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The Polaris Slingshot three-wheeler is fun for a weekend drive
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It’s not practical if you need to carry anything
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Dynamics and power are strengths, providing an engaging experience
“Do you have a toy?” It’s a common question I have for auto enthusiast friends and colleagues. Typical answers are some form of Porsche 911, a BMW M, a Honda Civic Type R, an older American muscle car, a Miata, or some type of early SUV.
An atypical answer would be a Polaris Slingshot, but perhaps more than any of those other choices it is the very definition of an automotive toy. It’s not exactly automotive, though, as with three wheels and no airbags, it’s considered a motorcycle. Polaris calls it “automotive-like,” and that works for me.
I recently spent two weeks with an Army Green 2024 Polaris Slingshot R, and learned just how much of a toy it is. Here are its pros and cons.
2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Con: Practicality
The Slingshot has no roof, though you can buy one as an accessory. It also has no trunk. I considered going grocery shopping with the Slingshot but decided against it because I would have had to put the bags in the passenger seat where they could have fallen out because there are also no doors. The only good times to drive it are to get from point A to B or to go for a joy ride. It’s not practical if you have to pick up anything larger than what will fit in the glove compartment or two helmet-sized compartments behind the seats.
2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Pro and con: Open-air fun
Conversely, the lack of a roof means the Slingshot always provides the open-air fun of a convertible. Depending on your state, you may be required to wear a helmet. Polaris recommends a full-face helmet, which is a good idea because the rudimentary windshield rises only to about chin level and debris from other cars could shoot into the cockpit, especially on the freeway. The lack of a roof means it’s best to keep the Slingshot in a garage. I couldn’t, so it got rained on several times. That’s OK because the interior is waterproof, and can be hosed out as there are drain holes in the floor beneath the seats.
2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Pro and con: Dynamics and engagement
The Slingshot rides on a tube-frame chassis with a double-wishbone suspension for the front two wheels and coil-over shocks for all three wheels. A drive on twisty roads in the countryside revealed both the strengths and weaknesses of its ride and handling.
Throw the Slingshot R into a corner and the 225/45R18 Kenda SS-799 front tires grip and the rear end rotates predictably, like a car. That is, if you go easy on the throttle. Get into the gas too hard or too early mid-corner and you’re going for a spin. The Kenda 305/30R20 rear tire grips when trailing, but when asked to also power the vehicle it gives up and induces an oversteer slide. That’s both alarming and thrilling. Go too hard, and you’ll lose it, but learn the Slingshot’s behavior and limits and you can use the oversteer to shorten a corner, then let off, dial in a bit of opposite direction steering, let it catch, then get on it again to take off in a straight line.
Sometimes that oversteer can’t be controlled, or controlled as easily. Cars had kicked pebbles from the shoulder into the road in some turns on those country roads. The flow of traffic pushed the pebbles to the sides and middle of the lane, so the Slingshot’s front tires gripped just fine, but the rear tire skidded on the pebbles, requiring quick reactions from me. I was aware of these areas and went slow to avoid a problem, but any motorcycle rider will tell you that pebbles are the enemy.
It’s a pleasure to turn the Slingshot R’s small-diameter steering wheel. Its electric-assist power steering has the engaging feel of at least hydraulic assist, if not almost manual steering. It’s quick, stable, and engaging, and it provides good feedback of what the front tires are doing.
2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Con: Rough ride and tough brakes
The ride is a little rough. The seats sit close to the rear wheel, and that rear coil-over doesn’t provide enough suspension to smooth out the ride, which is also quite busy on rough roads.
The brakes also have a wooden feel. Like manual brakes, I found that I had to get on them, then push harder to slow the vehicle down for the next sharp corner. They are reasonably sized at 13.3 inches up front with Brembo 4-piston calipers and 11.7 inches on the rear with a single-piston caliper. That should be enough to easily stop the 1,651-pound Slingshot, but it takes some time to get used to the firm pressure needed when hustling this three-wheeler on a backroad.
2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Pro: Power
The Slingshot R is quick, but not as quick as its power and weight might suggest. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 that makes 203 hp at 8,250 rpm and 144 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. Power flows to the rear wheel through a belt drive. The engine likes to rev high, all the way to 8,500 rpm, and it makes its best power high in the rev range. That’s for the best because it’s already hard enough to get the single rear wheel to hook up on a hard launch. More torque would only exacerbate that issue. Polaris says the Slingshot R can launch from 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds, but again, that would take a perfect launch with just the right amount of single-wheel slip to achieve that time. However, the Slingshot has more than enough power to get out ahead of traffic, get quickly to freeway speeds, and pass without a fuss. The top speed is limited to 125 mph, and anything above that would seem dangerous to me.
Between the engine’s raspy sound and the road and wind noise that are so prevalent without a top, a high volume is needed to rise above the cacophony. Polaris combats that this year with a new 200-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system that replaces a 100-watt unit. It’s no Burmester unit, but it gets the job done through six speakers while letting those around you know your taste in music (or podcasts).
2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Pro: Row your own
My tester was outfitted with the standard 5-speed manual transmission, which provides short shifts with a satisfying mechanical feel and a natural clutch progression. Polaris charges more for its single-clutch 6-speed automated manual transmission called AutoDrive. As we experienced in a 2020 Polaris Slingshot R, it pauses power between its sometimes unpredictable shifts, and is just plain frustrating. Save the upcharge and go with the engaging manual.
2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Con: Pricey
The 2024 Polaris Slingshot R starts at $34,799 with manual transmission. That puts it in the ballpark of the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Toyota GR Corolla, and Honda Civic Type R, as well as any number of used sports cars. Those cars offer all the fun of a Slingshot, with far more practicality as they have closed cockpits and don’t require a helmet. However, no matter how good looking any of them are, those cars lack the wow factor that draws the admiration of onlookers like the Slingshot. Less practical and more attention-grabbing. Seems like the ultimate toy to me.
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2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Base price: $34,799, plus destination that varies by state
Price as tested: $37,428, plus destination
Powertrain: 203-hp 2.0-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual transmission
EPA fuel economy: Not rated, about 30 mpg
The pros: Open-air fun, engaging to drive, quick, manual transmission, attention grabber
The cons: Impractical, open to the elements, rear wheel can slip, rough ride, pricey