Polestar 5 is ready for its debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Polestar may have started life as Volvo’s motorsport arm, but the company has evolved into a unique, interesting electric vehicle maker. The Polestar 1 and Polestar 2, sold in the United States, are gorgeous vehicles, and the Polestar 3 isn’t far off. The automaker is readying its fifth vehicle, the Polestar 5, for a debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The sleek four-door GT will show off its massively powerful electric powertrain during the hillclimb at the event.

The car gets a new electric powertrain that includes a rear electric motor with 800-volt architecture and a powerful front motor. Polestar says it’s targeting 884 horsepower and around 664 pound-feet of torque with the setup, so acceleration should be brisk.

Jörg Brandscheid, Polestar CTO and R&D Head, said that the system “will set a new brand benchmark in our high-performing cars. Combining strong electric motor engineering ability with advances in lightweight platform technology is leading to truly stunning driver’s cars.” Polestar’s UK R&D team developed a unique bonded aluminum chassis to work with the new platform, and Polestar says the package delivers a high level of rigidity along with the light weight.

As its name suggests, the 5 is Polestar’s fifth car. It’s scheduled for release in 2024, following the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 SUVs. The first iteration of the Polestar 5 came in early 2020 with the Precept concept. That car featured a LiDAR unit mounted on its roof and other wild design choices, but most of its shape and detail work appears to have been translated to the Polestar 5.

The camouflaged car in Polestar’s teaser images wears a shape that is essentially the same as the Precept, including the deeply sculpted side panels. The 5’s rear end features more traditional taillight shapes and bumpers. While the polygonal camo wrap makes it challenging to see the exact shape, it’s clear this car will be a looker.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a massive opportunity for automakers to show off their latest and greatest. Bentley will debut the new Flying Spur S at the event, running in the same First Glance category as the Polestar 5. Flashy supercars and wild vintage racers catch headlines at the hillclimb event, but there’s a growing EV presence. The Volkswagen ID.R electric racecar dominated the run in 2019, breaking records as it rocketed up the hill.