Polaris Slingshot
Look! Out on the road! It’s a car. It’s a motorcycle. It’s a street-legal version of the Batmobile. The Polaris Slingshot may be something of a vehicular hermaphrodite, difficult to define, but it delivers on its promise: lots of fun and amazed stares.
The Slingshot is an open cockpit roadster with three wheels, which technically classifies it as a motorcycle, except you don’t need a special license to get behind the wheel. It drives like a standard car, but sometimes handles more like a race car or off-road vehicle. We test drove it in the hills of Austin and, with its antiroll technology it hugged the sharp curves, feeling sturdy all the while. Any driver can hop in a Slingshot and go. But it’s also quite capable of uncorking donuts, burnouts and power drifts. And when it’s dirty, just hose it down inside and out. Having no doors or windows requires that it be waterproof throughout.
One thing Slingshot is not is an everyday drive. You have to reconcile yourself to being exposed to the elements. So have a backup for cold, wet days when you still need to get to the office. And don’t take it shopping or on road trips as storage space is dear. It’s a two-seater, but warn your date that there’s no airbag nor crumple zone and a high possibility of picking bugs out of your teeth unless you have the optional windshield deflector.
Among its few frills are a big touch-screen display, Apple CarPlay and a powerful Rockford Fosgate sound system. With a large choice of colors and decals, the appearance of the Slingshot is fully customizable. The latest models ($22,000 to $36,000) include the option of automatic transmission, which has boosted sales. Slingshot clubs by enthusiasts across the country have also increased visibility and therefore demand.
Polaris even offers a line of apparel, including riding- and casualwear, but the two main lures of the Slingshot come standard: attention and adrenaline.
