Polestar, Volvo Car Corporation's motorsport partner, will present a performance concept road car based on the Volvo S60 platform, at the next round of the Swedish TTA - Racing Elite League on 16 June.
Officially named Volvo S60 Polestar, it follows on from the C30 Polestar developed back in 2010, and the S60 Performance Project that Volvo Car Australia debuted at the Australian International Motorshow in July 2011.
Due to the unprecedented level of interest in that vehicle, Volvo Car Australia locally developed a limited-edition run of S60 Polestars.
Polestar watched with great interest how the Australian project was received and, taking this thinking a step further, has developed the hardcore S60 Polestar performance concept car.
"The performance concept road car is a spin-off of our work evaluating and developing the S60 for racing," says Polestar Marketing Director Hans B+â-Ñ+â-Ñth.
"Whether there will be more cars built is an open question. First of all we want to get feedback on this first prototype."
Polestar has co-operated with Volvo since 1996 and has successfully raced five different Volvo models starting with the 850. In 2011, Volvo decided to switch its race-car entry from the C30 to the S60 model. Polestar then started an intense research and evaluation programme to collect and compile vehicle data from the S60 platform.
Jan Andersson, responsible for complete vehicle development at Polestar explains:
"What we found was another very strong Volvo with great potential for motorsport applications, and an almost ideal platform for a road-going performance car.
"Volvo's engineers are known around the world for their achievements in vehicle safety. What is less widely understood is that strong and safe cars also make great platforms for motorsport and performance."
While almost every single part of the S60 TTA Racing Elite League race car is designed and manufactured for racing purposes only, the Volvo S60 Polestar is to a great extent based on standard Volvo S60 T6 components.
Derek Crabb, Motorsport Director at Volvo Cars: "The car we present is yet another result of our close co-operation where Polestar's motorsport and performance experience is combined with Volvo's in-depth knowledge about the car and its technology."
Exact specifications of the car will be revealed at the official launch.
For information on Polestar and Swedish TTA Racing Elite League:
http://www.polestar.com/
http://www.ttagroup.se/
For further information please contact:
Oliver Peagam
Public Affairs Manager
Volvo Car Australia
T: 02 9020 1613
M: 0408 691 017
E: opeagam@volvocars.com
Laurissa Mirabelli
Public Affairs
M: 0412 259 635
E: lmirabel@volvocars.com