Experimental high-performance Polestar 2 revealed at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The standard Polestar 2 is already among the more powerful electric cars you can buy, but the Swedish brand has now unveiled an experimental high-performance version of the car. It sees power boosted from 402bhp to 469bhp, along with wheel, brake and suspension tweaks for a more aggressive look and improved handling.

Development of the prototype was prompted by Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, who said: "I challenged the design and engineering teams to play with [the] Polestar 2 and come up with something that makes a strong statement… We want to flex our muscles and explore opportunities."

Key aspects of the upgrades made to the car include a 10mm wider track each side and a 30mm drop in ride height. The six-piston Akebono brakes used for the plug-in hybrid Polestar 1 coupe have been fitted, and this has necessitated an alloy-wheel upgrade to 21 inches. The wheelarches in turn have also been widened.

Stiffer springs (80% greater at the front and 40% greater at the rear), three-way performance dampers from Swedish company Öhlins and carbon-fibre front and rear suspension strut bars, combined with the aforementioned software-based power increase, complete the upgrades.

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Polestar chief chassis engineer Joakim Rydholm is driving the car on the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb over the course of the 2021 running of the event, which takes place from 8-11 July at the West Sussex venue. He said: “This car is what happens when we are given freedom to go beyond our limits. We already have such great handling and performance characteristics in [the] Polestar 2, but when Thomas asked me to make something special… I was really excited to up the stakes."

Finishing touches on the outside comprise updated front and rear bumpers, a racing stripe, a colour-coded front grille and glossy black mirrors. The bumpers and side skirts feature an additional colour-coded design accent, while the wheels have both glossy and matte black surfaces.

There's no indication whether this car or something close to it could enter production, however Polestar is already expanding the 2 line-up beyond its initial offering, with less powerful and less expensive single-motor variants joining the range soon.