872bhp Polestar 5 Shows Off Tesla Beating Potential At Goodwood

Forget the Polestar 1, the Swedish EV manufacturer has a new halo model, and it’s the Polestar 5. And with four doors and a curved ‘GT’ roofline, it’s right in the wheelhouse of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and Tesla Model S Plaid.

While not as devastatingly powerful as the 1020bhp Model S Plaid, it boasts a still-impressive 872bhp and 700Nm of torque thanks to its dual-motor setup and 800-volt architecture. Importantly, it’s enough to eclipse the Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which can only achieve its peak output of 761bhp during short bursts of overboost.

Scheduled to arrive in 2024, the Polestar 5 is making its on-track debut at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it’s appearing in white and grey camouflage that would be right at home in Lapland. Following its runs, it will be available for fans to pore over in the ‘First Glance’ paddock.

Pete Allen, Head of Polestar UK R&D, said: “The platform combines low-volume performance car attributes with modern technological advances to bring light-weight, high-rigidity sports car chassis technology into mass production”. It has a bonded aluminium structure developed for supercars in the UK, including the likes of Aston Martin, Lotus and McLaren.

Polestar’s British R&D team has been recruited to ensure the 5 has top notch handling, comfort and driving range, the latter relying on advanced aerodynamics. The battery pack will be particularly low down, improving the car’s centre of gravity and enabling designers to make the 5’s bodywork as sleek as possible. It should also free up more room inside, potentially even giving rear passengers more legroom than the Taycan, which isn’t famed for its spacious cabin.

Its design has been inspired by Polestar’s Precept concept car, and unlike some EVs it retains the long bonnet familiar with sporting models. There’s a new, compact interpretation of the Thor’s Hammer headlights, while the grille is now more like a shield for the car’s electronic sensors.

A glimpse of the interior shows it will be dominated by a central touchscreen interface that has a ‘floating’ design, but Polestar has shunned a single-screen approach, and will still include a separate driver’s display behind the steering wheel.