Interested in the BMW M3-fighting Volvo S60 Polestar? Be prepared to cut a $300,000 check, according to PistonHeads. While at the beginning we thought the S60 Polestar was a production announcement, it in fact was a one-off done for a specific customer. The point of the exercise was to drum up publicity for Volvo and Polestar, and possibly gain feedback about production.
For now though, Polestar will be happy to undertake the effort on an individual basis. There’s only one small problem – this is supercar-territory. Given all the engineering work that was put into the car and the exclusivity factor, we could see why a one-off effort would cost a lot of money. Successive models though? No way. On the development side, a lot of work has been done – the S60 Polestar is far more than just an S60 with some added power.
For instance, weight has been reduced by 204 pounds. Under the hood the S60 Polestar retains the original T6 engine, boosted by a Garrett turbocharger to 508 horsepower and 424 pound feet of torque. That is up by a whopping 208 hp and 99 lb-ft. Polestar opted to keep the same engine rather than fitting the Yahama V-8 from the S80 and XC90, as was speculated. That power is routed through a six-speed manual and put to the ground via a Haldex all-wheel drive system.
The exterior, finished in Polestar’s striking blue, is 1.1 inches lower and 0.7 inches wider thanks to a body kit. The front track has also been widened by 0.7 inches in the front and 1.5 inches out back. An Ohlins three-way suspension and stiffened chassis round out the changes underneath. The S60 Polestar is an undeniably polished effort. We doubt they’ll find many takers at $300,000, but here’s to hoping Volvo and Polestar having something else for the mainstream up their sleeves. Something like this would really get the attention of enthusiasts at the production level.
