2013 Volvo C30 Polestar Goes Like a Bat out of Gothenburg

2013 volvo c30 polestar sideview
With black wheels, somehow this C30 manages to look a little menacing…which is good!

WHAT IS IT: A limited-edition 2013 Volvo C30 Polestar.

The part that matters is the Polestar name, because Polestar is Volvo’s quasi racing partner and what that means to a street car like the C30 is a boost to 250 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, up 23 hp and 37 pound feet from the stock T5 edition, a tweak achieved via a re-flash of the ECU (still under warranty, however) and increased airflow. Beyond the special paint, goodies like the 30-percent stiffer springs, 10 percent quicker steering ratio, and paint-colored trim are all really handled by R-Design (a.k.a. a Volvo program, not Polestar). Inside you’ll plant your butt on R-Design seats that are quite comfy and supportive, depress R-Design pedals, and pilot the car via an R-Design steering wheel.

As a concept, it looked plenty smoking. But the concept did have AWD, too.
As a concept, it looked plenty smoking. But the concept did have AWD, too.

HOW’S IT GO: Like a bat out of Gothenburg.

Unfortunately what you don’t get for your $32,445 is the AWD shown with some of the Polestar concept cars. We’ll forgive them not selling the 508hp S60 concept edition, but when you add lots of turbocharged horses to a short little front-wheel-drive chassis like the C30 you’re going to get wicked torque-steer. It’s fun, sure; and if the C30 were painted a muted silver or a white you could probably laugh yourself silly smoking unsuspecting BMW owners at stoplights, provided the traction and stability control could fight hard enough to keep you driving in a straight line.

And let’s be fair, too. This car’s pretty great. The stock C30 can be pretty underwhelming, but the C30 with this suspension tune corners flat, the six-speed manual is crisp, and every shift is clean and solid, and if you can stay out of the throttle until you’ve passed the apex of a turn, the steering is sharp and communicative. The only flaw may be tire scrub when you lay back on the gas exiting a corner, but only then if you’re driving like a maniac (was I?)…

C30_Polestar_sticker
It’s not your screen that needs adjusting; that placard is crooked.

WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE? The price. And some of the execution.

The Polestar program is pretty sweet because it’s open to lots of T5 and T6 owners or new purchasers. But to nit-pick, that means you could get a 2013 C30 T5 R-Design at $27,850 and add Polestar for $1,295 — no special paint, wheels, or extra doodads and you’re out the door for just a few bucks over $30k. So really, going full limited-edition is getting you paint and that crooked placard, as well as some small trim adjustments.

Also, as much fun as this car is it begs to be compared to another Euro tuner-edition, the Golf R… that oh, by the way, comes with AWD. Sure, that’ll set you back $33,990, but the Golf R keeps from scorching its front tires because it does have power coursing to every wheel, and also it happens to be a more utilitarian cup of horsepower because you can get it as a four-door and because the cargo capacity is significantly larger than the C30’s.

And so the 2013 Volvo C30 Polestar Limited Edition, as sweet as it is, is probably the answer to a question nobody asked…save Volvo dealers, perhaps, who are struggling to draw attention to the quirkiest car on their lots.