Polestar 2 Arctic Circle is one-off rally special

Volvo's EV offshoot Polestar has unleashed a rally-ready version of the Polestar 2 named the Arctic Circle Edition.

It is even more powerful and brings a host of upgrades that enable the 2 to drift silently across the ice, including new snow tyres and underbody protection.

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As cool as the Arctic Circle Edition is, it's not slated for production and is instead a study of the potential Polestar's 2 has. Underneath is the electric workings of the Long Range variant with 350kW of power being delivered to both front and rear axles, and 680Nm of torque. Helping to elicit maximum grip in slippery conditions is a new launch control system that can handle the power and torque boost.

Based on the 2, which is now on sale in Australia, the Arctic Circle looks rather similar outside, but with rally-ready equipment.

This includes; quad-LED floodlights in an unusual square arrangement, unique matte grey paint scheme, some minimalist livery, 19-inch OZ Racing lightweight alloys with studded snow tyres, underbody protection, and a yellow recovery hook. Inside are Recaro bucket seats trimmed in grey and gold, and the car has a carbon fibre snow shovel and recovery strap.

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Helping the Arctic Circle carve up ice at speed is a new suspension system, featuring 30 per cent softer springs and 30 millimetre higher ground clearance via three-way-adjustable Ohlins dampers. Front and rear strut braces have also been added to add rigidity and the standard four-piston brakes are good enough for the job.

The unique model is in part the creation of Polestar's chief chassis engineer, Joakim Rydholm, who is also a rally driver.

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“I wanted to have more fun than usual with this car – really being able to push it in terms of performance and handling in a winter environment such as a frozen lake," said Rydholm.

"The balance and predictability we have achieved with the raised ride height and specialised tyres are particularly noticeable when you enter a bend completely sideways, with a bigger-than-usual smile on your face, and in total control.”

While this edition is not hitting production, some of the upgrades might – such as the boost to power and torque, which could, in theory, be a future over-the-air upgrade from Polestar.