Polaris’ three-wheeled “motorcycle” isn’t the first vehicle you’ll choose for long drives – it’s too cramped, there’s no roof, and there isn’t much room to stash any cargo. It just doesn’t make sense. Regardless, the outfit thinks you may want to take it for a long trip anyway, so they made the 2019 Polaris Slingshot Grand Touring.
Billed as a car for “joyrides that last all day,” the model reinforces the street-legal vehicle with a few amenities to make those long drives juts a little more pleasant. You know, stuff like a roof, a taller windshield, and more comfortable seats, giving the erstwhile sparsely-equipped automobile the necessary chops to go beyond its recreational roots.
The 2019 Polaris Slingshot Grand Touring retains the same three-wheeled profile of the original, with two wheels in front like any normal car and a single wheel in the back like a motorcycle. Under the hood out front is a longitudinally-mounted 2.4-liter GM Ecotec four-cylinder engine, which sends 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque straight to the lone rear wheel. And, yes, it still retains the off-brand Batmobile aesthetics, so it’s every bit as weird as the vehicle’s previous iterations.
Since long drives means a good chance of exposure to the elements, this model adds a roof to shield the cockpit from sun and rain, although it still doesn’t have any doors, so you’re only protected from the top. Oh yeah, the roof is divided into two panels that can be flipped up gullwing-style for those days the skies are clear and you’d rather have a semi-open top. Instead of the two wind deflectors on the stock Polaris, this gets a single-piece windshield, albeit one that still doesn’t extend all the way to the roof, so you can still enjoy some of that wind breezing through your hair (for those days you’re not wearing the required helmet, of course).
Inside, the 2019 Polaris Slingshot Grand Touring gets new quilted comfort seats for a more pampered driving experience, as well as a 7-inch ride command display with built-in turn-by-turn navigation. The main console comes with both Bluetooth and USB connectivity for your phone, so you can play music from your library through the 100-watt Rockford Fosgate speaker system, while a camera in the back allows you to quickly check what’s going on in the rear without having to strain your neck.
While designed for long drives, we don’t see much to really differentiate it from a regular model, so we have a feeling this will still do best running around race tracks, back roads, and other recreational driving spots. Features include vented cast iron brakes front and rear, LED lights front and rear, ABS, ESC, traction control, and a five-speed synchromesh transmission. As with the original Slingshot, the vehicle is classified as an “autocyle” in 40 American states, so you can drive it with just a regular license, although it’s classified as a motorcycle in other states, so best make sure about the local laws before crossing state lines with this thing.
The 2019 Polaris Slingshot Grand Touring is available now, priced starting at $29,499.