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Open-air Polestar a goer

Electric brand has green-lit production version of sensational 02 showstopper. NZ order book open.

SET aside around $315,000 for the production spin from Polestar’s latest concept, the O2 convertible hardtop concept revealed at the Los Angeles auto show in March.

The Sino-Swedish concern has announced intent to bring the swish styling sensation onto the street, as the Polestar 6. It’s an early heads up, as launch isn’t until 2026.

Polestar’s New Zealand distributor, part of the Giltrap Group that also handles the Volvo brand from which the electric operation spawned, has signalled local intention for the model, pointing potential buyers to an international order page.

How much? Polestar head office has also been dropping broad hints about likely price. On today’s market, the sleek looker would position at around $US200k – so, $315,000 in Kiwi dollars.

The convertible is based on the same light, bonded aluminium platform as the Polestar 5 electric sedan, due to launch in 2024.

They share a common design language such as the low, sharp nose, short overhangs and similar front lights.

With the Polestar 5's platform allowing for a few different combinations of battery pack and motor arrangements, Polestar has suggested at least one version of the Polestar 6 will have dual motors and all-wheel drive, developing up to 660kW and 900Nm of torque. That would give a 0-100kmh time of about 3.2 seconds and a range between charges of more than 600km.

When it was revealed, the O2 featured a drone that deploys from the rear of the car, behind the passenger compartment, with the car's rear end sporting an aerofoil rising behind the seats to reduce wake turbulence, allowing the drone to take off while the car is on the go.

Operating autonomously, the drone is capable of following the car at speeds of up to 90kmh, videoing the vehicle and its surroundings with the aim being to capture footage of the car driving at speed through a tight set of corners or through particularly scenic areas. When the drone returns to the vehicle, the footage can then be edited and uploaded to YouTube via the car's 15.0-inch infotainment display. The drone system was developed as a joint project between Polestar and Aerofugia, another company, like Polestar and Volvo, under the umbrella of Chinese car giant, Geely.

Sounds cool? It seems the drone will feature with the ‘LA Concept’ version, a launch special restricted to 500 units also in the same light blue colour, light leather interior and 21-inch alloy wheels as the show-stopper concepot.

After that, Polestar 6 will enter regular production, but not in huge counts. While it won't be an ultra-low-volume car, it also won't be a totally mass-market car like the Polestar 2.

Interested buyers can already reserve a build slot for one of the first LA Concept editions with a deposit of just under $40,000.