![\"Slingshot](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2018\/07\/24\/PDTN\/29591e68-e786-42b0-b349-08913cc3bc1c-slingshot_wet.JPG?crop=2715,2036,x403,y0&width=534&height=401&fit=bounds\")
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When I was a tot, I was a serious tricycle rider. I\u2019d tear around the cul-de-sac, pedaling furiously, making growling\u00a0engine sounds.<\/p>\n
Not much has changed in 50 years. Except now I have the good sense to wear a helmet.<\/p>\n
This summer I tested the Polaris Slingshot three-wheeler \u2014\u00a0a 1,750-pound trike with the wheels in front that’s powered by\u00a0a 2.4-liter, 173-horse General Motors Ecotec engine (last seen in the\u00a02012 Chevy Malibu) up front. It drives a\u00a0carbon-fiber-belt-driven\u00a0single rear wheel in back.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s wicked looking \u2014 like the Dark Knight got bored\u00a0one night and decided to burn the midnight oil\u00a0by bolting the Bat-Pod onto the Tumbler<\/a>.<\/p>\n Paint it gray and lime-green (Lime Squeeze Polaris calls it), screw in two seats, and it\u2019s a neighborhood kid-magnet. They lined up like it was a Cedar Point ‘coaster. But everyone had to put on a helmet first. I\u2019ve never driven a two-wheeler but the Slingshot is close.<\/p>\n The 7.5-inch \u201cwind deflector\u201d is an option on the base\u00a0$19,999 Slingshot S (my tester was the loaded, $31,000\u00a0SLR LE), but the low screen is little protection from eating bugs on the freeway \u2014 much less any larger, errant objects that might come along (while in a sedan on Interstate 75 this spring, I narrowly avoided a ladder flying off a utility truck).<\/p>\n But the thrill of riding in the open air\u00a0\u2014\u00a0your knuckles dragging just feet off the ground, an engine roaring in front of you\u00a0\u2014\u00a0 is undeniable.<\/p>\n The kids strapped into the seat, secured their helmet\u00a0and had a blast while holding on for dear life to the \u201coh crap\u201d handle on Slingshot\u2019s exposed aluminum frame. It\u2019s like a stick-shift, rear-wheel drive Mazda Miata with a single rear wheel.<\/p>\n Wider than a Corvette ZR1 up front with\u00a0a fat, 12-inch Kendra tire out back, the Polaris turns on a dime, the rear wheel slewing sideways under power. And with a power-to-weight ratio of 1:10 \u2014 same as a Ford Focus RS hot hatch \u2014 the car comes off a corner like, well, a slingshot.<\/p>\n Pop the clutch and tricycle burnouts are a blast \u2014 especially without having to worry about\u00a0pulling a wheelie with the single tire out back.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was awesome!” screamed the kids.<\/em><\/p>\n Music to my ears. As makers of snowmobiles and ATVs, Polaris has been tickling adult\u2019s inner 10-year-old for years. My top-trim model even came equipped with adjustable Bilstein shocks to tempt me out on the track.<\/p>\n But Polaris intends the Slingshot to be more than just a thrill ride \u2014 it\u2019s an affordable, serious summer commuter not unlike the similarly priced Miata\u00a0fun-box.<\/p>\n After laying some rubber up Woodward one morning, I stopped for lunch with a pal at one of my favorite eateries, Motorcity Burgers & Company (try the Z28 Burger with zip sauce, portabella mushrooms\u00a0and mozzarella)\u00a0across the street from the M1 Concourse car club. I tucked the helmet under my arm and strolled through the restaurant like a biker dude.<\/p>\n While inside, the skies opened for a good summer soaking. Polaris doesn\u2019t sweat the\u00a0rain \u2014 exposed surfaces are waterproof \u2014 and I wiped off my drenched seats when I returned. But what if it was still raining?<\/p>\n My biker friends tell me they\u2019ve invested in waterproof jackets and pants, gloves, balaclava, the works. So after you put down $30,000 for your Slingshot, prepare to invest in a new wardrobe. Keep an extra set of dry clothes tucked in the glove compartment, too.<\/p>\n For $29,999, Polaris offers a Grand Touring LE model with a \u201cSlingshade\u201d \u2014 a sort of canopy with gull-wing roof over the passenger compartment (as if the standard Slingshot isn\u2019t extroverted enough) that includes an enlarged, 9.5-inch windscreen. But without windows or doors, you\u2019ll still get wet in a rainstorm.<\/p>\n I met my first Slingshot a few years back at an I-75 rest stop somewhere north of the Zilwaukee Bridge. Husband and wife were piloting their Sunset Red three-wheeler to a weekend Up North.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s awesome!\u201d they said, channeling their inner 10-year-old.<\/em><\/p>\n I can vouch for the travel experience. Mrs. Payne and I took an extended trip around the metro area one weekend and enjoyed the attention. Muscle-car guys would pull up next to us with a thumbs-up. Gals strolling on the sidewalk shouted \u201ccool car!\u201d and everyone was real nice about giving us space.<\/p>\n Which was nice because space is an issue when the only thing between you and a 5,500-pound Chevy Suburban is a steel-tube frame.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve never been so paranoid lest a texting, left-lane-lollygagging SUV pilot\u00a0fails to see me beneath their 8-foot-tall bow and punts me\u00a0clean across the interstate median. I grew eyes in the back of my head.<\/p>\n Encased in our helmets, the engine roaring at the top of its lungs, Mrs. Payne and I nary exchanged a word save her occasional gesticulation which I interpreted as: \u201cLook out for that Suburban turning into our lane!\u201d<\/p>\n Beyond the bare-bones Slingshot S, the upper-trim options\u00a0beginning\u00a0with the $25,499 SL trim\u00a0come standard with a 7.5-inch infotainment touchscreen and backup camera. The screen is optimized for operation with gloves on, but hearing the radio over 173\u00a0horses required turning the volume up so high that we became a mobile boom box.<\/p>\n Yet, when my wife and I stopped for groceries, we took our helmets off and beamed at each other. Like getting soaked on a whitewater raft\u00a0trip, there is something exhilarating about being on a trike again instead of the usual grown-up quiet luxury of a modern sedan.<\/p>\n Yes, I said groceries. Two storage compartments \u2014 about the size of a hotel drawer turned on its end \u2014 are accessible by key behind the seats and under the forged-aluminum roll bars. It’s enough space for a small grocery run, though I would warn against eggs if you enjoy three-wheel drifting through corners as I am tempted to do.<\/p>\n Since its launch in 2014, the Polaris has sold more than 25,000 Slingshots worldwide. Happily for Michiganians, our state is one of 44 to classify the Slingshot as an \u201cautocycle\u201d \u2014 meaning you can drive it with a standard driver\u2019s license (the other states require a motorcycle license).<\/p>\n Order it online at\u00a0https:\/\/slingshot.polaris.com\/en-us<\/a>\u00a0or at\u00a0eight Michigan retail stores<\/a>that also carry Sea-Doos, ATVs\u00a0and other adult toys for those of us who never grew up.<\/p>\n Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne. Catch \u201cCar Radio with Henry Payne\u201d from noon-2 p.m. Saturdays on 910 AM Superstation.<\/p>\n 2018 Polaris Slingshot<\/strong><\/p>\n Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-passenger three-wheeler<\/p>\n Price: $19,999 base ($30,999\u00a0as tested)<\/p>\n Powerplant: 2.4-liter inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n Power: 173\u00a0horsepower, 166\u00a0pound-feet torque<\/p>\n Transmission: 5-speed manual<\/p>\n Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.5\u00a0seconds (Car and Driver); top speed: 130 mph<\/p>\n Weight: 1,750 pounds<\/p>\n Fuel economy: Observed under Payne’s whip: 23 mpg<\/p>\n Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n Highs: Your personal Batmobile; nimble handling<\/p>\n Lows: Exposed to the elements, semis, texting SUV drivers; slippery when wet<\/p>\n Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I was a tot, I was a serious tricycle rider. I\u2019d tear around the cul-de-sac, pedaling furiously, making growling\u00a0engine sounds. Not much has changed in 50 years. Except now I have the good sense to wear a helmet. This summer I tested the Polaris Slingshot three-wheeler \u2014\u00a0a 1,750-pound trike with the wheels in front […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22645"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22645\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/div>\n