Polestar unveils the convertible O2 Concept

Behold, Polestar’s latest concept. The Polestar O2 (That's O₂ for Oxygen). A 2+2 hardtop convertible based on the Polestar Precept, the brand’s four-door GT. Considering how the achingly pretty Precept will be entering production as the Polestar 5 in 2024, a convertible entrant to the Polestar lineup seems highly likely.

“Polestar O2 is the hero car for our brand. It opens the door to our secret chamber of future potential.” Says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar. “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.”

No denying, the Polestar O2 is a pretty looking thing. It shares the same front fascia and hindquarters as the Precept, though in a shortened coupe-ish silhouette with a folding hard top. Mind you, that roof even has a glass canopy for an extra dose of panache. Or bragging rights.

Even the interior appears largely similar to the Precept. No doubt that they’ve managed to use all manner of recycled PET bottles or fishing nets for several aspects of the interior like they have on the Precept. Reclaimed materials aside, the O2 has the same 15-inch vertical infotainment screen as the four-door GT’s, with an identical cabin layout and dash. Polestar’s signature gold seat belts make an appearance here too.

Beneath the body-coloured Polestar badge on the snout, the O2 concept seems to incorporate the “SmartZone” sensor array from the Precept concept. The roof-mounted LIDAR Custer from the precept seems to be absent on this convertible, even with the canopy attached, though we’re certain that the boffins in Gothenburg will find a way to house them somewhere on the O2's exterior.

Round the sides, the O2’s silhouette and contours are similar to the Precept four-door GT, albeit with the reduction of the rear doors and in convertible/targa form. Beneath the massive 22-inch rims, the O2 appears to utilise Akebono brakes with drilled discs. Another trait that we’ve seen on the Polestar 1 coupe.

The aft of the cab and stocky rear haunches are also reminiscent of the Polestar 1 and by extension, the Volvo P1800 coupe. However, unlike the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2, the O2 and Precept will not be based on Volvo’s existing SPA (used by the Volvo S60 and XC90 SUV) or CMA platforms.

Instead, they will be built atop a bespoke bonded aluminium chassis designed by Polestar’s R&D team in the UK. The brand has mentioned that the Polestar 5 will be stiffer than a “traditional two-seat sports or supercar”. A stiff, rigid platform that promises tighter body control and tauter handling dynamics? Oh yes, please.

And perhaps the biggest flex of all, the Polestar O2 comes with a drone. An autonomous cinematic drone, which we're told, can be deployed while on the move to record any particular bit of driving that you’d find exhilarating.

Fair warning though, the drone only follows the car at speeds of up to 90km/h. No word yet on the powertrain of the O2 (or the Precept, for that matter), but we’d hazard a guess and say that the car could easily outrun the drone.

Fancy being the star of a car chase or a tourism commercial? Maybe this is the concept for you.

PHOTOS Polestar