Henrique Alves, a Master’s student in Product Design (already completed) at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon (FAUL), carried out a design project to be incorporated into his dissertation “The sports car driving experience: man-machine relationship”.
This design project, which led him to take part in the Polestar Design Contest 2024, consisted of creating an Electric Hot Rod.
Although his proposal didn’t make it into the competition’s final five, it still received a fair amount of recognition from Polestar, Yanko Design, and other automotive design platforms.
The Polestar Fenrir was designed to take part in the Polestar Design Contest 2024, the annual design competition created and promoted by the Swedish brand.
In this edition, Polestar collaborated with miniature manufacturer Hot Wheels, challenging designers to create a proposal for a four-wheeled vehicle that reflected the identity and values of both brands.
So, what is the Polestar Fenrir? It’s nothing more or less than an electric hot rod.
“The direction of the project became clear from the start: the vehicle had to be something absurd and out of the ordinary. But what kind of car should I design? I considered several options, such as a Monster Truck, a surf van (an icon in the Hot Wheels universe) or even a dune buggy. However, in the end, I opted for the type of car that almost entirely represents Hot Wheels’ approach to any vehicle in its molds: the Hot Rod,” explains Henrique Alves.
Fenrir’s interior has been developed with an essentially minimalist focus, concentrating on the driving experience.
The digital display shows information such as battery level and speed, as well as a third-person view, similar to the perspective of a racing game.
Although it was designed to operate in the Hot Wheels universe and not on public roads, the Fenrir is a two-seater Hot Rod that evokes nostalgia, joy and the playful spirit of Hot Wheels. “However, its lines, proportions and minimalist shapes are a clear representation of Polestar’s visual identity,” emphasizes Henrique Alves.
The brief for the Polestar Design Contest 2024 also included creating an environment that would fit the vehicle. “I developed a solution with a minimalist, brutalist and monochrome aesthetic, where a vibrant orange track winds through the structures, creating a strong visual contrast,” says the young Portuguese designer, who would like to thank Jeroen Claus and Fabian Breës, both outstanding designers in previous editions of the Polestar competition, for their ”valuable tips throughout the process, which were fundamental in improving the quality of the final result.”
