Polestar 2 With 469 HP And Stiffer Suspension To Tackle Goodwood Hillclimb

With this year’s Goodwood Festival Of Speed just under the corner, Polestar announced it will tackle the famous track with a specially prepared Polestar 2. The experimental prototype has more power from the electric motors, new brakes, larger wheels, and a heavily tuned suspension for improved handling.

Company CEO Thomas Ingenlath challenged the team to create a special Polestar 2 for Goodwood after driving another prototype nicknamed “Beast” around the Gothenburg factory. We guess he is referring to the one he posted on Instagram a few months ago that featured similar visual and mechanical modifications.

See Also: Hotter Polestar 2 Teased By CEO, Might Remain A Prototype

The Experimental Polestar 2 is based on the Long-range Dual Motor production car (there is also a single-motor version). The twin motors’ combined output has been increased from the stock car’s 402 hp (300 kW / 408 PS) to 469 hp (350 kW / 476 PS). Polestar didn’t provide performance figures, but it will surely be faster than the production version which accelerates from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.7 seconds.

The most important changes however are found in the suspension setup. The front springs have been stiffened by a massive 80 percent and the rear ones by 40 percent, and there are new Öhlins three-way adjustable performance dampers that are 30 percent stiffer. The front and rear tracks are wider by 20 mm (0.79 inches) and suspension is lowered by 30 mm (1.18 inches). The car also gets a carbon-fiber front suspension strut bar borrowed from the S60 Polestar Engineered and a custom-made rear strut bar for added rigidity.

The Experimental Polestar 2 sits on 21-inch wheels with 275/30R Pirelli PZero Rosso tires hiding more powerful six-piston Akebono brakes from the Polestar 1. Visual changes include wider fenders and redesigned front and rear bumpers featuring body-colored accents on the extensions. Finally, the Snow Matte exterior paint is combined with a Magnesium Matte racing stripe and black wheels.

The sporty bodykit – which is different from the previous prototype from a few months ago – would look amazing on a future performance variant of the Polestar 2, although the company hasn’t revealed if they intend of producing a proper Tesla Model 3 Performance competitor. If they ever do, it might inherit many features from the Experimental prototype besides the rock-solid suspension which would definitely ruin the Polestar’s ride quality and make it unusable in everyday life.

Read Also: Performance Pack Adds Awesomeness To Your Polestar 2

Joakim Rydholm, chief chassis engineer, who will drive the prototype in Goodwood, said: “This car is what happens when we are given the freedom to go beyond our limits. Polestar 2 is already a wonderfully dynamic car and we have spent thousands of hours fine-tuning its driving characteristics. The new chassis set-up for Goodwood has really taken it to the next level. I can’t wait to go up the hill!”