| 11-17-2014, 04:31 PM | #1 | |
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2015 Polaris Slingshot: Not a car, not a bike. It's a 3 wheeled jet-fighter
   Standard Features •2.4 Liter DOHC Engine •5-Speed Manual Transmission •High-Strength Steel Spaceframe •3-Point Seatbelts •LED Taillights and Projector – Beam Headlights •Double-Wishbone Front Suspension with Sway Bar •Electronic Power-Assisted Steering •Electronic Stability Control •ABS Disk Brakes •Tilt Steering •Adjustable, Waterproof Seats •Lockable Storage Bins and Glove Box Link to the Polaris website: http://www.polaris.com/en-us/slingshot/choose Here is what Wired Magazine had to say about it: At a time when our cars are starting to drive themselves and manual transmissions are going extinct, it can be tough to find an unbridled driving experience that leaves you shrieking with fear and delight. One way to get that? Drop one wheel, attach what’s left to a powerful motor, certify it as a motorcycle, and have at it. That’s what Polaris has done with its latest creation, the Slingshot. You might know Polaris for their snowmobiles and four-wheel off-road vehicles—the type of craft that pair well with hunting camouflage—and their sub-brands Victory and Indian motorcycles. Now, the company has announced a street legal three-wheel roadster that takes its minimalist formula and adds a few dashes of technology and power, with a drop of lunacy. The result is a ride that’s accessible to folks who’ve never had a track day, but want the rush of taking corners at irresponsibly high speeds. The Slingshot’s 2.4 liter motor produces a solid but not quite neck-snapping 173 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. At just 1,666 pounds (thanks to a plastic polymer body and aluminum swing arm that connects the chassis to the single rear wheel), the Slingshot offers a power to weight ratio of 1 horsepower for every 9.6 pounds. That puts it between similar vehicles like the Morgan 3-Wheeler produces (14.1 pounds/horsepower) and the four-wheel KTM X-Bow (6.6 pounds/horsepower). You don’t need huge power or an even number of wheels for obscene fun, which is what the Slingshot promises. It’s a lightweight ride with a low center of gravity, promising the kind of handling you get in a go-kart. Throw in a five-speed manual transmission and it’s sure to provide a thrill. Polaris won’t release 0 to 60 time or top speed figures, but its customers are sure to figure it out soon enough. The base model starts at $19,999, and the better equipped SL will go for $23,999. Both go on sale in this Fall. The Slingshot has a few traces of modernity, including ABS, LED taillights, power steering, stability control, and storage bins behind its two waterproof seats. The Slingshot SL, painted in Red Pearl, comes with a windshield, a 20-inch rear wheel (over the standard’s 18-inch rear wheel), a backup camera, and a center-mounted media console with a 4.3 inch LCD screen. There, you can for USB input or connect via Bluetooth. The best use of the six-speaker audio system, we think, would be blasting Van Halen’s “Panama.” So how is something like this legal to drive on the street? The laws vary between states (you need a special license to drive one in California and Virginia), but vehicles like this are generally considered motorcycles by the feds. That means the Slingshot doesn’t have to meet the rigorous safety standards set for cars. In most states, you’ll need a motorcycle license to get behind the wheel. That’s partly why we’ve been seeing so many concept cars with this “tadpole” design, with one wheel in back and two in front. The delta design on vehicles like the Reliant Robin and Thai tuk-tuk, with the single wheel up front, makes for a simpler steering mechanism but is prone to tipping over. Wherever you prefer delta or tadpole, when you choose three wheels over the traditional four, you’re getting a ride that should weigh less, cost less, and offer low-drag aerodynamics. Three-wheelers starting to make sense? Go have fun. Just be sure to keep it together when a Ford F-350 pickup meets you at a blind corner.  Low to the Ground and Out of This World Reviewing the Polaris Slingshot SL By NORMAN MAYERSOHN for New York Times, NOV. 14, 2014 Living in the same home for nearly 30 years, I am accustomed to the neighborhood teenagers asking, “What kind of car is that?” when a new model to be reviewed arrives in my driveway. But on the morning last month that a Polaris Slingshot appeared, those gawkers weren’t sure how to classify a vehicle that looked freshly ripped from the pages of a superhero comic book. “What is that thing?” they wanted to know. A fair question, really. To these predrivers, dawdling on their way to junior-high classes, the Slingshot seemed a come-to-life vision of a sci-fi fantasy, a “Star Wars” runabout with an ominous snarl and a brilliant red glow. The stealth-fighter face, all angles and edges stacked on multiple levels, is but the first feature to rivet the gaze, foretelling the disconcerting details beyond: The front tires are in full view. There are no doors. And there’s only one wheel in the back. This one, the styling promises, is going to be some fun.... (Read the rest here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/16/au...pgtype=article )
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