My first adventure with Polaris’ RZR XP Turbo S is one that’s been emblazoned into my recollection. The arid desert, sweltering sun, fine talc-like sand caking every surface of exposed flesh, and the wild, white-knuckled, maniacal laugh-inducing ride provided by my right foot, an open stretch of the Mint 400 circuit, and the ludicrously capable RZR XP Turbo S. It remains one of my fondest memories.
And though most would consider that prose (or the unique single-seater) a success, Polaris isn’t satisfied and wants more to experience the same sort of rip-roaring day. Which is why the company has released the RZR XP 4 Turbo S, a four-seater, badass, baby trophy truck ready to scramble your best friends’ brains.
Built atop a reinforced frame capable of handling the roughest of terrain — seriously, it will plow through absolutely everything you can throw at it — the RZR XP 4 Turbo S also makes use of beefier axles, an all-new isolated front-drive that’s been reinforced to provide up to three times the impact resistance, and stronger control and trailing arms, and radius rods. Yet, none of this would be half as useful without Polaris’ damn-near perfect Dynamix adaptive suspension.
- 1. 2019 RZR XP 1000
- 2. 2019 RZR XP 4 1000
- 3. 2019 RZR XP Turbo
- 4. 2019 RZR XP4 Turbo S
For those who aren’t up-to-date on their side-by-side technical developments, Polaris’ Dynamix suspension works very similar to the sort of adaptive suspension you’d find on Ferraris, Corvettes, and racecars. The adaptive suspension allows the driver to select from three preset suspension settings, each capable of adjusting the spring rates and rebound hundreds of times a second.
What this does for the overall package is deliver an experience that’s barely different than an $800,000 pro-built, Baja-ready trophy truck. It’s beyond trick and offers the driver, and their passengers, a mind-blowing 25-inches of usable suspension travel. After that, you’re bottoming out on the RZR XP 4 Turbo S’s skid plates. But if you need more than 25-inches of travel, what the hell are you doing? The suspension, however, is what makes the RZR XP 4 Turbo S the best side-by-side on the market.
Adding to the RZR XP 4 Turbo S’s list of trophy truck attributes are the stock 32-inch tires that have been specially designed to be puncture resistant. As for the RZR XP 4 Turbo S’s power, horsepower is pegged at 168, but Polaris recalibrated the throttle mapping and redesigned the clutch box to increase the immediacy of response from the little, but punchy, engine. I should also mention that the RZR XP 4 Turbo S comes with selectable 2WD or 4WD — perfect for either immediate grip or hooning like Ken Block.
But let’s talk turkey before everyone, including myself, gets too excited about the potential for living out our Baja 1000 dreams. The new RZR XP 4 Turbo S isn’t cheap. But neither is it expensive compared to the level of performance you get. In total, the RZR XP 4 Turbo S will set you back $30,499, which for a weekend toy is a lot. Hell, you could almost buy the fabulously touring car-esque Civic Type R. That said, the RZR XP 4 Turbo S is a toy that could very easily keep up with nearly million-dollar machines along the coast of Mexico.
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