Above All Else, the 2024 Polaris Slingshot Is Not a Car

You do not drive your Polaris Slingshot, you go for a ride in it. That may seem confusing, since you control your ride with a steering wheel, sit in a chair, and accelerate with a pedal on the floor, but drives are for cars, and this is not a car. It is a "three-wheeled motorcycle," as Polaris disclaims. The government legally classifies it as an autocycle, which accomplishes a few things, most notably legal exceptions from safety standards for low-production vehicles. It also provides a convenient excuse for buyers when their passengers ask why their new autocycle does not have doors, windows, or anything near an effective interpretation of the concept of a windscreen.

The 2024 model year is the tenth in the three-wheeled business for Polaris. The once-humble Slingshot has become a reliable product with its own community, one that has embraced the Slingshot for what it is rather than what it is not. That has allowed the brand to expand its lineup to four variants: S, SL, SLR, and R. The brand has also added some surprisingly useful comfort features to the higher-end Slingshots. The R variant even includes Apple CarPlay integration, one of a half-dozen giveaways that this particular autocycle might be something like a car after all. Heated and cooled seats are available as accessories, as is something resembling a roof.

Prices start at $21,999 for the basic, manual S model and go all the way up to $40,299 for a limited-edition Roush model with an AutoDrive transmission. The manual R, the one you want to experience the best strengths of the Slingshot with the most complete group of options, can be had for $34,799. That is a few thousand more than the Mazda MX-5 Club, the most affordable model with its all-important limited-slip differential. Since Slingshots have just one drive wheel, all models are equal in their complete lack of a differential.

Slingshot buyers have two transmission options, a five-speed manual an "AutoDrive" semi-manual gearbox that reminds you why automatic E60 M5s are so much more affordable than manual options. The manual is about as good as you could expect in this application, with a satisfying crunch through every gear and a clutch that that pairs well with the unique feeling of determining how much power is going to just one drive wheel.

The automatic is another story, indecisive and slow. For the first time in decades you may start to question the now-conventional wisdom that a modern automated gearbox is faster than a manual. One Polaris representative said that the Slingshot is faster with the automatic, but that feels like a misdirection. The vehicle is more about experience and less about performance. This automatic is certainly not a more satisfying experience. The AutoDrive transmission is good because it offers more people the opportunity to ride the Slingshot, but it has few other charms. If you can operate three pedals, make sure you choose the manual transmission.

That manual pairs well with the 2.0-liter engine, a new addition for the autocycle's major 2020 refresh. The four-cylinder revs to 8500 RPM, produces 203 hp, and gives Slingshot owners all the power they want over a massive range. It may fall short of an S2000, but it is a satisfying engine that stands out and suggests that the front half of a Slingshot could make an excellent sports car if it were paired with a more traditional set of two rear tires in the back.