Polestar O2 Concept Is An Electric Convertible With A Movie-Capturing Drone
Polestar O2 Concept Is an Electric Convertible With a Movie-Capturing Drone
Polestar is readying a slew of new EVs, with the Polestar 3 SUV coming in the second half of this year to compete with the Porsche Cayenne, the Polestar 4 crossover coming next year to compete with the Porsche Macan, and the Polestar 5 sedan coming in 2024 to compete with the Porsche Taycan. Now Polestar revealed a new concept car dubbed the O2, which is a stunning roadster that seems poised to compete with the Porsche 911 -- if it makes it to production, that is.
The O2 is built off the same Polestar-specific bonded aluminum platform that will be used by the 5, which uses construction that was once only found in the realm of exotic cars. No specs for the car were released, but Polestar says the super stiff platform affords the O2 excellent dynamics with minimal body roll. But honestly, specs don't matter when your car looks this damn good.
It looks awesome with the folding hardtop in place.
PolestarI got to see the O2 in person earlier this week, and it's unlike any existing droptop on the market. It basically takes the 5-previewing Precept concept's design language and applies it to a two-door convertible sized similarly to the Polestar 1, but with more dramatic proportions. The supercar-like nose is super low with not a ton of dash-to-axle ratio, and the overhangs are short front and rear. There's a lot of crisp lines and sharp detailing, and the blue paint looks excellent.
Above the beltline is where the O2's design really gets interesting. It uses a folding hardtop that stows under the rear deck, with enough room in the cabin for a generously sized back seat. With the roof up the O2 looks like a dramatic fastback coupe, and with the roof down it has an awesome profile with the bodywork kicking up at the rear. The roof itself is made up of two pieces that each have a glass panel, giving the car a combined sunroof and rear window when in place.
The interior is simple and gorgeous.
Daniel Golson/CNETThe O2's interior is nearly identical to the Precept's cabin, with a large central touchscreen floating in front of the thin dashboard. The center console's armrest features a single dial, and the simple steering wheel has two stalks, one of which is the gear selector. Polestar is very proud of the O2's "mono-material," its word for the use of one base material to create other parts. In this case, the O2 uses recycled polyster as the base for all the "soft" components of the interior, meaning the adhesives, foam, knit fibers and lamination. In addition to making everything simpler and more recyclable, the mono-material strategy is lighter and less wasteful.
Given that the O2 is a concept car, Polestar did give it one silly flourish. Integrated into the rear deck is what Polestar calls an "autonomous cinematic drone" that was developed with Aerofugia-owned brand Hoco Flow. This drone can be deployed at speeds up to 56 mph thanks to an automatic aerofoil that raises up to prevent wind buffeting, and it will autonomously follow the car and film it. Drivers can choose between two different modes, one for beauty shots and one for action shots, and the video clips can be edited and shared using the infotainment screen.
While the Polestar O2 is just a concept, CEO Thomas Ingenlath seems eager to put something like it into production. The Polestar 1 will be out of production soon, leaving the brand with a flagship-sized hole in its lineup, and there aren't currently any electric convertibles on sale. Something like the O2 would be a great fit for the brand, and with that new aluminum platform it wouldn't be too hard to make happen.
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