Polestar 6, the brand's most expensive model yet, emerges as rival to Porsche 911

Swedish electric vehicle maker Polestar is expanding its high-performance lineup with plans to bring a Porsche 911 competitor to the United States and Canada around mid-decade.

The Volvo Cars affiliate said Tuesday it will turn its O2 concept into its next halo car, expected to go on sale in 2026.

The 884-hp roadster, called the Polestar 6, will be the automaker's most powerful and expensive model and — at least in its thinking today — sell in the range of US$200,000.

As a six-figure electric sports car, the Polestar 6 will not be a high-volume product, but it will "shine a spotlight" onto the Polestar brand, AutoPacific President Ed Kim said.

Polestar will build the hardtop convertible alongside the Polestar 5 luxury sedan in Chongqing, China.

The cars will share Polestar's new lightweight bonded-aluminum platform and an 800-volt electric architecture. The Polestar 6 will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and boast a top speed of 250 km/h.

Currently, there are no full-electric premium convertibles in the U.S. or Canadian markets, where the gasoline-powered Chevrolet Corvette and 911 are premium droptop stars. Tesla has marketed its Roadster EV in previous years and is now expected to return to the segment next year, possibly with a removable glass roof.

"Almost every carmaker is delivering EV cars, but no one [is making] an electric convertible," said Nicholas Long, dealer principal at Polestar Princeton in Lawrence Township, N.J. The Polestar 6 "will catch the eye of the buyer interested in a two-door, high-performance, ultraluxury sports car, but fully electric."

The convertible joins an expanding Polestar lineup that will include two new crossovers and a four-door GT model.

"With its portfolio of volume products fleshed out, it's appropriate for the brand to think about brand extension products that can inspire consumers who hadn't yet considered a Polestar to take notice," Kim said. "The Polestar 6 roadster stands to be such a product."

It is not a coincidence that Polestar is revealing news about its forthcoming halo car right before an appearance of the O2 concept at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, planned for this weekend in California.

In 2018, the brand appeared at the exclusive event to show off its first halo car, the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid premium coupe.

At the time, Polestar was barely a year old as a standalone venture. It had no vehicles on the road and no sales outlets.

Today, Polestar is a Nasdaq-listed company that aims to have a presence in 30 countries by year end and to increase sales to 290,000 by 2025 — a tenfold increase over last year's deliveries.

Polestar decided to make the Polestar 6 because of "the overwhelming consumer and press response" to the O2, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said in a release.

To capitalize on that momentum, Polestar will start taking orders for the first 500 units of the hardtop convertible today. The cost to reserve a "build slot" for the car is US$25,000, which is refundable.

Those units will be part of the Polestar 6 LA Concept edition, which will carry over the sky-blue exterior, light leather interior and 21-inch wheels from the O2 concept, which the automaker debuted on the rooftop of a Beverley Hills, Calif., office building in March.

The O2 gives clues to how the Polestar 6 will look. The concept car sits low and wide and features short front and rear overhangs, a compact 2+2 cabin design and a long wheelbase.

Polestar maximized aerodynamics through disguised design features, such as integrated ducts that improve airflow over the wheels and body sides, and rear lights that function as air blades to reduce turbulence behind the car.