Developed from 17 years of motorsport experience, and sharing DNA with the 508bhp Volvo S60 Polestar Concept Car, the first road car from Polestar to be put into production is here - the Volvo S60 Polestar.
"We have built a car that we, as car enthusiasts, want to drive," says Christian Dahl, Managing Director of Polestar.
"This is a driver's car, bringing out the very best of the already competent Volvo S60 chassis with our experience and technology from motorsport.
"We received a fantastic response to our Volvo C30 and S60 Polestar concept cars, so we're happy to now introduce our first production car to the Australian market. This is an important step forward for Polestar, one that promises an exciting future."
Australia to be pilot market for limited edition project
A limited production run has been developed exclusively for the Australian market as a pilot project, with the first cars being delivered to customers in late June 2013.
Introduction of the Volvo S60 Polestar to further markets is under investigation pending the response of the Australian introduction.
"The Australian market for performance cars is, and has always been, strong," says Matt Braid, Managing Director of Volvo Car Australia.
"We are delighted to be able to offer our customers the Volvo S60 Polestar, a car more than capable of getting into the thick of the action in this competitive segment of the market.
"The work done by Polestar on the S60 is impressive to say the least - they have transformed the already fun to drive Volvo S60 into a great handling driver's car."
Extensive chassis development - by racing drivers
Key to the development of the Volvo S60 Polestar was the extensive work done on the chassis over thousands of test kilometers in Europe - from the fast autobahns in Germany to the twisty roads of southern Spain, and the freezing cold of northern Sweden.
Volvo Polestar Racing driver Robert Dahlgren, a 33-year-old Swede with 10 years as a Volvo factory racing driver under his belt, has been an integral part of the development work.
"The Volvo S60 Polestar is a car that we are truly proud of, our first step to a 'mainstream' car available to the customers," he said.
"We have taken the best bits of the standard S60 T6 and our S60 Polestar Concept Car, creating a vehicle that puts a smile on your face when you drive it over your favourite twisty road. At the same time, it is more than capable of everyday driving, too.
"This is, in my eyes, a very good combination of the Volvo and Polestar core values: safety and performance."
Cutting-edge technology straight from the racetrack
Just as important as those from Polestar who developed the car is the technology underneath it.
The Volvo S60 Polestar shares technology from the Polestar racing cars, like dampers from Öhlins, high capacity brakes, and the extensively developed, highly-tuned chassis.
A new aerodynamic package has also been developed, including a front splitter, rear wing and diffuser - all having been tweaked and modified in the Volvo Car Group wind tunnel in collaboration with the Volvo Research and Development team.
The six-cylinder turbo-charged Volvo T6 engine has been optimised by Polestar with a bigger turbo, new intercooler, revised engine mapping and racing exhaust to produce 350bhp or 257kW and 500+Nm.
The S60 Polestar accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds, via a Polestar-tuned six-speed automatic gearbox - which also features a launch control system - and a Polestar-tuned Haldex 4WD system. The car is governed to a top speed of 250km/h.
Technical Specification
Performance
0-100km/h 4.9sec
Top speed 250km/h - limited
Engine
6-cylinder inline T6 engine, 2953cc
257kW (350bhp) @ 5700rpm
500+Nm @ 2800-4750rpm
Max 6500rpm
Polestar engine software
New Borg Warner turbo
New intercooler
2.5" stainless full-flow exhaust system with 3.5" tail pipes.
Chassis
Polestar Öhlins road and track, 2-way adjustable shock absorbers
Upgraded springs
60N/mm front, 65N/mm rear (80% stiffer than stock)
Upgraded stabilizers front and rear
Upgraded rear tie blades
Upgraded top mount in front and rear
Upgraded toe link arms in rear
Strut brace with carbonfibre enforcement
235/40R19, Michelin Pilot Super Sport
Bespoke Polestar rims, 8x19" ET51
Drivetrain
AWF21 automatic gearbox
Polestar software
Launch control
Modified transmission software for faster shifts and launch control
Modified AWD software for more rear torque
Brakes
Front: Volvo calipers
336 x 29mm ventilated discs
Jurid 958 performance brake pad
Rear: Volvo calipers
302 x 22mm ventilated Brembo discs
HP2000 Brembo performance brake pads
Aero
New Polestar front splitter corners
New Polestar rear spoiler
New Polestar diffuser
Weight
1684kg - same as standard S60 T6 R-Design
Interior / exterior
Polestar door trims
Polestar badge on front grille
Polestar badge on boot
Polestar gearshift knob
Polestar badge on engine
Polestar limited edition plate on door sills and steering wheel
Black mirror covers
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