additions, including a Polestar badge on the grille.

8 – Customers will buy Polestars online only

1

Forget dealerships and salespeople. Polestar is following the likes of Tesla and Genesis with a different approach to the traditional retail concept.

In Europe, various cities now feature a Polestar Space – factory-owned city-centre locations where shoppers can browse the cars, specifications and in some instances even individual components. Polestar experts are on hand to assist with any enquiries, though there’s a promise not to place any pressure on a purchasing decision.

Customers can order a car at a Polestar Space, on their desktop/tablet or via a smartphone app. In Australia, pop-up Polestar stores are planned with orders also made online.

9 – Polestar’s boss was Volvo’s VP of design

1

Thomas Ingenlath was behind Volvo’s design renaissance that started with the second-generation XC90 SUV, before being appointed chief executive officer of the fledgling Polestar brand.

Ingenlath is no longer on Volvo’s executive team but retains responsibility for overall group design, working with Volvo’s current head of design, Robin Page.

10 – Polestar 1 and 2 were originally Volvo concept cars

1

The electric performance brand’s very first vehicle is essentially a production version of Volvo’s stunning 2013 Concept Coupe – a show car that hinted at the company’s future design direction and was likely to have become a two-door variant of the S60 sedan until the new Polestar strategy.

And in mid 2016, Volvo unveiled two concepts based around its new compact (CMA) platform and upcoming 40-series range. A year later, the 40.1 concept – virtually unchanged – would become the XC40, Volvo’s first ever compact luxury SUV. The 40.2 – a distinctive, high-riding sedan-cum-hatchback – would remain similarly familiar as it morphed into production status, as the Polestar 2 – the brand’s first proper global car.

One of the most irritating phrases used in the media is a two-word headline about a product. Every new Samsung phone is an iPhone killer. Every new Tesla is a Ferrari killer. Every new EV that isn’t a Tesla is a Tesla killer. It’s lazy, it’s boring and it’s almost always never true but boy do people like to click on that nonsense.

The new Polestar 2 has, naturally, been heralded as a Tesla killer, like the Polestar 1 before it (which made no sense at all given it’s a hybrid). While it clearly isn’t, Polestar is going after the American brand with pricing, specification and – importantly – the numbers on range and performance to get somewhere close to the impressive Model 3.

A joint venture between Geely Holdings and its subsidiary Volvo Cars, Polestar is a serious EV brand intent on making serious EVs for a car market that won’t cop garbage. And as we’ll see from the specifications, separating what used to be Volvo’s performance brand from the mothership means it can get away with something the Swedish maker couldn’t.

1

Pricing and Features

The headline price for the entry-level Polestar 2 – labouring under the less than snappy “Single Motor Standard Range” model designation – retails at $59,900 before on-road costs, baiting EV buyers who are researching a Tesla Model 3. As the name suggests, it has one motor (powering the front wheels) and the smallest battery option (69kWh for a WLTP range of 440km).

Another five grand ($64,900 + ORC) buys you the bigger 78kWh battery and a suggested 100km of extra range while a further five grand scores you 300kW, a doubling of the torque figure and 480km of range. And a disqualification from some of the EV incentives on offer in some states and territories.

My Polestar for a couple of days was this entry Long Range model, one that will surely garner a great deal of attention, particularly in NSW and Victoria where it scores a $3000 discount and stamp duty exemption, as does the standard range version. As long as you don’t option it up…

1

For your money you get 19-inch alloys, LED headlights, auto wipers, heated front seats, cloth trim with “3D etched” decoration, eight-speaker stereo, built-in Google media system (basically a big Android phone in the main screen), front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, powered tailgate with gesture control and a tyre repair kit.

If you’ve got the Polestar app on your phone, you can check the battery status, lock and unlock the doors, use the phone itself as the key and fire up the climate control, handy if you’re walking back to a hot or cold car. The phone app also sets the car up the way you left it, so if Rammstein was the last thing you were listening to, that’s what your companion will hear as you get in the car. Just a little consumer warning for you.

We weren’t able to test the app, partly because of our very brief time with the car meant setting us up with app integration would be a giant pain for everyone involved.

1

While the pricing is competitive, there is no small amount of controversy stemming from the relative lack of safety equipment compared to parent brand Volvo. Now, it’s not as though the basic car is a 1990’s Excel – it has lane-keep assist, forward AEB, lane and road departure warning, driver attention monitoring, road sign recognition and the airbag count includes centre airbags. I’m fairly certain the Polestar will sail through to five-star ANCAP glory as it did with EuroNCAP in March 2021, without the additional safety.

The Pilot Pack bolsters the standard feature list with driver assistance, active cruise control, 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, rear collision warning and rear AEB.

You also score the fancy Pixel LED headlights and LED front fog lights. That’s a $5000 option and it was fitted to the Long Range car I had. Irritatingly, that $5000 is roughly what you would save in Victoria and NSW. When you add it to the Long Range, it busts the dutiable limit and you only save a few grand on stamp duty.

Going for the $6000 Plus Pack throws in a massive glass sunroof, Harmon Kardon 13-speaker audio, wireless phone charging, WeaveTech vegan upholstery, heated electric front seats with memory, and heating for the rear seats, steering wheel and wiper nozzles.

1

You also get an energy-saving heat pump, which will be handy for winter in southern states, as Polestar says it will improve range by up to 10 per cent when operating at an ambient temperature of between five and 15 degrees Celsius. The car I drove also had that and just to make absolutely sure, it also had the individual option of Nappa leather, which adds cooling to the front seats.

Not to harp on about it, but on the Standard Range you can add the Pilot Pack or the Plus Pack without blowing your rebate, but you can’t add anything to the Long Range. The Dual Motor is over the limit either way, but if you fit both option packs you’ll also lose the stamp duty concession available in some states.

You can’t get the $8000 Performance Pack on the Single Motor cars, so you miss out on adjustable Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, forged 20-inch alloys and gold seatbelts.

One bizarre and glaring moment of weirdness is the tacky, cheap key job. Looking at the fob for a base-spec Kia Seltos, you’d think they were the same price. I can’t fathom how such a flimsy-feeling device got through the customer experience people at Polestar.

The Polestar 2 has been heralded as a Tesla killer. While it clearly isn’t, Polestar is going after the American brand with pricing, range and performance to get somewhere close to the Model 3.

1

Comfort and Space

The Polestar 2 shares its underguts with the XC40 and I don’t mean the electric one, I mean all of them.

They’re all built on Volvo’s CMA platform, which is underneath the funky SUV and is Volvo’s bridge between all-ICE and all-EV. As such you’ll find a big transmission hump in the rear, which really does render this declared five-seater a 4+1.

Apart from that, the interior is beautiful. The recycled plastics are at first unusual to the touch, as are the 3D etching highlights, but all of it is visually appealing and beautifully tactile.

The optional Nappa leather is the nicest I’ve seen in a car south of $200,000. That’s not to say other cars aren’t this nice, but it is lovely to the touch, although kids might ruin it.

1

The big portrait screen is fast and that’s just as well because all the car’s functions are crammed into it. The Android Automotive screen far exceeded my low expectations (I’m an Apple guy, which is an admission of both guilt and intolerable smugness).

There are more apps to come and I guess that means that most Android owners won’t have to worry about using their phone for a lot of stuff for which they might currently use Android Auto.

Apple CarPlay will arrive next year as part of an over-the-air (OTA) update and while Polestar reps told us that the Android setup is so good that iOS users won’t miss it, I can safely say bollocks to that as I want Apple CarPlay and I want it now. Bluetooth integration with an iPhone is tolerably good, however.

To power and connect your devices there are four USB-C ports (two up front, two in the rear).

1

You get four cup holders in the cabin, with two in the front (one hidden by the elbow rest between the front seats) and the rear has them in the fold-down armrest. Each door has a bottle holder, but these aren’t French, so you won’t be getting big bottles in there, just 500ml or thereabouts.

Space in the rear is comfortable for my almost six-foot (180cm) frame, with a decent amount of toe, leg and headroom. The optional sunroof in both Polestars I’ve sat in robbed a bit of headroom and my head was quite close to the header rail.

The rear windows are lovely and big, though, meaning good vision out for rear passengers as well as for a head check when lane-changing. The view out of the rear window is hilariously restricted, but there’s just enough to see what’s going on.

Cargo space starts at 405 litres in the boot and a further 35 litres in the front, where most people will keep their charge cables. The tailgate is powered and you can open it with your key or phone.

1

On the Road

The Standard Range/Single Motor combo means you’ve got front-wheel drive with 165kW and 330Nm. The Long Range comes with a bigger battery and a 5kW power bump, while the Dual Motor packs 300kW and 660Nm.

In both Single Motor cars, you’ll crack 100km/h in a handy 7.4 seconds. The Standard Range’s WLTP figure is 440km, similar to that of the Ioniq 5, Tesla Model 3 and that other Hyundai EV, the Kona. Being an EV, you get just the one gear to take you to a theoretical maximum speed of 160km/h and you can tow up to 1500kg with a braked trailer.

Moving on to the Long Range adds a theoretical 100km of WLTP stamina, its bigger battery shared with the Dual Motor version.

1

We’ve got a bit of a conundrum here with the battery consumption. The Long Range car I drove didn’t really come close to the WLTP claimed, but there are a few important points for context.

The first is that the cars were still very new and it’s unlikely that the battery had been through a full charging cycle. Second, we don’t drive cars the way most owners will, they get a bit of a pounding. Third, we only had the car for a bit less than 24 hours.

So, after all those caveats, we come to the consumption. From the short time we had the LR, it looked like the 540km range was closer to 400km. That’s a fairly decent gap but I think it’s reasonable to reserve judgement until we’ve had the cars for longer to really get to grips with the numbers. Our collective experience with the Ioniq 5, for instance, had it hitting its WLTP numbers and we’ve had a few of them.

1

Charging varies depending on whether you have a Standard Range or Long Range model. The former has 24 lithium-ion modules providing 69kWh of energy capacity and an 11kW onboard charger for a seven-hour charge with a wallbox, while the 400-volt system can cope with up to 130kW DC for rapid recharging to 80 per cent in 40 minutes.

The Long Range cars have 27 modules and 78kWh of capacity and will charge faster on a public charge station with 150kW DC, reaching 80 per cent in 35 minutes. The 22kW onboard charger means you’ll be done in eight hours.

Both battery sizes can also be charged from a regular 240-volt socket for emergencies but this replenishes them at a very slow rate.

The Long Range’s DC charging numbers are roughly matched by Tesla’s Supercharger network, while the Ioniq 5 has an 800-volt architecture, meaning it can charge at up to 350kW, which is scorchingly fast but at the moment, compatible infrastructure is almost as rare as hydrogen filling stations.

1

My main concern in EVs is the ride. For some reason, chassis engineers on the EVs I’ve driven seem to struggle to achieve consistent ride quality. You kind of know a car is electric by its weird, occasionally lumpy feel as it negotiates particular types of surfaces. And so the ride of the Polestar 2 was a huge and pleasant surprise – it feels like a well-sorted “normal” car.

Despite running on optional 20-inch rims and Continental PremiumContact 6 rubber (with POL stamped on the side to show they are made specifically for Polestar), the 2’s suspension was supple and quiet, the latter quality a big deal in near-silent EV running. It handles big bumps extremely well and even those evil rubber speed bumps in car parks are barely noticeable.

When you’re pressing on, the chassis’ ability also becomes apparent. Despite being a two-tonne front-drive liftback, it’s like a warm hatch. You can choose three levels of assistance for the steering but even the firmest isn’t too much or too artificial. I’m not going to pretend the steering has tons of feel but you know enough about what the tyres are doing and, being an EV, you hear a lot more from the road surface.

1

You can also choose two levels of regenerative braking – none or on. The latter is fairly aggressive and means one-pedal operation in city driving is possible and remarkably intuitive.

Creep mode can also be set on or off, which means you can choose whether you need to hold the car on the brakes at the lights. I had it on at first but quickly realised it was better switched off while driving but turning it back on when you’re parking makes that a lot less stressful.

The cabin really added to the generally serene experience when just driving normally. An evening run across the city before getting down to business on the video shoot left me unusually unrustled, partly down to the lack of traffic but also because it was just such an easy pleasant drive with an ergonomic layout that doesn’t need any reference to YouTube videos to make it work.

When you’re pressing on, the chassis’ ability also becomes apparent. Despite being a two-tonne front-drive hatchback, it’s like a warm hatch.

1

Ownership

Buying a Polestar will be different to sister brand Volvo. Polestar Spaces will be set up in urban areas, a bit like the Genesis showroom model, so no dealers suggesting they’ll have to talk to their manager about getting you the best price. You can buy the car at a Space via the exact same website you’d use at home.

The larger Polestar Destinations will be in more suburban areas and will feature delivery points for your new car.

The Polestar 2 has a five-year package covering warranty (unlimited kilometres), roadside assist and free servicing (five years/100,000km). A separate battery warranty covers you for eight years/160,000km. That seems entirely reasonable and pretty much matches or beats its (current) key rivals, Tesla and Hyundai. You’ll return to the dealer once a year or every 20,000km.

Tesla’s Model 3 warranty is shorter at four years/80,000km (the battery’s is eight years/192,000km) while Hyundai wants $220 for a few services apart from the four-year service, which wallops you for $804.

Tesla doesn’t have a scheduled servicing program, preferring to point to its over-the-air software updates (Polestar has those) and only recommends replacing the cabin air filter and having a brake fluid test every two years. You can schedule a Tesla service appointment in the app.

As always with Tesla, the website is quite vague on the details and prices of various items but as I will always tell people, not having someone see your car at least once a year is a bit of a safety issue – EVs (all of them) are heavy and rip through tyres.

Polestar says it’s “going its own way” but you can take your car to a Volvo dealer when it needs seeing to.

The Google Services connectivity subscription lasts for three years and there is an integrated e-SIM to power those.

1

VERDICT

The Polestar may not match either the Model 3 or Ioniq 5 for safety features, but neither does it make them completely unavailable. And it’s cheaper than the Ioniq, so that somewhat softens that argument – a well-specced Standard Range or Long Range model still comes in under the price of the Ioniq. So it’s a straighter fight with the Model 3, something we hope to one day cover in detail.

In isolation and with my concerns about battery range pushed to the side, the Polestar 2 is a brilliant Australian reboot for the now-electric brand. It looks great, is well priced and has a beautifully balanced chassis. It’s not going to convince the haters – nothing can, let’s face it – but along with the Ioniq, the Polestar 2 is proof that EV capability is going up while prices are edging slowly down.

It’s also got huge backing from Geely and Volvo and that Australian connection to the brand will surely yield a few conversions. All I need now is more time with it.

2022 Polestar 2 Single Motor Long Range specifications

A Land Rover Defender 110 sits stationary in the pouring rain.

While appearing stock from the outside, the interior has been stripped bare, a new fuel cell installed, along with the kind of roll cage that’d make a WRC car blush. Sat strapped into the fixed bucket seat via a racing harness is Jessica Hawkins. You probably don’t recognise the name, but you should.

Stretching in front of Hawkins is what appears to be an empty field. But right at the vanishing point, where mud and grass meets bleak sky, sits a ramp. From certain perspectives the metal construction is competely hidden. That’s no mistake. And now, with no practice run, Hawkins must hit the ramp at near enough 100km/h, launching her Defender into the air.

Not many would be willing to take her place. This is the work of a stunt driver – doing what others can’t, or won’t.

1

You and millions of others will be able to watch the end result of Hawkins’ leap of faith, as it is part of a chase sequence in the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die. It’s no spoiler alert to say that the flight path is impressive both on film and in reality, with the 110 and Hawkins completing a 30-metre jump worthy of an automotive Olympics gold, in a lumpy 4×4 weight division at the least.

In the scheme of the movie, and to a larger extent the Bond story, Hawkins and her Defender are a temporary blip of action. But those few seconds of movie magic, where a Land Rover is launched skywards, isn’t the work of a moment, it is culmination of months of hard work from a frankly giant team of professionals. MOTOR sat down with three of them to find out how visually death defying stunts are made safe and repeatable.

1

At the coalface is Hawkins, one of the many stunt drivers that performed the action you see on-screen in No Time To Die. Above her in the ranks is Lee Morrison (pictured above), a veteran of the industry who has been there, jumped that, crashed those, and now heads up elite level stunt crews while working as a full-time stunt coordinator. Finally, there is Chris Corbould (pictured below), the action vehicle supervisor that leads a team of people between 100-120 strong depending on the project.

Think of Chris as the ideas man. He is responsible for working with the director to turn an ethereal idea or concept into a performable and engaging reality – often going to extremes to do so.

1

When it comes to Her Majesty’s Stunt Service, Chris Corbould is quite literally The Man. The 63-year-old was the special effect supervisor in the eight Bond films preceding No Time To Die, having worked on a total of 15 films that focus on the world’s most famous spy.

His other special effect credits include Inception, Star Wars The Force Awakens, and The Dark Knight Rises. Such is Corbould’s talent that the Queen named him an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 New Years Honours List. Bond would be proud.

This is to say that when Corbould attempts something, he doesn’t do it by halves. He has a firm rule for the Bond Films that he oversees that if a stunt is to be included, it needs to happen for real – CGI be damned.

Remember the sequence in Skyfall, where an entire train falls through the roof? Corbould was so determined to make it happen that he had a series of ‘lightweight’ train carriages built (weighing five to six tonnes each), and then crashed them on set.

1

“I was finishing off Dark Knight Rises in Los Angeles, and I had a call from [Skyfall director] Sam Mendes about the underground sequences. And he said to me, ‘I’ve got this great sequence, on foot, running through the underworld of London.’ He said, ‘I just need one great big jaw-dropping moment.’ And that night I just dreamt of this tube train coming through the ceiling, and that’s how it was in the film. And everybody instantly loved it. And we built the rig and did it,” Corbould explains to MOTOR.

When he isn’t crashing life-sized trains through brick walls like a boy living out playtime on a 1:1 scale, Corbould is transforming often inappropriate road cars into purpose-built vehicles that can complete his demanding tasks.

“The chase on the ice in Die Another Day was an interesting one because we initially thought that we should have the four-wheel drive versions of both the Aston Martin Vanquish and the Jaguar XKR,” Corbould explains.

1

Thing is, neither Jag or Aston built all-wheel drive versions of the vehicles in question. But you didn’t really expect the man that built and then smashed a literal train through a film set to settle for whatever an automotive product planner bowls up, did you?

“So, we set about in our workshops making four-wheel drive versions and we totally changed the front ends of both vehicles, or four of each one of those vehicles, to be able to do that chase on the ice. And the other thing that we had to be mindful of, alongside all the usual safety requirements, is we built into them automatically opening inflation bags so that if, for whatever reason, one of them went through the ice, it wouldn’t just plummet to the bottom of the lake. It would automatically inflate and keep the guys on the surface.”

1

The job to get the Defenders ready for filming was far less involved. The vehicles you see on screen are mechanically identical (other than the added safety equipment and hydraulic handbrake) to a 110 P400 you can buy from Land Rover right now.

Despite the team preparing for catastrophic component failures, the 110s did their job on stock suspension without issue.

While Chris’ team was responsible for preparing the Defender that Hawkins used for her jump – and its nine identical siblings – it was Morrison that ensured the driver returned to terra firma safely on all eight takes. Oh, yeah, the Defender completed the task at hand repeatedly, jumping higher and farther each time.

1

Morris is an exacting individual who doesn’t suffer fools. The risks of the job demand that he be this way.

“I’m a hard guy to work for and please, I expect the best from everybody,” Morrison admits to MOTOR.

Before she found herself strapped into the Defender, Hawkins had to pass a simple test Morrison uses to assess all potential stunt drivers – hold a drift around four cones and then stop on a mark. Morrison will tell the driver what he wants them to do, perform the task himself once, and then the interviewee has one attempt to do the same.

“If they do that on their first turn, they got a job. If they don’t, and many haven’t, they haven’t,” he says.

The test isn’t so much to discover what drivers can hold a drift – plenty of people can do that – but it allows Morrison to find those that can hear instructions once and replicate them perfectly, while understanding that they are working to achieve a look, not a laptime.

1

“There’s a wealth of talent out there and there are some amazing drivers. The film industry is an animal in its own right really, because you can get someone who’s an extremely talented race driver, and yet they don’t understand the camera angles, they don’t understand where they’ve got to be at the right time,” he adds.

“It is all about timing. A lot of people in the film industry say, ‘It’s all about timing.’ Well, it is. So you could be driving 120mph and overshoot a corner and it looks great coming out the apex a bit, but the entry where I’m shooting, it looks like a complete mess. So, it’s really being able to turn it on.”

Hawkins passed the first test, clearly. “I can drive,” she laughs when chatting with MOTOR. “It’s about the only thing I can do.”

1

Its Hawkins’ job to do as Morrison asks. When he says hit a ramp, she asks how fast. Though Morrison has an extensive and proven track record, that doesn’t stop the stunts he asks his team to perform being nerve wracking.

“When Lee first explained what we were going to be doing, you kind of took it all in your stride because that’s what we do, and we do big stunts along with the other drivers and stunt people,” she explains.

“But it wasn’t actually until I was heading towards the ramp the first time where it kind of suddenly dawned on me what I was doing, and by that time, it was too late to back out. I first hit the ramp, all I could see was a very, very grey sky. I couldn’t see any floor. I couldn’t see anything but a grey, rainy, horrible sky. And I was heavily anticipating an extremely painful landing, but testament to the car and the planning of people around me like Lee and stuff, not one of the landings hurt.”

1

But unbeknownst to Hawkins at the time, she wasn’t the first person to complete the stunt. Morrison was.

“I took one of the cars up on my own earlier that morning with one of my safety team to, see if I needed to make any wedges for the ramps,” he reveals.

“And I hit it around 60mph and the flight I got was perfect. But I knew what I was going to get from the guys, so when I set them up for their first jump, I’d already done one.”

So how does a 26-year old from East Hampshire find herself in the role of an unseen Bond baddie with a need to launch their Land Rover Defender into low earth orbit?

1

“I started racing cars when I was eight years old,” Hawkins explains.

“It was never supposed to be a career path. It was just something that I stumbled across with my dad one day and I begged him to let me have a go. And then 18 years later, I’m still here and I’ve made a career out of it which is great.”

According to Hawkins, it is the same set of tools that make a world-class racing driver that are deployed by stunt drivers, just repurposed to achieve an inverse goal.

“When racing I’m always trying to correct the car if it’s going sideways, whereas stunt driving, they often want a bit of flair to it or it’s a drift scene or something. My whole life I spent trying to correct cars and now I have to teach myself it’s okay if it’s going sideways,” she says.

1

Unfortunately, like many aspiring drivers, Hawkins’ career hit the skids due to a lack of financial backing.

“Basically, I wasn’t able to find the budget to continue to go racing, and that kind of led me into the stunt-driving world,” she adds.

“I took an opportunity and that led me onto doing a show called Fast and Furious Live.”

As part of preparations for the show, she underwent three months of intensive training, through which she was connected with Morrison. The rest is history writ large on the silver screen.

So when you find yourself watching Daniel Craig’s 007 run from a fleet of Land Rover Defenders, remember that there is a dedicated team that did it all for real.

1

The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has awarded a whistleblower US$24 million (AU$32.6m) in compensation for providing insider information about a safety defect.

Former Hyundai engineer Kim Gwang-ho reported a defect to the NHTSA in 2016 relating to a design flaw within Hyundai and Kia’s Theta II, inline four-cylinder engines which would unexpectedly catch fire.

The Korean manufacturers were fined a total of US$210m (AU$285m), with $81m (AU$110m) paid to the United States Government, which then compensated Kim with the maximum award available of 30 per cent.

1

The former engineer said he was glad to be properly compensated for putting himself on the line to protect affected owners.

“I am pleased that I have been justly compensated for the risks I took to protect owners of these defective cars, and grateful that the US’s legal system had a program in place to make this possible,” said Kim.

“I hope my reporting leads to real safety improvements, both at Hyundai and throughout the industry.

“At Hyundai, we often repeated the catchphrase ‘quality is our pride.’ I blew the whistle so Hyundai and Kia would keep this promise.

“I am glad I helped save vehicle owners everywhere several billion dollars in repair costs.”

1

Roughly 1.6 million vehicles fitted with the Theta II engine were recalled, affecting the 2011-2014 Hyundai Sonata, 2013-2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, 2011-2014 Kia Optima, 2012-2014 Kia Sorento, and 2011-2013 Kia Sportage.

Kim is the first person to be awarded compensation under the United States Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act, passed in 2015.