Polestar has an exciting way of reminding fans that it is not in the business of making boring cars. It’s a performance focused-brand, and its recent limited edition models look promising on paper. The Swedish carmaker had revealed the Polestar 2 BST edition 230 in March 2023. Recently, I had a chance to see the car in person at the 2024 Silicon Valley Auto Show, and experience its design, features, space and comfort. Here’s what I learned during my time with the special edition electric sedan.
Branding
Only 230 models will be made for North America and Europe, and that’s where the car gets its lengthy name. Customer deliveries started towards the end of last year. Polestar hasn’t mentioned the full form of BST. Motor Authority asked senior Polestar officials what BST means in an interview. They said that it was an internal moniker. It could be short for ‘beast,’ but oddly, the full form remains undisclosed to the public.
Polestar 2 BST edition 230 Design
The model was previously showcased as a prototype at the 2021 Goodwood Festival Of Speed, with a raft of performance enhancements. The Polestar 2 BST edition 230 is the production version of the same. The bumpers and side skirts are painted on the special edition, unlike the black treatment on the regular model.
The 230 comes in an exclusive green Nebula body paint, but can also be had in Space black. Customers who prefer a race car-like look can choose the optional matte black body stripe and a full-body Battle Ship bray satin wrap. What’s also striking is the signature ‘Swedish Gold’ treatment to the brake calipers, damper elements, valve caps, and seatbelts.
Features
The model comes standard with the Pilot Pack, which costs additional on the regular car. The pack includes Pixel LED headlamps, LED fog lamps with cornering function, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree cameras, auto-dimming rear view mirrors, and a suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including Pilot Assist and Driver Awareness functions.
Another optional pack, the Plus Pack, is standard on the Polestar 2 BST edition 230. The pack adds a Harman Kardon sound system with 13 speakers generating 600 watts output, a panoramic sunroof, 100% vegan WeaveTech seats with Black Ash deco inlays, and a heat pump to conserve energy.
Thirdly, the Performance Pack, is also activated in the BST edition 230. It adds Brembo brakes, Ohlins Dual Flow Valve dampers, 20-inch Forged alloy wheels, and special edition seatbelts, mentioned earlier.
Performance
The visual upgrades may not be comprehensive, but the performance upgrades are as the vehicle comes standard with the Performance Pack. It features a dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration and a 78 kWh battery (same as the long-range dual motor variant), but the powertrain has been calibrated for sharper responsiveness.
The power remains the same at 476 hp (350 kW), but the torque output has been increased from 487 lb-ft to 502 lb-ft. Thanks to the Performance Pack, the model rides 21 mm lower than the regular version; its ride height is now 121 mm. It’s sprung on specially developed Ohlins adjustable dampers with auxiliary adjustment chambers placed under the hood. It also gets a front strut bar and 20% stiffer springs. With these upgrades, expect the EV to deliver sprightly handling around the corners.
Tires have also been specially developed in collaboration with Pirelli. It runs on 245/35 section Pirelli P Zero tires wrapped around 21-inch alloy wheels. The Performance Pack also adds ventilated front discs and Brembo four-piston aluminum calipers.
Price
We assume that, like the 270 edition, the Polestar 2 BST edition 230 is manufactured alongside the regular Polestar 2 at Polestar’s Luqiao facility in China before being transported to Chengdu for the performance upgrades, as per Motor Authority. Customers in the United States, Europe, and Canada could register their interest on Polestar’s official website, but given the limited production numbers (60 units were earmarked for U.S. and Canada), it will be difficult to get hands on this version.
While pricing wasn’t revealed, we think that customers paid around $77,000 for the car, considering the added cost of the optional packs.
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 16 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading CEOs and vehicle developers from around the world.
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