Carbon fiber is a wonderful material. Offering both high strength and low weight, carbon fiber combines two characteristics seemingly at odds with one another to form a very desirable end product, something which is particularly valuable in an automotive application. After all, cars need to be strong in a crash, but lightweight to cover performance and efficiency. As such, we see the big makes utilizing carbon fiber across multiple segments. Now, Polestar (Volvo’s performance offshoot brand) is putting the value of carbon fiber on full display with this official crash test video of its latest Polestar 1 performance coupe.

Smashing!

Specifically, the coupe includes an underlying steel body with a carbon fiber reinforced polymer body on top. It’s a unique configuration, and as such, Polestar wanted to know how it fared in a collision. Thus, we have the results in the above-featured video.

At two minutes in length, the video features the crash test prep, as well as the actual test, as viewed in slow motion from the flanks and from above.

“In contrast to a steel body where bending helps the integrated crumple zones to reduce the amount of crash energy that reaches the vehicle’s occupants, carbon fiber dissipates the energy by cracking and shattering,” the automaker explains in a press release.

Polestar 1 is the the brand’s first model since its launch as a standalone brand separate from Volvo in 2017. Polestar still uses Volvo vehicles, but offers them with a greater focus on overall performance. Even still, it looks like Volvo’s reputation for safety has carried over to the Polestar brand as well.

In addition to a sexy carbon exterior inspired by the Volvo S90 sedan, the Polestar 1 offers a hybrid powertrain making upwards of 600 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. That’s a ton of muscle for any passenger car, but in addition to lots of speed, the 1 gets an all-electric range rated at 93 miles per charge.

Throw in an adaptive electric suspension system from Ohlins, and a luxurious interior carried over from the S90, plus the obviously high crash standards, and the Polestar 1 is looking like quite a tempting proposition.

However, Polestar is also offering the 1 on a “subscription” basis, although details on how this will work and how much it’ll cost remain elusive.

If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. However, as Polestar’s “halo” offering, pricing is expected to be quite steep. We can’t wait to see what’s to come from the brand.

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Polestar 1.