Polestar reveals 508bhp Volvo S60

There's an intriguing line used by Polestar in explaining its long-standing relationship with Volvo; a relationship conceived in 1996 and one that has girded five different Volvo racing variants.

Says Polestar: "Volvo bodies are strong and built to withstand extreme forces straight from the factory, which make them ideal for building race cars." That alone should give you some idea of the minds behind the blue-hued beast sitting above: the 508bhp Volvo S60 Polestar Performance Concept.

That's right, five-hundred-and-eight horses, shoehorned into the most sensible of sensible family saloons. That's not an increase, that's an assault. That 3.0-litre straight six ‘T6' engine has been significantly worked over; it boasts modified cylinder head and combustion chambers, a modified inlet manifold and air intake, specially manufactured conrods, a Garret 3171 turbo and a Ferrita 3.5in stainless steel exhaust system.

Gallery: the Volvo S60 Polestar Performance Concept

It's joined to a close-ratio manual six-speed gearbox and of course, all-wheel-drive. There's even a Haldex limited slip diff in the rear. And while the headline bhp figure is ludicrously big for a Volvo, the torque is equally voluminous: think 424lb ft, exactly 100 torques more than the standard car.

As such, the Polestar S60 will accelerate from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and hit somewhere north of 186mph. That's fast right, but exactly how fast? For reference, a Ferrari FF will hit 62mph in 3.7 seconds.

The chassis has been worked over too; it's 30mm lower, 20mm wider up front and 40mm wider at the back. It sits on 19in Polestar rims, with Ohlins three-way adjustable shock absorbers, there's a reinforced anti-roll bar at the front and back, Polestar-tuned EHPAS steering, stabilising cross-members, modified control arms, reinforced bushings and modified engine mounts.

The brakes have been beefed up via Brembo six piston calipers and vented discs, there are splitters and diffusers (developed in Volvo's wind tunnel) outside, Alcantara and sporting paraphernalia inside, and the entire package weighs in at 1,640kg.

Polestar tells us this one-off S60 was built in order to evaluate a racing S60, and that it will be offered to "one of the most eager bidders for the C30 Polestar". We drove that a while back, and it was good. So this should be quite handy itself.

But don't just take our word on it. Polestar racing driver Robert Dahlgren said: "The result is a huge leap forward in terms of handling and performance. It is by far, the most impressive street Volvo I've ever driven."

Well, he's wasn't going to say it was rubbish, was he? Polestar - and Volvo - say they'll consider putting it into production "pending market response." Markets around the world, respond!

Top Gear drives the Volvo C30 Polestar Performance Concept