Giddy with a broad smile, a bug actually stuck to my teeth. Early on the morning following Polaris 2015 product launch in Minneapolis, I was finally riding the worst kept secret in Powersports; the 2015 Polaris Slingshot. I was being convinced. Was it really a motorcycle? I had to flash my motorcycle endorsement before I rode. I was wearing a helmet. I could sense everything around me, the wind on my chest and a bug in my teeth. Then, the twisties came. Nope. It’s a car. A car that sits only 5 inches off the ground and rails around corners, but definitely a car.

Technically, it’s a three wheel roadster, the term used to describe the three wheel hit, the Can Am Spyder. Nevertheless, I was having a blast on this new Roaster with the 2.4 liter General Motors EcoTech engine at 173 horsepower, 166 foot pounds of torque and a 5-speed manual transmission. Polaris engineers designed it with the perfect center of gravity utilizing mass optimization. Then, they added a coil over a-arm front suspension that soaks up all the bumps. It also stays planted around corners with the help of an anti-roll bar. Slingshot has a rear aluminum swingarm for the traction controlled rear wheel which is how Polaris earned the official motorcycle classification. It still let me lay a patch of rubber at a stop light because traction control is turned off at low speeds. It weighs in at 1,687 pounds and gets about 25 MPG and a fuel range over 200 miles. My guess is the Slingshot’s top speed is 135 MPH. No one would say what it is and I only got it up to 80 on the highway but top speed will come out soon enough.

The base model retails for $19,999.  Four thousand dollars more will get you the SL Edition in red that comes with over $5,000 in accessories including a premium audio system, backup camera with a large LCD screen,a windshield and nicer bigger wheels and tires.

Riding around the suburbs of Minneapolis, it was fun to see the kids stop everything and stare as we rode by. The exotic look of the Slingshot makes it a fun vehicle to show off. More importantly, the Slingshot is a blast to ride. So whether it’s a car, a motorcycle or a roadster, Polaris stayed true to their core and has designed and built another innovative vehicle with a fun factor that will get your heart pumping a little faster every time you surf asphalt. – Jared Burt