Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 Echoes Polestar’s Past

Before Polestar became Volvo’s all-electric offshoot brand, it was the Swedish carmaker’s racing and performance division. Perhaps in a bid to regain some of that sporty personality, there’s a new limited-production model: the 2023 Polestar 2 BST Edition 270. With the dual-motor Polestar 2 as a starting point, the 270 in the name refers to the worldwide production run. The BST is a nod to its internal “Beast” development code.

For the $76,900 starting price, the BST is essentially a Polestar 2 with the optional Pilot, Plus, and Performance pack options. According to Polestar’s online configurator, adding these options to a non-BST model takes the price to $66,400. The BST’s power output of 469 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque is the same as the Performance pack’s, as are the upgraded Brembo brakes. The EV guts are also carryovers, with a lithium-ion battery pack that has a 75.0-kWh usable capacity and DC fast-charging up to a 155-kW rate. Range drops slightly though, from an EPA-estimated 260 miles down to 247 miles.

The BST’s price premium is justified with exclusive add-ons that include 21-inch forged wheels with bespoke Pirelli P Zeros, a front strut bar, a 1.0-inch lower ride height, painted body cladding, and black mirrors. The big news is the inclusion of special Öhlins dampers that are two-way adjustable up front.

To see if those upgrades paid off, we had the opportunity to wring out the BST on the Bay Area’s Skyline Boulevard—an abstract scribble of pavement famed for slicing through the redwoods.

Within the first few blocks heading out of Burlingame, California, it’s clear the BST’s ride quality is firmer than the standard Polestar 2 with the Performance pack. You definitely feel the impacts from ruts in the pavement, but only large potholes cause any real harshness. The smaller bumps are adequately smoothed over thanks in large part to the Öhlins dampers’ dual-flow valving that allows for distinct behaviors for low- and high-speed compression events.

It’s similar to how progressive springs can add some initial compliance for comfort and stability while also having greater resistance when cornering hard. The difference is that the Öhlins dampers are more easily adjustable to suit your tastes. The coil-over spring preloads are also manually adjustable with the right tools.

Polestar’s Christian Samson, head of product attributes, informed us that our BST was set to seven on the adjustment scale of one to 22, with one being the firmest and 22 the softest. That potentially leaves a lot more compliance for everyday comfort and a bit more firmness for a track day, though the 127-mph top speed will limit how much fun you can have on the straightaways.

As we find our way to Skyline Boulevard, the suspension begins to shine. You feel a strong connection to the BST and the Pirellis’ contact patches with every nudge of the steering wheel, though the steering effort seems too light for spirited driving. In typical EV fashion, having the batteries below the floor masks a lot of the small hatchback’s C/D-estimated 4700-pound curb weight. It’s easy to get acclimated to the BST’s handling characteristics, and in no time we’re pushing harder and harder into each consecutive turn. Larger undulations in the road can cause some alarming hops, though.

There’s plenty of power, and Polestar claims the BST will reach 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, though past test experience suggests we’ll best that. It doesn’t have the explosive launch of some other high-performance EVs, but this is more of a canyon carver than a drag racer. In one-pedal drive mode, you’ll rarely have to use the brake pedal, but you will have to start slowing earlier than you normally might in order to scrub off enough speed. On some of the more challenging hairpins, we stabbed the brake pedal late and hard, and there’s a good feel through the soles of your shoes. It’s also easy to brake on the threshold before the ABS kicks in, allowing for smoother trail braking.

The Polestar BST is as entertaining and lively as the BMW i4, and the lack of synthetic motor noises gives it a more zen-like experience. You hear the tires squeal in turns and whimper when you’re hard on the brakes. They give a very good indication of how much harder you can drive in a delightfully old-school analog manner.

We executed a very subtle four-wheel slide in one bend and were pleased with how intuitive and effortless it was to manage. There weren’t any snap releases from adhesion, nor was there any need for any rally-car histrionics by sawing away at the wheel. Like a gold-medal gymnast, it just stuck the landing.

Rain began to fall as we neared the coastline. Despite all the fun we had leading up to that point, the BST was also well mannered on slick roads. Midcorner bumps were barely acknowledged, and there was still an abundance of grip to keep charging with more aggression than most drivers would consider sensible.

There’s no doubt that the BST is a very different beast compared to the Polestar 2. It’s a hardcore version for the few who are willing to sacrifice some comfort for cornering excellence. It’s as good a dance partner as the i4, and its interior is noticeably nicer than that of a Tesla Model 3.

With most EVs taking the SUV route, there are few sporty alternatives that don’t cost as much as a Porsche Taycan or an Audi e-tron GT. Unfortunately, if you’re interested in a new Polestar 2 BST, you’re out of luck as all of the 270 examples have been spoken for. And that begs the question of why Polestar greenlighted such a limited production run. It seems likely that the BST is testing the waters for a more serious performance EV in the future.

If that ends up being realized, we’ll be pacing with nervous anticipation. It’s impressive that the BST is able to extract so much more handling prowess from the existing Polestar 2 and bodes well for a purpose-built performance model.