Skip to main content

Polaris Slingshot Grand Touring Autocycle Is a Batman-worthy Road Trip Vehicle

For many travelers, the choice of road-tripping vehicle is a deeply personal one. Practical folks might opt for something comfortable and amenity-rich like a minivan. Nostalgists won’t consider anything other than a VW Bus. Purists likely prefer something more stripped down, raw, and fun — an MX-5 Miata perhaps. If you fall into the latter category, allow us to introduce Polaris’ newest Slingshot. The open road is calling, and you must go.

Polaris Slingshot
Polaris Slingshot

The all-new Slingshot Grand Touring Autocycle takes the helm atop Polaris’ line-up for 2019. This trim level focuses on upgrades and updates that make the open-air Slingshot a more capable road-trip-worthy driver. The cockpit is semi-enclosed (still no doors) courtesy of a Slingshade, a removable hardtop with hinged, gullwing-style panels above the driver and passenger. The center console features a slick, 7-inch touchscreen with easy access to the backup camera, navigation system, and a robust 100-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system. The seats get an upgrade too with softer, quilted material for a more comfortable long distance ride.

Recommended Videos

The new model shares many of the best components with its Slingshot siblings. The unmistakable, angular, Batman-worthy silhouette hasn’t changed. The five-speed manual shifter and GM 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine remain. The latter produces a healthy 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque for an impressive power-to-weight ratio.

The original Slingshot joined the ranks of the world’s most audacious three-wheel rides in 2014. Like the CAN-AM Spyder and the absurd Morgan 3-Wheeler, these are vehicles that, on paper, have no business being on the road. They’re too big and powerful to qualify as go-karts, yet too fast and exposed to compare against the safety of a traditional car. But, honestly, who cares? Someone at all three manufacturers was slick and well-connected enough to sneak their concept plans past the otherwise sensible folks at the Department of Transportation to garner a “street legal” stamp of approval. We say we’re all the better for it.

As of July 2018, the Slingshot is classified as an “autocycle” in 44 states, meaning drivers need only a standard drivers license to get behind the wheel. The remaining buzzkill states still require a motorcycle endorsement.

Polaris’ flagship model comes with a price tag that starts at just under $30,000. With the best (read essential) options like a Bilstein Shock Kit, high-performance composite rotors, Velocity street seats, and upgraded audio, the all-in cost easily tops $35,000. In true Henry Ford fashion, the Slingshot GT is available in any color you want, as long as that color is black.

Mike Richard
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…
BMW previews the Concept F 450 GS mid-range adventure bike
An adventure-style, off-road capable-bike in the 450 cc mid-range class
A rider and a BMW Motorrad BMW Concept F 450 GS parked in desert left rear three-quarter view.

BMW Motorrad recently previewed the BMW Concept F 450 GS, a near-production version of a new BMW off-road capable motorcycle class intended to extend accessibility to riders looking for a mid-range bike. Because it is a concept vehicle, details may change before production.
Why the BMW Concept F 450 GS matters

"The BMW Concept F 450 GS carries the characteristic DNA of the GS family," says Alexander Buckan, Head of BMW Motorrad Design. "We have succeeded in designing the Concept with the sporty dynamic appeal of our large off-road icon in a particularly compact form."

Read more
F1 book, Will Buxton’s Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1
Newbies to F1 and lifelong fans will learn and enjoy this book
Will Buxton's An Illustrated History of Formula 1 Grand Prix book cover.

Are you following F1? Whether you're a lifelong fan or new to Grand Prix racing, Will Buxton's Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula 1, published by Ten Speed Press, should be on your bookshelf or shopping list. There are many informative books about F1 racing, but Buxton's superlative volume is an F1 primer, a reference, and a collection of driver profiles at the top of their sport.
Why Grand Prix is important
Formula 1 is an elite, exciting motorsport with ten teams and 20 drivers who race in major cities worldwide. The 2024 season has 24 races, the most in F1's 75-year history, but only three remain. The driver and team Championships competitions remain undecided as the season nears its end.

The rapidly growing interest in F1 racing is due in no small part to the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Will Buxton, the series' primary commentator, is also part of the broadcast team for F1 TV, the official Formula 1 streaming service.

Read more
F1 World Championships are on the line at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
The Las Vegas race could tie a ribbon on Verstappen's fourth Championship
Aerial shot of the 2023 F1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix.

F1 Red Bull driver Max Verstappen could wrap up the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Drivers' World Championship at the November 21 to 23 Las Vegas Grand Prix, but McLaren's Lando Norris still has a slim chance at winning the title. McLaren and Ferrari are leading Red Bull in the Constructors' competition.

As the 2024 Formula 1 schedule draws to a close, the Drivers' World Championship and the Constructors' World Championship are still undecided. This late-season contention contrasts with the beginning of the calendar when, after seven wins in ten races, it seemed that Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and his team would dominate, as they did in 2023.
The F1 World Drivers' Championship
Verstappen's Championship points margin over other drivers from the beginning of the season, his recent podium finishes and the Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory don't entirely rule out anyone else winning the Drivers' Championship.

Read more