Polestar O2 is a stunning sports roadster concept with a built-in drone

02 March 2022

Today all-electric Volvo offshoot Polestar has introduced a new concept, called O2. It builds on the previously used Precept design language, and uses Polestar's new bespoke aluminum platform. It's meant to redefine sport roadsters for the electric age, according to the company, and it sure does look impressive.

It's a hard-top convertible, and Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath describes it as the hero car for the brand. "It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential. This is a taste of what we can design and engineer with the talent and technology we have in-house. It looks incredible, and being able to lower the roof and not hear an engine promises a superb sensation", he says.

The Polestar O2 mixes "the joy of open top driving with the purity of electric mobility", Polestar Head of Design Maximilian Missoni thinks, adding that this should "unlock a new mix of emotions in a car".

The driving experience is designed to be "lively, light, and full of confidence". The bespoke bonded aluminum platform adapted from the Polestar 5 and developed in-house by the company's UK R&D team brings with it tight body control, high rigidity and intuitive dynamics. An agile, direct steering feel is also promised, with "great steering torque build-up".

The Polestar O2 has a low and wide body, a 2+2 cabin design, minimal overhangs and a long wheelbase. With integrated ducts that improve air flow over the wheels and body sides, aerodynamics are "manipulated to maximize range". Different grades of aluminum are used throughout the chassis "to help deliver a thrilling driving experience".

Inside, recycled polyester is the sole material used for all the soft components, like foam, adhesive, 3D knit fibers, and non-woven lamination.

Oh, and integrated behind the rear seats you'll find an autonomous cinematic drone, developed in collaboration with Hoco Flow, Aerofugia's consumer electronics brand. The drone can be deployed while the car is moving, to record the perfect driving sequence.

To enable a swift take-off, Polestar engineers developed a specialized aerofoil that raises behind the rear seats to create "a calm area of negative pressure". The drone automatically follows the car at speeds of up to 90 km/h (55 mph), and the driver can pick either an "atmospheric sequence" (great for a chill coastline cruise), or a more action-filled sequence "with a sportier expression".

After filming, the drone will autonomously return to the car. Video clips can be watched, edited, and shared, straight from the O2's 15-inch center display when parked.

Of course, as with all concepts, the main question is how much of this we'll see in an eventual production-ready Polestar sports roadster. For now, the O2 serves as a showcase of where Polestar is headed in terms of design, sustainability, and features for its ever-growing roster of EVs. And dare we say it outright - we really like what we're seeing here.