Hey, it's Jake, the product guy for Slingshot, and I'm back for another episode of Slingshot Under The Hood. Today, we're going to talk about performance and our ProStar engine.
If you've ever wondered why this thing is so quick and so responsive, this episode's for you. When we launched Slingshot, it came with a GM Ecotec LE9 engine. But in 2020, we came with our own engine, the ProStar two-liter, four-cylinder engine.
We turned up the performance, we reduced the weight to make Slingshot even better. This ProStar two-liter, four-cylinder engine is built for performance. Just like in our RZR Pro R, we want this thing to be fun, exciting, and give you the responsiveness you want when you're in a performance vehicle.
It has an 8,500 RPM redline. It's a revver, and it's acceleration at speed. It's great. When we brought this ProStar two-liter engine in 2020, we came with two tunes. Starting at 180 horsepower in S and SL, that's already above the LE9 that we launched with, and it has a nice solid 128 foot-pounds.
The SLR and above, we crank it up to 204 horsepower, 7,500 RPMs. So it's a revver. And it's got even more torque in that trim with 149 foot-pounds. And we know our customers like to keep modifying their Slingshot, so if you buy that S or SL, you can go into your Polaris dealership and turn it up with an accessory up to that 204 horsepower.
In model year '25, we kept going. We brought upgrades to the full powertrain, improving the intake, retuning the engine, and retuning the exhaust. And what does that mean?
We have 8% more torque down low, so you feel it when you drive around town, give it gas, and it's more responsive.
And we brought the peak power down a little bit from 8,250 to 7,500 RPMs. We still can rev it out to 8,500 RPMs, but you feel that peak power sooner, so that leads to more responsiveness, and you can have more fun more often.
On Slingshot SL and above, we offer drive modes, so you can have more control over your Slingshot. You can access these drive modes either through your 7” RIDE COMMAND display or the Slingshot Mode button on the steering wheel.
Slingshot mode is all about performance. It's sportier and more responsive. It uses a more aggressive throttle map for quicker acceleration response. In AutoDrive models, it shifts at higher RPMs when you're on it for stronger performance. This mode is delivered to be more engaging and have a more spirited feel behind the wheel. This is the mode you'll want to use when you want the Slingshot to feel sharp and lively.
In comfort mode, it's all about a smoother and more relaxed driving experience. It uses a more moderate throttle map for gentler acceleration and smoother control. In AutoDrive models, it shifts at lower RPMs, giving calmer, more predictable behavior.
It's ideal for cruising, city driving, and reducing jerkiness in stop-and-go conditions. Comfort mode is all about reducing driver effort and making the ride easier on passengers.
We give you these two drive modes to have more control over how you want to drive. Slingshot mode is all about how you want to drive. Slingshot mode is all about performance and responsiveness when you want to crank it up and have fun. And then you can dial it back with comfort mode.
And that's the full breakdown of Slingshot performance, from the ProStar two-liter engine to the two different tunes to the drive modes.
If you liked this episode, hit like or subscribe and put your questions in the comments.
On the next episode, we're going to take a deep dive into transmissions. Manual, AutoDrive, what's the difference, and why would you pick each one? I'm Jake. See you next time.
