Testing the new Polestar 2 BST Edition 270

Verdict

The Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 will set the company on a path that will result in a high-performance version of every car it creates. This first effort is certainly yielding impressive results, but we are not convinced that customers will ever discover its potential.

It was never intended to produce a performance version of the Polestar 2but when CEO Thomas Ingenlath asked his team if they could make his company car faster, it was only a matter of time before it became a production reality.

This journey began in 2020 when a concept – called the Beast – was presented to the Goodwood Festival of Speed. A year later, a development car ran up the hill at the same event. It is now ready for production, with a name – the TSB Edition 270 – and a punchy price tag of £68,990, which doesn’t include the bespoke gray color scheme or center stripe, both of which are options; £5,000 for the gray wrap (yes, really) and £1,000 for the stripe.

Based on the twin-motor Polestar 2 with the optional Performance Pack, the BST 270 has the same 78 kWh battery positioned between the front and rear axles and one motor on each producing a combined output of 476 hp (compared to 402 hp for the standard twin motor), with torque increasing by 20Nm to 680Nm. It’s a tenth quicker at 62mph in 4.4 seconds and has the same top speed of 127mph and claims a range of 287 miles.

Where are the performance gains? From the frame. Employing the services of Ohlins, The North Star once again requested something bespoke from the suspension company. In the case of the BST 270, it is a two-way adjustable shock absorber for the front axle that includes a dual-flow valve allowing both rebound and compression changes at the turn of a knob.

The goal was to improve shock response times, low-speed ride, mid-range compliance and high-speed control. An aluminum strut reinforcement for the front of the car has also been developed and fitted.

The BST rides on 25mm shorter springs that are also 20% stiffer and comes with new 21-inch wheels fitted with bespoke Pirelli P Zero tyres. Polestar also asked Brembo to design a new braking system that is 20% lighter.

As for the damper settings, Polestar’s recommendation for the road is seven clicks of rebound and the same for compression, the settings applied to the monotube rear shock when lifting the car and getting on the hands and knees and doing it manually. To tune the front, you open the hood and turn the easily accessible knobs on the remote reservoirs.

On the road, the BST 270’s body control and ride are vastly improved over the Performance Pack-equipped Polestar 2, a car that crashes and thumps onto the surface in any condition, shattering the calm from within soothing. It takes very few miles to appreciate the quieter, more controlled and polished ride of the BST. He is still caught by the roughness of the surfaces, but he no longer falls awkwardly on them.

As a result, it flows much better down the road, steering more briskly through corners, and it feels more settled at the top and more enthusiastic on the exit. It’s not a BMW i4 M50, but it’s a more composed car that feels more in tune with the performance its engines have to offer.

If you (and we doubt many BST buyers will) find yourself in a pit lane, adjusting the damper settings means you can tune understeer and oversteer to create a chassis that responds and suits your driving style. And while that’s a rather odd proposition for a 2.2-tonne EV, there’s no denying that the work that has gone into creating the BST is hugely impressive.

You can also tune the shocks for heavy payloads and/or poor road conditions, of course, though those stiffer springs are still a factor when it comes to ride comfort.

With just 270 examples of the BST set to build, and the 40 allocated for the UK already spoken of, you’re as likely to see one on the road as you are. McLaren Senna. Which makes it not only a curious beast, but also a rare beast.