Teaser: Volvo S60 Polestar [w/video]

Polestar will present a performance concept road car, based on the Volvo S60 platform, at the next round of the Swedish TTA – Racing Elite League. Officially named Volvo S60 Polestar, it will be shown on 16th June at the third round of the new racing series, held at Polestar’s home track in downtown Gothenburg, Sweden.

“The performance concept road-car is a spin-off of our work evaluating and developing the S60 for racing,” says Polestar Marketing Director Hans Bååth.

When the Volvo C30 Polestar was presented in 2010, it gained a massive global interest and Polestar was flooded with requests from people interested in buying the car. The first Polestar concept-car was however not designed with production in mind and, at the time, Polestar was also in the midst of campaigning the Volvo C30 WTCC in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The first S60 Polestar is built for one of the most eager bidders for the original C30 Polestar.

“Whether there will be more cars built is an open question. First of all we want to get feedback on this first prototype,” Bååth continues.

In 2011, Volvo decided to switch its race-car entry from the C30 to the S60 model. Polestar then started an intense research and evaluation-program to collect and compile vehicle data from the S60 platform. The final decision on what racing class to enter was yet to be taken and Polestar needed to learn as much as possible about the S60’s built-in characteristics.

Jan Andersson, responsible for complete vehicle development at Polestar explains: “What we found was another very strong Volvo with great potential for motorsport applications and also an almost ideal platform for a road-going performance car. Volvo’s engineers are known around the world for their achievements in car and traffic safety. What is less widely understood is that strong and safe cars also make great platforms for motorsport and performance.”

Polestar has co-operated with Volvo since 1996 and has to date successfully raced five different Volvo models starting with the Volvo 850. Volvo bodies are strong and solid designs, built to withstand extreme forces straight from the factory which makes them ideal for building race cars. While in the S60 TTA car, almost every single part is designed and manufactured for racing purposes only, the Volvo S60 Polestar is to a great extent based on standard Volvo S60 T6 components.

Derek Crabb, Motorsport Director at Volvo Cars: “The car we present is yet another result of our close co-operation, where Polestar’s motorsport and performance experience is combined with Volvo’s in-depth knowledge about the car and its technology.”

Exact specifications of the car will be revealed at the official launch at the Gothenburg City Arena.

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