Polestar New Zealand might be getting a bit ahead of itself, but this a coup for a small country at the bottom of the world: it has one of only two Polestar Electric Roadster concept cars in the world (both clay models) on display at The Car Store in Newmarket, Auckland, from now until mid-January 2023. The concept will go into production as the Polestar 6 for 2026.
If we might flex a little for a moment, this is viewing two-of-two for DRIVEN. We saw the second clay model, in white, in Copenhagen earlier this year during the launch of the Polestar 3 luxury SUV; the model on display in Auckland is the original, launched in Los Angeles and shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
This first version is significant because the blue exterior finish, light interior and unique 21-inch alloys will be replicated by 500 units of the production car, to be called the "Polestar 6 LA Concept Edition". Orders are open now and yes, "some" are allocated to Kiwi buyers according to Polestar NZ (but the company won't quote specific numbers). The order books are also open on the regular Polestar 6.
The hard-top convertible will be built on Polestar’s bonded aluminium platform. It will feature the high-performance, 800-volt electric architecture already confirmed for the Polestar 5 luxury sedan. The 6 will boast output of up to 650kW/900Nm from a dual motor powertrain, a targeted 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h.
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The Polestar 6 is still at the back of the queue for the brand's model launches. The Polestar 3 luxury SUV comes next, with expected deliveries for NZ customers in early 2024; then the 4 medium SUV, followed by the 5 sedan and finally, the 6 roadster for 2026. By the time those models have all come around, it'll likely be back to a replacement for the current Polestar 2 - which will probably be called the 7, because Polestar plays by its own rules when it comes to model names.
Check out the Electric Roadster Concept in our video above, taken on location in Auckland; or if you're in the city over the holiday season you can check it out at The Car Store inside the Westfield Newmarket shopping centre, on the ground floor close to David Jones.
