The new
Polaris Slingshot is here, and the big news
is that for the first time, it offers an automated transmission. What
caught our attention, though, is the engine. The old Slingshot used the
2.4-liter GM Ecotec four-cylinder from the Pontiac Solstice—this one
gets a new Polaris-designed engine making impressive numbers.
In
the base Slingshot SL, this new 2.0-liter twin-cam four makes 178
horsepower at a heady 8500 rpm, while in the hotter R model, it makes
203 hp at 8250 rpm. It's nice to see in a world where high-revving
automotive four-cylinders have become a rarity. The only other engine
like it in production is the Mazda Miata's 2.0-liter, which serves up
181 horsepower and revs to 7500 rpm.
This new Polaris engine doesn't quite match the
Honda S2000's
legendary 240-hp, 9000-rpm F20C four-cylinder, but at least it's in
production today. We hope Polaris sells this as a crate engine—it'd fit
perfectly in a Caterham, or something of the like.
Polaris
says 70 percent of the Slingshot is new for 2020, though the look and
three-wheel concept remain the same. The new AutoDrive transmission is
actually a five-speed manual that shifts automatically with hydraulic
actuation. It should help broaden the appeal of the Slingshot, though
you can still get the R model with a proper five-speed manual.
Pricing
starts at $26,499 for the SL AutoDrive, while a manual R is $30,999 and
an AutoDrive R is $32,699. Ordering starts now, with deliveries
expected to begin this spring.
