FOR DESIGNERS, BY DESIGNERS
IMAGINATION AND CREATIVITY DRIVE THE POLESTAR DESIGN CONTEST TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF WHAT’S POSSIBLE.
DREAMS
WITH HOT WHEELS’ HELP, 2024 IGNITED DREAMS—DREAMS BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF REALISM, INSPIRED BY NOSTALGIC ASPIRATIONS.
Competitors created concepts inspired by Hot Wheels’ 1:64 scale models and Polestar’s design language. They used AI, Vizcom, Gravity Sketch, and Photoshop. Designs were judged on Hot Wheels’ signature vibrancy and Polestar’s minimalist aesthetic. The challenge pushed both creativity and innovation, channelling childhood imagination. It demonstrated how automotive design integrates performance, creativity, and sustainability together. Over 1,200 entries made it the largest contest yet, as far as we know. The winning design became a die-cast Hot Wheels collectible.
WINNER: POLESTAR TRX
The winner was the Polestar TRX by Shashank Shekhar, a designer from India. This rugged off-roader redefines Polestar’s design language, blending boldness and playfulness with the brand’s philosophy. It features chunky wheels, a high-set body, precise surfaces, exaggerated proportions, three headlamps, and a detailed underside evoking Hot Wheels toys. The open rear deck, like a truck, adds unique character. Judges admired its innovation and alignment with the contest brief. The Polestar TRX is the first Polestar in the Hot Wheels series, launching globally as a die-cast collectible this summer.
RUNNER UP: CYBER SHAKER
Italy’s Powei Chen won runner-up with the Cyber Shaker, merging the Bone Shaker Hot Wheels icon with a cyberpunk aesthetic. Chrome silver with a whitish tint evokes Bone Shaker heritage. Blue-sky chrome symbolizes clean energy. Orange rear accents draw from rocket propulsion. Larger rear wheels, a Polestar-branded spoiler, and track-ready proportions add dynamic presence. The design uses bold colours and Polestar’s minimalist forms. Judges credited its boldness, creativity, and energy, envisioning it on Hot Wheels tracks.
HONOURABLE MENTION: POLESTAR TRACK TOY
Germany’s Roman Moor earned an honourable mention for the Polestar Track Toy, inspired by 1970s Le Mans race cars. The design fuses modern technical elements with exaggerated Hot Wheels details. Defined surfaces, curvaceous forms, and structural apertures add dynamic contrasts. A calm, enclosed front contrasts with an exposed, aggressive rear. Features include reimagined light graphics, red towing eyes, and a monoseat interior with a hub-screen steering wheel. Judges praised its innovation and balance of contrast and detail, making it a standout circuit-focused concept. Le Mans meets lunacy.
PERFORMANCE
2022-2023: DESIGN A POLESTAR FOCUSED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF PERFORMANCE AND THE ADVANCED TECHNICAL STORY THAT ENABLES IT SUSTAINABLY. A NEW FORM OF PERFORMANCE FOR THE ELECTRIC AGE.
Competitors designed vehicles visually representing the shift from high-consumption 20th-century models. Selected from 600-plus entries, winning exterior and interior concepts were combined into the Polestar Synergy, a full-size 1:1 scale model developed with Polestar’s design team. Measuring 1.07 metres tall and 4.56 metres long, it featured a single-seat floating interior inspired by nature and emotional durability. The Synergy debuted at Polestar Munich and exhibited at IAA 2023, Auto Shanghai, and the Hot Wheels Legends Tour in California. It proved electric supercars can deliver excitement while meeting Polestar’s performance values.
WINNER: POLESTAR LYNX P3
The Polestar Lynx P3, designed by student Devashish Deshmukh, is a high-performance electric track vehicle redefining high-speed electric performance. Inspired by the hammerhead shark, it features raised, narrow front fenders and Polestar typography and iconography to emphasize its technical story. Its design extends modern race car vocabulary with hollowed-out volumes enabled by the lack of a combustion engine and cooling components, boosting aerodynamics and sustainability. LiDAR sensors and ADAS on the roof enhance aerodynamic efficiency and innovation.
WINNER: TIMELESS PERFORMANCE
The Timeless Performance design reimagines the classic sports car by emphasizing emotional durability with a focus on sustainability and longevity. Created by student designer Swapnil Desai, it uses simple geometry, materials that age gracefully, and a clock-like counter showing the car’s age in years. Why? To celebrate its aging process. The design records in-car experiences to stay relevant. Key features include technical upgradability, ensuring functionality and timelessness while supporting super-low performance and sustainability goals.
WINNER: POLESTAR PERFORMANCE STABLE
The Polestar Performance Stable, designed by China-based Yingxiang Li, creates a calm, performance-driven interior focused on floating, comfort, and control. Inspired by a camera stabilizer, the design enhances user control and ensures a fluid driving experience. The two-seat cabin features a single hand control replacing the steering wheel and gesture control for stationary use. Bucket seats provide a performance seating position, secured by a Swedish gold harness for high-speed driving. Thoughtful elements and simple, calm forms achieve functionality and comfort. Fluid. Focused.
PROGRESS
2021: DESIGN A POLESTAR THAT ENCOURAGES SOCIETAL PROGRESS AND OFFERS SOLUTIONS TO CURRENT AND ONGOING ISSUES, INCLUDING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CRISIS.
Competitors from diverse backgrounds and disciplines explored sustainability, technology, and evolving lifestyles. Their designs became 1:5 scale models, displayed in Polestar spaces and on the Polestar 2 app and website. Winners attended Polestar design exhibitions in Chengduor Gothenburg and tested vehicles at the Hällered proving grounds. The contest presented design’s potential as a powerful tool for positive societal and environmental change.
WINNER: POLESTAR H_UB
The H_UB design by professional category winner David Vultaggio from France reimagines the garage as a brand experience centre and charging hub for Polestar. H_UB buildings generate electricity and hydrogen from a biomass roof to power vehicles. Interiors use upcycled materials, reflecting Polestar’s sustainability goals. The design includes mobility solutions like the Polestar hydrogen seaplane, electric bicycle, and Polestar Precept, focusing on a broader ecosystem of mobility and energy access. Real-world examples include Re:Move, a last-mile delivery solution, and an electric motorcycle developed in collaboration with Sweden’s CAKE. Your driveway’s slacking.
HONOURABLE MENTION: KOJA
Kristian Talvitie from Finland earned an honourable mention for KOJA, a micro-space tree house designed to reduce long-distance travel and immerse users in nature. Built in a tree canopy, it features a panoramic glazed façade, spaceefficient design, and low resource use to reduce ecological impact. Made from sustainable materials like local wood and wool, it balances user needs with environmental impact. Polestar’s design head praised KOJA for translating brand values into a new environment, leading to its realworld construction. KOJA became the first Polestar Design Contest submission built full scale. It was constructed in Finland for the ‘House by an Architect’ exhibition at the Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale. Talvitie collaborated with the Polestar design team in Gothenburg and Finnish design agency Ultra.
PURE
2020: DESIGN A NEW POLESTAR THAT EMBODIES PURE DESIGN, SHOWCASING POLESTAR’S SLIGHTLY-MOREDISTANT FUTURE (WHILE REMAINING WITHIN THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY).
Competitors were invited to anticipate Polestar’s 2040 vision and push imaginative boundaries. Over 500 entries included concepts beyond traditional cars, exploring future mobility. Finalists received coaching from Polestar’s design team and created fully realized digital models judged by a Polestar design head-led panel. Winning designs were produced as 1:5 scale models, presented in a virtual exhibition, and toured Polestar Spaces globally. Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia featured the designs in the brand’s virtual Autumn/Winter show.
WINNER:POLESTAR 40
Siddhesh Bhogale from India won the student category with Polestar 40, an airship for polar exploration blending Polestar’s design philosophy with 21st century aviation. Bhogale calls Polestar 40 a “futuristic zeppelin.” The zeppelin structure requires less energy to stay airborne, while renewable energy powers research facilities and recharges the airship. The airship uses VTOL technology and electric power, supplemented by off-grid generation for remote locations. Its minimalist cabin, built with weather-resistant glass, offers researchers stunning views. The design reflects Polestar’s form language, colours, and graphics, emphasising sustainability.
WINNER: POLESTAR MMXL
Konrad Cholewka from Poland won the professional category with Polestar MMXL, an inclusive autonomous pod with a flexible interior layout. The design combines a cylindrical form with a rectangular box for a unique geometric shape. A universally accessible rear door leads to a living room-style cabin for socializing. Interior features include a 180-degree rotating front bench, smart glass for a cozy, distraction free space, and hologram technology for video calls. A moving rear platform improves accessibility. The exterior uses subtle forms, lighting, and roof-mounted cameras inspired by the Polestar Precept. Exterior lights interact with cars and pedestrians, giving a “living” feel. The all-electric design emphasizes calmness and quietness for better travel.
HONOURABLE MENTION: SPÄNNING
Arthur Martins from Brazil earned an honourable mention for Spänning, an electric yacht translating Polestar’s progressive performance values to boating. Martins describes it as a point of tension on a calm water surface, blending brutal cabin elements with water’s organic nature. The yacht’s brutal, simple form contrasts with water, creating striking visuals. It offers silent, pure operation for a unique travel experience. Autonomous sensors enhance safety and navigation. A monochrome palette and bow-side nameplate incorporate Polestar’s classic design cues. The interior prioritizes simplicity and sophistication, embodying Polestar’s minimalist philosophy.
