There’s much more to Sweden than Ikea, fika, and those neat-looking “moose ahead” signs. The country has given us some of the greatest rally drivers, and it’s this part of Swedish heritage that Polestar focused on when it turned the 3 and the 4 into ice-crushing off-road racers bundled under the Arctic Circle label.
If that name rings a bell, it’s likely because the 2 received the Arctic Circle treatment in 2022. It’s back for 2025 with a distinctive yellow and white livery, and it’s joined by the two most recent additions to the brand’s range. All three EVs feature a lifted suspension with three-way adjustable Öhlins dampers, white-finished OZ Racing Rally Legend wheels, and Pirelli Scorpion studded snow tyres for better traction.
It gets dark early in Sweden during the winter, and the Arctic Circle cars are equipped to tackle the long Arctic Circle nights. Their front end is fitted with Stedi Quad Evo driving lights, which should considerably brighten up the road (those “moose ahead” signs are serious) while adding an extra dose of rally-inspired flair. Roof and ski racks add a finishing touch to the look, at the obvious expense of the drag coefficient.
Polestar hasn’t released interior photos yet, but it told us that the three Arctic Circle models are fitted with Recaro Pole Position front bucket seats. Looking at the pictures that the company released, the additional bolstering will be put to good use by anyone lucky enough to take these one-offs for a spin. The 4 even gets a hydraulic handbrake, which is a feature that certainly isn’t available on the regular-production car.
Joakim Rydholm, Polestar’s head of driving dynamics, was involved in developing the Arctic Circle cars, and this bodes well for handling. I’ve ridden shotgun with him on a test track; he’s an amazing driver and he’s the kind of engineer that doesn’t tolerate “good enough,” especially when it comes to chassis tuning.
Polestar shipped its three Arctic Circle models to an ice race that took place in Zell am See, Austria, on 1 February, but it sounds like that’s where the road ended for the trio. Nothing suggests that they’ll join the company’s catalogue of models, unfortunately.
