The 2020 Polestar 1 is a head-scratcher. Gorgeous, for sure, but the design is an almost exact copy of a 2013 Volvo concept car. And then, Polestar is an all-electric brand, but its first car has a gasoline engine in it.

So what happened? It's simple, once you understand the background: Polestar's CEO is the man who designed that Volvo Coupe Concept, so clearly he wanted to build his baby. And Polestar was initially intended to be a performance brand, but only later transitioned to EV. The Polestar 1 is both — an all-carbon-fiber, hand-built coupe with Öhlins shocks and a 619-horsepower hybrid-electric torque-vectoring powertrain.

More importantly, it drives good as it looks. And that's exceedingly high praise.

Learn all about the 2020 Polestar 1 with this walkaround review by journalist Jason Cammisa. This Spotlight episode includes video and sound of the Polestar accelerating and being pushed on a mountain road.

==

ISSIMI’s “Spotlight” series gives automotive enthusiasts and collectors an in-depth look at rare, interesting, and important cars. “Spotlight” is an editorial wiki video that, first and foremost, provides context, answering the question “why is this car important?”

With his trademark balance of insight and comedy, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa combines the facts with editorial insight, allowing the audience to walk away with a cursory understanding of each featured car. Wherever possible, Spotlight will include driving footage and acceleration footage with high-quality audio to provide a first-person experience of sight, sound, and motion that words alone never could.

ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge. ISSIMI also produces enthusiast editorial media, including “Spotlight,” “Jason Cammisa on the Icons,” “The Carmudgeon Show,” and “Proper Care & Feeding of Cars.” Some of the vehicles featured in these editorial products, including the subjects in this Spotlight video, may be listed for sale through ISSIMI’s platform.

Please see ISSIMI.com for more information.