Volvo is among a tiny minority of car companies building cars I care about and its new Polestar 1 has me working up a lather. It’s not technically a Volvo but rather the first car from its spinoff Polestar performance brand, and it’s slated to arrive in 2019. Like Tesla, there will not be dealerships, with all sales happening online and cars delivered to your door. Unlike Tesla, this thing is not just fast but also super sexy. Tesla just doesn’t do sexy unless you’re a Cumberbitch in which case maybe you disagree. They look alike, right?
Details for the Polestar 1 are fairly scant so far, having made its debut last week in Geneva. It’ll have tons of power (600HP) from a dual gasoline and electric motors and just 500 cars (all built in China) will be available per year. More Polestar models, all-electric with higher volume and lower prices will follow in 2020 and 2021. Polestar will work on a subscription basis, with leases (only) for new cars which include all maintenance and access to other cars while traveling, all accessed with an app-based key. Once the cars are three years old, they will be available for purchase. Intriguing.
So the big question is…how much? They haven't told us yet. Polestar started taking $2500 deposits earlier this week from pre-selected customers and those queuing to apply (yes I’m in that number). I like that better than the unofficial $170,000 figure supposedly mentioned by a Volvo executive but I think…I pray…even with just 500 available per year it won't be that steep. It’s very cool to see a brand shattering conventions and moving ahead with conviction. A fast, expensive, gorgeous coupe from a division of Volvo to be built in China and leased online. And Polestar has yet to utter those un-sexiest, yet most ubiquitous "future think" buzzwords – AUTONOMOUS DRIVING. I’ll work my own Polestar, thank you very much.
