![slingshot polaris slingshot polaris](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c0/bc/a7/c0bca7ed366707225112f5b8d69e61e6.jpg)
Once I hit 75 mph, we felt like a 1,749-pound spaceship soaring over the asphalt. And the paddle shifters are kinda fun, even if they do have a tendency to take over if you don't shift when you should.Īs we zipped up the highway, my passenger couldn't get over the rush - and as I've learned with motorcycles, the smaller the vehicle, the less fast you have to go reach that rush.
SLINGSHOT POLARIS MANUAL
I personally lamented the automatic transmission (in fairness, a manual model is available, for $1,700 less), but I understand why Polaris added it: driving stick is a dying art that closes your vehicle from a much wider audience. The following weekend, I took a friend on a little jaunt up to Hastings-on-Hudson, a quaint little hamlet about 20 miles outside the city, and the ride provided a much fuller picture of the SL's potential. That moment was just a small hint of what this vehicle can do. Sadly, I was stuck in traffic.until I hit the corner of Bleecker Street and a wide-open Sixth Avenue at speed, whipped into the turn and felt the back tire skid across a few lanes of traffic as I straightened up. From the moment I got in and took it for a spin through New York City's West Village, I could feel the rumbling engine just itching to open up. As someone who very rarely gets around on anything besides a bike or a motorcycle, I welcome the maneuverability and open-air access afforded by this not-quite-car. It's hard to get around that feeling when you're so low to the ground, strapped into a compact bucket seat with no roof over your head, wrestling with a tight steering column while wearing a helmet.Īnd believe me, that's not a complaint. There's also a standard hill hold feature, Rockford Fosgate sound systems and Apple CarPlay (optional on the S and SL models and standard on the R models).Īs the headline of this story indicates, the Slingshot SL really does have a go-kart vibe.
![slingshot polaris slingshot polaris](https://www.bikesrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/072617-2018-Slingshot-SLR-LE-Ghost-Gray-Lime-Squeeze-02-cropped.jpg)
Following the rollout of automatic transmissions last year (up till then, all Slingshots were stick shifts), these new models have a recalibrated AutoDrive system for more rapid shifting, as well as steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. What is new for 2021 are a few notable upgrades. And unlike just about any other street-legal vehicle, the Slingshot sits so low that you can literally reach out and touch the ground as you're tooling around town.įor those in the know, that's nothing new, as the first Slingshots rolled out in 2015. There's also that big ol' 20x9 wheel in the back powered by a 1,799cc engine rolling a belt drive.
SLINGSHOT POLARIS LICENSE
On the other, in New York state (but basically nowhere else), you're required to wear a full-face helmet and have a motorcycle license to operate it. On one hand, its controls (steering wheel, pedal, dashboard) and seating are very car-like. That's literally how this vehicle is classified, pointing to its combination of automobile and motorcycle features. Well first off, it's not an automobile or a motorcycle - it's an autocycle. The 2021 Slingshots hit dealerships at the very end of last year. It boasts a number of stock advantages over the the base model Slingshot S (including a 7.0-inch display with Ride Command, enhanced audio system and a back-up camera) at a much more approachable price (at least $6,300 less) than the higher-end Slingshot R models. The 2021 Polaris Slingshot SL is the scrappy middleweight of the brand's latest lineup of low-riding autocycles.