I love convertibles - I always have. I also like electric cars, but the combination of the fuel type and the body style hasn’t been one that manufacturers have rushed to make in their droves. Only Fiat and MG currently make convertible EVs, Porsche will soon, Tesla might bring out a new Roadster by the year 2039 and smart used to make the EQ fortwo cabrio which was brilliant (sorry, I just vomited a little in my mouth - CT). Polestar have already thrown their hat into the ring with the gorgeous O2 - later renamed Electric Roadster - Concept of 2022, and now they’ve updated it with a high performance focus.

The Concept BST doesn’t need too much explaining in terms of its style; it applies Polestar’s signature design language to the classic proportions of a two-door roadster. There’s a long bonnet ahead of the four seat cabin that can receive unlimited headroom when the two-piece hard top folds out of the way. The ubiquitous light blade at the rear sits above an enormous diffuser, and below the most obvious addition to the shape silhouette: the rear wing. The motorsport-inspired horizontal mountings aren’t the only tweaks that point towards a track-focussed model, as the enlarged front splitter and side sills nicely underscore the muscular bodywork.

The wheel arches are home to 22” alloys with a Y-spoke and double-four-spoke design, finished in black and grey; gold brake callipers are clearly visible on all four corners. The front end has been redesigned for the Concept BST, with it looking very similar to the style of the upcoming Polestar 5 four-door grand tourer, and much closer to being production-ready than the original O2 concept in my eyes. The split headlight design is the main event on the nose, but the same shape is seen with the pair of black vent fairings on the bonnet too.

Look closely at the fairings and you’ll see a number 6 hidden in plain sight, with 6 being the model name the car will take when production commences. White contrasts are also used on the lower half of the front bumper, the sides where BST is spelt out in negative space, and on the rear wing which sees the Polestar wordmark going from endplate to endplate. Visually, I think it looks brilliant, with a good mixture of elegant and purposeful shapes and features.

We’ve seen glimpses of the cabin too, with black upholstery being contrasted by a gold harness and a dashboard trim featuring pinstripes that match those found on the rear light blade. There’s two displays with a small digital cluster behind the steering wheel and a portrait infotainment screen in the centre of the cabin. It’s a button-light environment with almost all vehicle controls and functions being accessed via the touchscreen, although there are touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel and what appears to be a dial on the centre console - whether that controls media volume and playback, adjusts regen levels or switches driving modes remains unknown.

No performance stats have been given, but everything points towards over 800 bhp coming from a twin-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain. It won’t be able to offer the engine noise that the new Bentley Continental GTC can on wide open throttle, but from my experience the wind has become louder than the exhaust above 60 mph in almost every convertible I’ve ever driven. We can expect a battery with at least 100 kWh capacity to sit between the wheels, potentially giving a driving range of around 350 miles when fully charged, and direct current recharge times as low as 10 minutes. 

Why am I so sure of this? It’s because Polestar have never shied away from announcing their future product plans and are constantly dropping hints about what’s coming next and even leaving finalised exterior designs online for all to see, long before the official launch dates. 

They’ve even shown each and every stage of what it takes to turn a concept into a production car with their fantastic video series documenting the Polestar Precept becoming the Polestar 5, which will be their flagship GT to rival the likes of the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan when it arrives in the not too distant future.

After 5 comes 6, and at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the brand is also showcasing a prototype version of the upcoming roadster, complete with bodywork and door mirrors that look production ready, and a big number 6 on the side. All you need to do is imagine it with number plates on both bumpers and me behind the wheel…

Following on from the two limited edition Polestar 2 BST models - called 230 and 270 referencing the number built - the Concept BST is a preview of how the design-led electric performance brand is really starting to lean into the word performance. If this is what the vision of a luxurious, powerful electric roadster looks like, then sign me up.