Last summer, Polestar confirmed plans to build a new high-spec version of its only currently-in-production model, the Polestar 2. Based on an all-wheel-drive dual-motor 2 with the optional Performance Pack, each “BST edition 270” adds adjustable Öhlins shocks with remote reservoirs for the front dampers, plus lower and stiffer springs that drop the ride height by 25 millimeters.
Polestar plans to only build 270 examples—hence the numerical nomenclature, which also refers to a one-off experimental version of the 2 that served as a hillclimb specialist at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2021. But these tweaks could hint at future Polestar performance products.
Since the company was spun off from Volvo’s former tuning arm, many were curious to see how hot this new 2 would be. At a Polestar-hosted media drive this month, which snaked through the ridges and through the canyons of the Santa Cruz Mountains south of the San Francisco Bay Area, I got the chance to find out.
As fog blew in off the Pacific Ocean and rain began to sprinkle the redwoods, the conditions produced a nearly ideal scenario for exploring the capability of a Swedish EV sporting some Scandinavian rally-inspired enhancements.
More Than Straight-Line Speed
When first announced, the BST looked set to top the 2 lineup with more power not available on lower-spec models, but since then, the Performance Pack also received drivetrain optimizations to match the claimed 476 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque that the BST now delivers. Performance electrics often deliver torque with the force of Thor’s hammer for dramatic straight line speed, but they’re often heavy and less nimble than traditional performance cars when the road curves. The BST 270 is not like that.
Suspension modifications include the adjustable Öhlins shocks, with 22 clicks from firmest to softest damping, the adjustable lowering coilover springs, and a strut tower brace hidden beneath the frunk’s plastic cladding. A set of staggered 21-inch wheels measuring eight inches up front and nine at the rear harkens to the original Polestar 1, with 245-millimeter wide Pirelli P-Zero tires all around replacing the Performance Pack’s Continental SportContact rubber.
Even on the slippery undulations of Skyline Boulevard, which often give way to jarring dips and bumps, the grippier Pirellis provide plenty of traction to unleash all of the BST’s prodigious low-end torque.
Those road imperfections also ripple through the 2’s skateboard-style battery layout much more than on the softer trims, but Polestar’s reps set the Öhlins to the seventh-firmest setting, which allowed for entirely new levels of confidence while pushing the 4,650-pound EV through corners. Remember, this car weighs almost twice as much as a Mazda MX-5 Miata.
Polestar also offers the ability to select three levels of steering assist, three levels of regenerative braking and a Sport mode that ups throttle response while turning off Electronic Stability Control. Especially for the expanding EV market, that ability to fine-tune driving dynamics becomes all the more important since even a Chevy Bolt now feels quick off the line.
And the BST delivers handling that only a few other EVs can match. Hard braking with four-piston Brembos causes enough suspension compression to create nearly instantaneous turn-in, though selecting the Standard steering setting as opposed to Firm actually provides a bit more feel during aggressive driving.
Lifting off the brake pedal and using the accelerator’s regen allows for excellent weight transfer, though admittedly after a bit of an adjustment period. And even with ESC off in Sport mode, Polestar purposefully programmed the dual motors to send more power to the rear wheels before the fronts link up and pull the BST out of corners in classic rally car fashion.
Even without setting the Öhlins to their softest setting, the all-electric BST still definitely slots in as a spirited commuter car for city dwellers who perhaps enjoy a morning of canyon carving every now and then.
The EV market will also surely continue to evolve between now and whenever the forthcoming 3, 4, 5 and 6 actually arrive—two crossovers, a stately sedan, and an open-topped roadster, respectively. The 2’s mid-level 247 miles of range will also factor into consumer decision-making before those future models promise more range and sophistication.
Proving EVs Can Be Fun
In the meantime, the BST comes across as more of a project intending to prove that EVs can be fun. That’s an important message given the company’s “pure play” ethos (an investing pun intended to serve as the company’s guiding light), but it also acknowledges competition from cars like the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3 Performance.
Polestar’s excellent interior design never disappoints, but a few more sporty touches to up the fun factor might have been nice additions to the package: a flat-bottom steering wheel, for example, rather than just the Öhlins gold-colored seatbelts and seats with thigh bolsters also available on the Performance Pack.
How many buyers option the exterior graphics package remains a question, too. While the racing stripe serves to differentiate the BST and call out the rarity factor, the bold style clashes with Polestar’s modern, minimalist lines. And can rarity really contribute enough pizazz to counteract the sticker shock of a $75,500 version of an entry-level EV, even a premium one? The answer is a resounding yes, as every last BST out of the 47 headed to America has already been sold.
At that price point, the BST costs only $7,000 less than a base Porsche Taycan and about the same amount more than the highest-spec BMW i4 M50, which comes with 536 horsepower and slightly more range.
Old School Polestar
Still, the attractive design looks even better hunkered down slightly over the larger wheels and lower profile tires. Versus a Performance Pack, which rides slightly softer on rougher roads with noticeably more body roll, the BST sacrifices only minimal comfort while delivering much more capability at the limits of traction. It feels like a tuner car, the kind Polestar once built for Volvo, just an electric one.
Critically too, plays opposite to the base Long Range Single Motor, which often feels as if the chassis is outmatched by the prodigious torque being delivered by one motor to the front wheels only. The upgrades materially improve the drive.
As a counterpoint to both, Tesla builds a single-motor rear-drive Model 3 that avoids any torque steer in the name of almost excessive tail-happy sliding—probably the most fun car in the lineup and one that costs about half a BST. But the Model 3 could never keep up on the winding roads Polestar selected to show off their newest creation’s capabilities.
A panoramic roof also proved surprising on the BST—perhaps a consideration to the premium pricing, but a slicktop might have shaved more weight. Still, in BST guise, Polestar manages to hide the 2’s heft quite well, marking a solid step forward in chassis tuning. And if Polestar can create an EV as fun as the BST based on their cheapest offering, just imagine how well the Precept and 02 Roadster concepts will drive as eventual production vehicles.
For now, the BST tops the Polestar lineup as a rare rally or hillclimb specialist for those diehard EV buyers who demand a bit more fun out of their commuter cars.
Polestar provided lodging and travel to enable Forbes Wheels to bring you this first-person drive report. Although Forbes Wheels sometimes participates in manufacturer-hosted events, our coverage is independent, unbiased and aimed at offering consumers an objective view of every vehicle we test.