Polaris Takes On Trikes With The Launch Of Their First Three-Wheeler Slingshot
Polaris may already be known for their snowmobiles and off-road cars, but now they've added their very first three-wheeler to their repertoire. Earlier in the week they unveiled their new Polaris Slingshot, a motorcycle with three wheels and a lot of power.
The Slingshot may look like a luxury car from the front, with its open cockpit and angular body, but it's classified as a motorcycle—which is a pretty big deal according to Forbes.
"The fact that the Slingshot has been classified as a motorcycle means that it is not loaded down with airbags, bumpers, crash protection, a collapsing steering column and other car safety equipment," says the magazine. "It has not been subjected to crash testing. The Slingshot's classification as a motorcycle is the only reason that it made it through development and into production. As a car, the Slingshot never would have made it." We don't know about you, but that makes the Slingshot sound even more fun to speed through canyon roads in—while wearing helmets, of course.
The inverted tricycle gives 173 horsepower and 166ft-lb of torque at 4,700RPM, with its 2.4-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission. It's fuel tank can hold 9.77 gallons, which isn't bad at all for a new toy. The motorsports brand hasn't yet released the actual performance numbers, but with that engine and its dry weight coming in at 1,684 pounds, it probably shoots to 60mph pretty quickly.
Two models will be available for purchase this fall, the base Titanium Metallic Slingshot ($19,999) and the red Slingshot SL ($23,999), which comes with six speakers, a media console, back-up camera, and Bluetooth connectivity.
