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Polestar 1, a 600-horsepower hybrid sports coupe from Volvo


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The Polestar 1 is a 600-horsepower hybrid sports coupe from Volvo

https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/17/16487290/polestar-volvo-hybrid-electric-revealed

 

While Volvo has taken several steps in recent years to reinvent itself as an upscale and technological automaker, its newly created Polestar brand is about to show off how performance and electrification will work together in the future. The Polestar 1, shown Tuesday at an event in Shanghai, will go on sale in mid-2019 as a limited production sports coupe that will be the first of three new cars dedicated to Volvo’s new performance division.

But the Polestar 1 is about what’s under the skin. Volvo pledged to introduce only electrified vehicles from 2019, and that also includes the Polestar models. Therefore, the Polestar 1 has up to 600 horsepower through its gasoline-hybrid powertrain. Two electric motors at the back make a combined 218 horsepower with an estimated range of 93 miles on a charge. For more performance, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine up front teams with those electric motors for the full 600. Polestar says this car has the longest range of any hybrid on the market.

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The performance aspect of the Polestar 1, however, is not limited to the engine, as it features a new Öhlins Continuously Controlled Electronic Suspension that allows the driver to change suspension settings from inside the car for better ride or handling, depending on conditions.

Despite using the same platform as the 90-series cars, Polestar officials said the new car shares only half of its parts with the Volvo models. The new coupe makes substantial use of carbon fiber to reduce weight and lower the center of gravity, the company said.

It’s also more than two feet shorter than an S90 sedan, resulting in the Polestar 1 having tiny back seats and a much smaller trunk — both of which also allow it to look more like a sports car. The parts sharing becomes more obvious inside, where aside from bespoke details, the Polestar 1’s dashboard looks like it could come from any recent Volvo. That’s not a bad thing at all, since we’ve found Volvo’s Sensus infotainment system to be a snap to use.

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The Polestar 1 also gets a “phone-as-key” system through an app on Apple or Android devices, allowing the driver to get into the car without a key. It also lets the driver authorize third parties to get into the vehicle for reasons such as servicing the car, fueling or charging it, or using one of the concierge services that parent Volvo is trying to set up.

Polestar cars will be assembled at a new facility in Chengdu, China; Volvo and Polestar being owned by China’s Geely. A second Polestar model, which will be a full EV, is said to go into production by the end of 2019, followed by a third model that will be an SUV-style EV. You can order one of the 500 Polestar 1s made per year starting today for an undisclosed price. But like the new Volvo XC40, Polestar says it will offer a subscription model for payment on its vehicles that will include things such as maintenance and insurance.

While Polestar may be taking a different route compared to BMW’s M division or Mercedes’ AMG line in terms of making performance cars, it looks like it could do a good job highlighting Volvo’s ambitions when it comes to envisioning what an electrified performance future will look like.

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I saw Volvo S90 T8 and XC60 T8 model at KL Mid-valley mall during their roadshow on 18Oct (Wed).

 

S90T8 selling around RM$380K (on the road price)

406 horses.

Fuel consumption is 2L/100km (Dont know how true is it)

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I wonder why car makers make this kinda low volume sports car they can hardly recoup and money spent on the tech. Most of them make losses.

 

2 motors at the rear and....I suppose the front is driven by the gas 2.0L turbo engine...with clever torque vectoring I guess. So it rivals car like the Honda/Acura NSX...although the NSX has a much larger twin turbo 3.5L V6. Have to look at the power to weight figures of both cars to see how they match up. Another rival will be the bmw i8.

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I wonder why car makers make this kinda low volume sports car they can hardly recoup and money spent on the tech. Most of them make losses.

 

2 motors at the rear and....I suppose the front is driven by the gas 2.0L turbo engine...with clever torque vectoring I guess. So it rivals car like the Honda/Acura NSX...although the NSX has a much larger twin turbo 3.5L V6. Have to look at the power to weight figures of both cars to see how they match up. Another rival will be the bmw i8.

 

i think this could be a statement car, to show the world what volvo is capable of and where they are heading, so P&L may not be their priority. I'm sure the cost is absorbed by the marketing and R&D dept.

 

there isn't anything like that in the market, a 2+2 GT 592hp hybrid. First mover advantage maybe?

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I wonder why car makers make this kinda low volume sports car they can hardly recoup and money spent on the tech. Most of them make losses.

 

2 motors at the rear and....I suppose the front is driven by the gas 2.0L turbo engine...with clever torque vectoring I guess. So it rivals car like the Honda/Acura NSX...although the NSX has a much larger twin turbo 3.5L V6. Have to look at the power to weight figures of both cars to see how they match up. Another rival will be the bmw i8.

It's called marketing. When a car company seldom or nvr build a supercar before, its their way to let consumers/reviewers know that they have the technology to make one. One good example is the LFA.

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Turbocharged

I don't like the new volvo rear end language but the rest of it is pretty neat.

 

Arguably this is more of a statement vehicle from Volvo/Polestar than it is to itself create revenue...

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as some say, they use this type of hype car as marketing, so people will think Volvo cars had great DNA, but in fact most of the cars u buy from the manufacturer, they are the normal mass produced that are very different and a far cry from what marketed at the upper end.

 

The strategy is similar to why some manufacturers participate in F1 and other races.  Bcos it makes people feel they are driving a racing dna car.

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Never heard of Volvo having a racing DNA (if there is such a thing)..... 

 

Concept cars are just concept cars unless you have a good track record of following through closely your concept cars to full production models.

 

Or else, any 1st year art design student also can give you a futuristic no-holds bar concept car design. He/she doesn't need to make it work in real life in manufacturing sense. 

 

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Never heard of Volvo having a racing DNA (if there is such a thing)..... 

 

Concept cars are just concept cars unless you have a good track record of following through closely your concept cars to full production models.

 

Or else, any 1st year art design student also can give you a futuristic no-holds bar concept car design. He/she doesn't need to make it work in real life in manufacturing sense. 

 

Actually there is one.

 

Last time Volvo has so much character back then...

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Never heard of Volvo having a racing DNA (if there is such a thing).....

 

Concept cars are just concept cars unless you have a good track record of following through closely your concept cars to full production models.

 

Or else, any 1st year art design student also can give you a futuristic no-holds bar concept car design. He/she doesn't need to make it work in real life in manufacturing sense.

It's actually a production car. Will be availabe in 2019.
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Supersonic

This Volvo Electric Supercar needs to happen...

 

https://www.motor1.com/news/252940/volvo-electric-supercar-rendering/

 

Talk about making an electrifying statement.

volvo-ev-supercar-rendering.jpg

If demand for the Volvo Polestar Engineered S60 is any indication of Volvo’s electrified popularity, it only makes sense for the automaker to create an electric supercar that will become the brand’s halo offering. Or maybe we’re just dreaming. News of Volvo’s electric future isn’t new or scarce. Earlier today we reported on a new trademark filing that could hint at future Volvo EVs. The rendering we have here is an electric supercar that borrows some design cues from the Polestar Engineered S60. While it isn’t a full EV, it is a 415-horsepower hybrid, which is a darn good start toward an all EV future. 

Up front, we have Volvo’s corporate grille and logo – and what appears to be some sort of modification that lights up. The headlights – much thinner than what the company currently uses – retains a hint of the Thor’s Hammer styling element that’s become iconic of the brand. The hood is low, bulging upward toward the base of the windshield, mimicking the exaggerated wheel arch. 

Moving back, the raked windshield flows into what appears to be a fastback design with the greenhouse silhouette cascading into the rear bumper design. We don’t know for sure because we can’t see the rear end. The way the car sits in the rendering makes it appear to have a wide back end, with the rear wheels pushed out far to the corners of the car, which could be a design choice to keep the batteries as low as possible in the chassis to improve handling. 

Right now, this is nothing more than just vaporware. It’s an idea that makes sense to enthusiasts, but likely won’t make financial sense for the Swedish luxury automaker. EVs are expensive to design and engineer, and those costs are then passed on to the consumer. If Volvo ever decides to make an EV supercar, it will be years down the road once costs are controllable and performance nothing short of impeccable. 

 

 

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New Polestar 2 to be revealed in two weeks' time

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-goodwood-festival-speed/new-polestar-2-be-revealed-two-weeks-time

40.2.jpg?itok=XZfmbo9b

 

Polestar will reveal its second production model, the Polestar 2, on 27 February in an online event.

The electric car will then be shown at the Geneva motor show, with the newly independent brand saying it intends to tread a different path to existing manufacturers when it comes to the launch and roll-out of its models.

 

Today, a second preview image of the 2 has been released, showing more of its rear design. The tailgate shape is distinguished from the Polestar 1's and features a full-length LED light bar.

Details are still scarce, but Polestar refers to the 2's bodystyle as that of a four-door 'fastback' and says that it will be the first vehicle to feature Google's new human-machine interface technology and the in-car version of Google Assistant. 

The car will "be sold in the Tesla Model 3 price range", Polestar has said, suggesting a likely starting price of around £50,000. Customers will purchase it on a subscription basis, set to take the form of "a slightly more premium version" of Volvo's Care by Volvo scheme. 

The 2 is claimed to produce up to 400bhp and have a range of roughly 300 miles. 

Speaking to Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2018, Polestar COO Jonathan Goodman confirmed some details of the new model. 

Talking about the range of the entry-level model, he said: "That will represent the lower ‘bookend’ of our showroom range, and for now it should give us as much access to the volume end of the EV market as we need." 

The 2 is understood to closely relate to the Volvo 40.2 concept that was shown early in 2017 alongside the 40.1, which was then revealed in production form as the Volvo XC40 compact SUV.

Goodman also warned that any established manufacturer that launches an EV sub-brand built on alternative design over the next few years might be making a big mistake, given the pace at which the market for EVs is set to develop.

“The global electric car market was worth four million units in 2017,” explained Goodman, “but it’s quite widely expected to be worth 29 million units by 2025. EV owners will come from all walks of life. So it’s a mistake to assume that, because the cars are electric, you have to make them quirky or futuristic.

"Other brands may be doing that, but if we’re looking at a market worth 30 million cars within seven years, it isn’t going to be niche, it’s going to be mainstream. So you just design a great-looking car – not one with a big blue flash down the side.”

In contrast to the cultish following that rival brand Tesla has attracted, Goodman also wants Polestar to have an inclusive attitude towards its customers. “I think it’s very dangerous for brands like ours to sit here and ask ‘what’s our type of customer?'", he said.

“Electric cars will be just as appealing to young executives as they are to retirees. It’s a new market, and purchase intentions will vary. So we’ve got to be a welcoming brand that’s not geeky, cliquey or judgmental.” 

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