Polestar 1's Nurburgring Performance Is Seriously Impressive

Since the mid-1990s, Polestar has served as Volvo's in-house tuning division building high-performance versions of Volvo's sedate family sedans and SUVs. Today, however, Polestar manufactures its own range of electrified performance cars starting with the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid luxury grand tourer.

With its sleek styling, potent performance, and respectable range, the Polestar 1 was one of the best surprises of 2017 when it made its world debut. Since the Polestar 1 went on sale in 2019, owners have been able to find out if it lives up to the hype. YouTuber Misha Charoudin recently had the opportunity to put the Polestar 1 through its paces at the Nurburgring, and it's safe to say it exceeded all expectations.

Powering the Polestar 1 is a 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder unit with three electric motors generating a combined output of 600 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque. 0-62 mph takes just 4.2 seconds before the Polestar 2 tops out at 155 mph.

As you can see in the video, this impressive performance enables the Polestar 1 to overtake a Mercedes-AMG GT at the Nurburgring. Despite weighing 2.2 tonnes due to the extra weight of the battery, the Polestar 1 is surprisingly agile and refused to understeer when pushed to the limit at the Nurburgring, allowing Charoudin to confidently attack the Green Hell's challenging corners.

Polestar is no stranger to the Nurburgring either as the Volvo S60 Polestar set a four-sedan lap record at the famous circuit back in 2017. Currently, the electric car manufacturer is preparing to launch the successor to the Polestar 1 in the US, which is aptly named the Polestar 2. Unlike the Polestar 1, the Polestar 2 sedan is fully electric, incorporating a dual-motor setup producing a combined 402 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque and a range of 310 miles. After the Polestar 2, Polestar's third model will be an electric SUV inspired by the Precept Concept.