Review 2024 Polaris Slingshot R, stands out as the ultimate toy
“Do you have any toys?” It's a question often asked by friends and colleagues who are car enthusiasts. The typical answer is a Porsche 911, a BMW M, a Honda Civic Type R, an old American muscle car, a Miata, or some sort of early SUV.
The atypical answer would be the Polaris Slingshot, but perhaps more than any other choice, it is the very definition of an automotive toy: three wheels and no airbags, so it is considered a motorcycle, but not exactly a car. Polaris calls it “automotive,” and to me that fits the bill.
I recently spent two weeks with an army-green 2024 Polaris Slingshot R and discovered what a toy it is. Here are its pros and cons.
The Slingshot has no roof, but can be purchased as an accessory. It also doesn't have a trunk. I considered using the Slingshot to go grocery shopping, but decided against it because there are no doors and I had to place my luggage on the passenger seat where it could fall out. The only time the Slingshot is suitable for driving is when you are getting from point A to point B or going on a joyride. It is not practical if you need to pick up anything larger than will fit in the glove compartment or the two helmet-sized compartments behind the seat.
Conversely, because there is no roof, the Slingshot always offers 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 since the rudimentary windshield only goes up to chin height and debris from other cars can fly into the cockpit, especially on the freeway. Since there is no roof, it is best to store the slingshot in a garage. I wasn't able to do that and got rained on several times. That's okay because the interior is waterproof and there are drainage holes in the floor under the sheets so you can hose the water off.
The Slingshot rides on a tube frame chassis with double wishbone suspension on the front two wheels and coilover shocks on all three. Driving through the winding roads of the countryside revealed both the pros and cons 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 turns predictably like a car. If you ease off on the gas pedal, that is. If you accelerate too hard or too fast mid-corner, you'll spin out. The Kenda's 305/30R20 rear tires grip the rear wheels, but give up and slide into oversteer when power is also required. This is both surprising and thrilling. However, if one learns the behavior and limits of the slingshot, one can take advantage of the oversteer to shortcut the corner, then let go, steer a little in the opposite direction, let it catch, get back in, and take off in a straight line.
Sometimes oversteer cannot be controlled or easily controlled. At a turn on a country road, a car kicked a pebble from the shoulder into the road. As the flow of traffic pushed the pebbles to the side and middle of the lane, the Slingshot's front tires gripped well, but the rear tires skidded on the pebbles. I recognized these spots and drove slowly to avoid problems, but any motorcycle rider will tell you that pebbles are the enemy.
Turning the Slingshot R's small steering wheel is fun. The electrically assisted power steering, if not quite manual steering, at least has an appealing hydraulically assisted feel. It is quick, stable, and provides good feedback of front tire movement.
The ride is somewhat rough. The seat sits close to the rear wheels, and the rear coilovers are not enough suspension to smooth out the ride.
Brakes also have a wooden feel. As with the manual brakes, I found that I needed to step on the brakes and then harder to slow the car down for the next sharp corner. The 13.3-inch, Brembo four-piston calipers up front and 11.7-inch, single-piston calipers in the rear are reasonably sized, which should be enough to easily stop a 1,651-pound slingshot, but the firmness required when hustling this three-wheeler on the backroads It will take some time to get used to the pressure.
The Slingshot R is fast, but not as fast as its power and weight might suggest, powered by a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that produces 203 hp at 8,250 rpm and 144 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm. Power flows to the rear wheels through a belt drive. This engine prefers high revs and delivers its best power at high revs up to 8,500 rpm. This is because it is already difficult enough to hook up the rear wheels on hard launches. More torque would only exacerbate this problem. According to Polaris, the 0-60 mph launch time for the Slingshot R is 4.9 seconds, but it takes a perfect launch with the right amount of single-wheel slip to achieve this time. But the Slingshot has more than enough power to get out in front of traffic, reach freeway speeds quickly, and pass without fuss. The maximum speed is limited to 125 mph, beyond which it would be considered dangerous.
Between the rasping sound of the engine and the road and wind noise that is pervasive without the top, it takes a lot of volume to escape the cacophony. Polaris countered this this year with a 200-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system that replaces the 100-watt unit; it's not a Burmester unit, but it does the job with six speakers, while letting those around you know about your taste in music (or podcasts) I can do this.
My tester is equipped with the standard five-speed manual transmission, which offers a satisfying mechanical feel and short shifts with a natural clutch progression. Polaris offers for a fee a single clutch 6-speed automated manual transmission called AutoDrive, which, as I experienced in the 2020 Polaris Slingshot R, sometimes pauses for power during unpredictable shifts, just plain frustrating. Save your upcharge and opt for the charming manual.
The 2024 Polaris Slingshot R starts at $34,799 with a manual transmission. This price is comparable to the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Toyota GR Corolla, Honda Civic Type R, and many used sports cars. These cars offer all the fun of a slingshot and are far more practical, with closed cockpits and no need for helmets. But no matter how cool any of them are, those cars do not have the same elements that make a slingshot an admiration of the onlooker. They are less practical and attract less attention. To me, they seem like the ultimate toys.
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2024 Polaris Slingshot R
Base price: $34,799, plus destination which varies by state [
Price at time of testing: $37,428, plus destination
Powertrain: 203-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual transmission
EPA fuel economy: not rated, about 30 mpg
Pros: open-air fun, engaging Ride, quick, manual transmission, attention-grabbing
Cons: impractical, exposed to wind and rain, rear wheels may slip, uncomfortable ride, high price
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