Polaris Drawings Hint Two Engine Options for 2020

    Motorcycle.com published an article yesterday showing Polaris' new patent drawings, demonstrating what I predicted all along ,


    1- The new 4 cyl. inline Polaris Built Prostar engine will sport the new "Autodrive'' transmission , not your typical automotive automatic transmission (way too heavy )


    2- Most importantly , the drawings hint the new engine, with the ""Autodrive"" will be available as one option on particular models and the current 2.4 Ecotech , Standard transmission, will still be available on other models.


    The article states ""Polaris has recently filed a trademark application for the name “Autodrive” for use on “transmissions for three-wheeled motor vehicles for on road use.” So we can assume this is the much lighter Polaris supplied automatic transmission for their new Prostar Engine , specifically, a new transmission for three wheeled vehicles.


    The new Patent Drawings show the new engine below along with the new air box and cooling system required. While it is still unclear whether Polaris will still offer the Ecotech, the hints lie in the text of the new patent drawings ""The cooling system patent application mentions, both in illustrations and in the patent text, a clutch pedal, so we should expect the new Slingshot will offer a choice of both manual and automatic transmissions. "


    The new Patent drawings also show the new front end complete with those new LED headlights above and in the gap filler panels below as we saw released photos of from the latest Dealer Show.



    you can view the complete article here, https://www.motorcycle.com/min…tomatic-transmission.html

    Well, I could be smug where this would vindicate my saying all along that if Polaris decided to offer an automatic transmission, or factory turbo, for the SlingShot, then it would have to be with a new and different engine to keep the weight within limits. I also suspected that it would come with a (major) redesign for the same reason. Though I have fought the thought of an automatic in the SlingShot, I have since experienced how selfish this stand has been because Justina has been having to wear a "boot" due to foot issues for the past couple of months, and has not been able to ride the Grasshopper herself, (nor our Jetta.) :( Though, I still would hope that it will be as the article surmizes where it will be offered as an alternative, and not as a replacement.


    Bill

    if the motor is currently used in something else and has a track record....that’s one thing but if it’s just now new from the ground up....I wouldn’t be in line to buy....same with the tranny unless it has a few years of usage...


    if you think about it probably only 1/4 of the population can drive a stick so ignoring the people that can’t is eliminating a lot of potential sales.

    Thanks Kev, great stuff! Any word yet on specifics like bore and stroke or displacement? I am assuming it's a lighter engine than Ecotec, but that would only be an absolute necessity if the Autodrive automatic were in fact heavier than the Aisan 5-speed, which is by no means a lightweight unit, having been designed for much heavier and more powerful vehicles than Slingshot at its maximum torque capacity.

    That said, even if Autodrive is no lighter than the Aisan, a lighter engine than Ecotec would open up some possibilities elsewhere on the machine to add features and their concurrent additional weight, so there's still an argument for a lighter engine.

    Looks like the new engine design is edging ever closer to the motorcycle engine designs we've rotated the planet with for nigh five decades now, so that's a big plus for Hahn RaceCraft! :thumbsup:

    Quote from Bigdog

    if the motor is currently used in something else and has a track record....that’s one thing but if it’s just now new from the ground up....I wouldn’t be in line to buy....same with the tranny unless it has a few years of usage...


    if you think about it probably only 1/4 of the population can drive a stick so ignoring the people that can’t is eliminating a lot of potential sales.

    I must admit that I find it hard to understand how anyone would let not knowing how to use a clutch and shift keep them from getting a vehicle they really wanted. - Learn!!!


    when I got my first motorcycle as a kid I had never used a clutch or had to shift - not once in my life. my total experience up to that point was riding minibikes with centrifugal clutches and no gears. My parents drove me to the Honda dealership where we haggled and ended up buying a brand new Honda CB 100 - - when we were done with the paper work my parents said "see you at home" and got in the car and left. - - the sales person briefly explained to me the 1 down 4 up shift pattern and that was it - - - got on the bike and learned how to shift on the 10 mile ride home - - after the first block or so I never really thought about it again


    It was the same thing the first time I drove a manual transmission car, I just got in and applied what I knew from my motorcycle experiences and off I drove.


    The idea that someone would really love a vehicle but then decide they cant have it because they are unwilling to learn something is just beyond my comprehension


    It isnt brain surgery


    I taught my daughter how to drive a stick on the short drive home from buying her first car - a used Miata that she just had to have and wasnt letting a stick shift stop her


    Now, just to be clear, I can totally understand that some people just cant drive a stick for physical reasons and I think it is great if these people have the option, but not getting a Slingshot you really want because you are too lazy to learn something new? - - - - - WOW!

    Cage Free - 2016 Pearl Red SL

    DDM Short Shifter, Sway Bar Mounts Coolant tank Master Cylinder Brace & CAI

    Twist Dynamics Sway Bar, JRI GT Coilovers, Assault Hood Vent

    OEM Double Bubble windshields & various other goodies

    I doubt we can ever reconcile the public's widespread preference for automatics using our own sensibilities as a yardstick. Indeed, at the end of the day, such ruminations are largely irrelevant to Polaris' intention, which is merely to sell more units. We can argue the relative merits of eschewing the manual life, doing so along the lines of our own stick-shifty desires, until the cows come home....and as the prospective buyers of automatics can and will perform exactly the same mental exercise using their own preferences, the two effectively cancel each other out.

    Myself, I'm pragmatic, so I always like to see the practicality of a situation emphasized over the opinions/preferences side, which I admittedly find much less interesting. Everyone likes what they like. I get that, and I embrace it, even applaud it...all the same, that doesn't mean I find endless dissertations on same even remotely engaging. Listening to someone trying to convince me/all that their preference is somehow "better" for this reason or that leads me to lose interest...perchance to daydream about more visceral things, like racing and sex and wicked rock n' roll. So if you ever see me drifting away smiling during a conversation, this is likely to be a reason why.

    The practicality I like in this instance? More Slingshots sold, more cool people to meet getting into the game who might not have otherwise. So they shift differently than me. So long as it's the way THEY want to shift, I'm completely down with that.

    Quote from Bill from Hahn RaceCraft

    I doubt we can ever reconcile the public's widespread preference for automatics using our own sensibilities as a yardstick. Indeed, at the end of the day, such ruminations are largely irrelevant to Polaris' intention, which is merely to sell more units. We can argue the relative merits of eschewing the manual life, doing so along the lines of our own stick-shifty desires, until the cows come home....and as the prospective buyers of automatics can and will perform exactly the same mental exercise using their own preferences, the two effectively cancel each other out.

    Myself, I'm pragmatic, so I always like to see the practicality of a situation emphasized over the opinions/preferences side, which I admittedly find much less interesting. Everyone likes what they like. I get that, and I embrace it, even applaud it...all the same, that doesn't mean I find endless dissertations on same even remotely engaging. Listening to someone trying to convince me/all that their preference is somehow "better" for this reason or that leads me to lose interest...perchance to daydream about more visceral things, like racing and sex and wicked rock n' roll. So if you ever see me drifting away smiling during a conversation, this is likely to be a reason why.

    The practicality I like in this instance? More Slingshots sold, more cool people to meet getting into the game who might not have otherwise. So they shift differently than me. So long as it's the way THEY want to shift, I'm completely down with that.

    Mostly people are just DAMN lazy.

    Quote from Edward Neal

    Now, just to be clear, I can totally understand that some people just cant drive a stick for physical reasons and I think it is great if these people have the option, but not getting a Slingshot you really want because you are too lazy to learn something new? - - - - - WOW!

    I believe that when somebody says that they will not purchase a SlingShot simply because it has a clutch, it is only an excuse. Give these folks an automatic and they will simply come up with a different excuse not to buy it!


    Bill

    Quote from wjfyfe

    I believe that when somebody says that they will not purchase a SlingShot simply because it has a clutch, it is only an excuse. Give these folks an automatic and they will simply come up with a different excuse not to buy it!


    Bill

    Your probably right - just an excuse :thumbsup:

    Cage Free - 2016 Pearl Red SL

    DDM Short Shifter, Sway Bar Mounts Coolant tank Master Cylinder Brace & CAI

    Twist Dynamics Sway Bar, JRI GT Coilovers, Assault Hood Vent

    OEM Double Bubble windshields & various other goodies

    [quote='wjfyfe','https://slingshotinfo.com/index.php?thread/8576-polaris-drawings-hint-two-engine-options-for-2020/&postID=289580#post289580']
    Quote from Edward Neal

    Now, just to be clear, I can totally understand that some people just cant drive a stick for physical reasons and I think it is great if these people have the option, but not getting a Slingshot you really want because you are too lazy to learn something new? - - - - - WOW!

    I believe that when somebody says that they will not purchase a SlingShot simply because it has a clutch, it is only an excuse. Give these folks an automatic and they will simply come up with a different excuse not to buy it!


    Bill

    [/quote]

    My excuse for an automatic was for pure fun and speed... I would never go back to a manual. I can command any gear at any time. I can launch faster and get into my upper gears faster than any manual can.


    Sent from my SM-F900U using Polaris Slingshot Forum mobile app

    The only thing I miss about not having an automatic is the almost instant downshift you can get when you punch it to pass someone or to make a light - other than that for driving the mountain roads and my everyday driving I get pleasure from the connection to the experience that the manual transmission gives me, it keeps me more involved


    In most cars I would probably opt for an automatic, but in a sports car, motorcycle or a Jeep for off roading I prefer a manual


    no right or wrong to it - its just what I like 8o

    Cage Free - 2016 Pearl Red SL

    DDM Short Shifter, Sway Bar Mounts Coolant tank Master Cylinder Brace & CAI

    Twist Dynamics Sway Bar, JRI GT Coilovers, Assault Hood Vent

    OEM Double Bubble windshields & various other goodies

    Quote from rabtech

    My excuse for an automatic was for pure fun and speed... I would never go back to a manual. I can command any gear at any time. I can launch faster and get into my upper gears faster than any manual can.


    Sent from my SM-F900U using Polaris Slingshot Forum mobile app

    By going with an auto Polaris will be changing the whole market for the Slingshot

    Quote from Bill from Hahn RaceCraft

    Thanks Kev, great stuff! Any word yet on specifics like bore and stroke or displacement? I am assuming it's a lighter engine than Ecotec, but that would only be an absolute necessity if the Autodrive automatic were in fact heavier than the Aisan 5-speed, which is by no means a lightweight unit, having been designed for much heavier and more powerful vehicles than Slingshot at its maximum torque capacity.

    That said, even if Autodrive is no lighter than the Aisan, a lighter engine than Ecotec would open up some possibilities elsewhere on the machine to add features and their concurrent additional weight, so there's still an argument for a lighter engine.

    Looks like the new engine design is edging ever closer to the motorcycle engine designs we've rotated the planet with for nigh five decades now, so that's a big plus for Hahn RaceCraft!

    Bill from Hahn RaceCraft ,No they are keeping pretty tight lipped on that but rumor has it that it is a four cylinder version of their 2 cylinder Prostar 1000 ccc engine (doubling displacement to 2000 cc) which now powers the biggest Razors, and rumor has it the new 4 cylinder Prostar will also be available in a Polaris turbocharged version to produce over 2o0 h.p. which should be easily done as the proven two cylinder 925 cc razors (RZR XP TURBO S ) produce 168 H.P.   


    However, until we see the new release, it's all just speculation and rumors .The new 2020 RZR XP 1000 CC puts out 110 H.P. non turbocharged so stretching that block by 2 cylinders for 2000 cc could theoretically deliver 200 HP non turbocharged .


    But one thing I do know , the Gm Ecotech, has proven its metal many thousands of times over, to last well into the 100,000 mile range , that certainly can't be said or isn't even rumored, about any of the Prostar engines, not even their existing 2 cylinders. The RZR XP 900'S have been out there for quite a few years now and the 1000 ccc for a few, and in that industry 10,000 miles is considered to be a very, very high time engine. Many do not last anywhere near that without some sort of rebuild. Though it's true the operating parameters of an off road , High Performance, high HP UTV such as the RZR 1000 are a lot more demanding than those of a street version Slingshot should be. So for those who just want to cruise in their new AutoDrive, it will be interesting to see what kind of longevity a basically detuned 2000 cc four cylinder non turbocharged Prostar can do .


    Here are the specs for a new 2020 Polaris RZR N.A. 2 cylinder XP 1000 cc, The rumored 4 cylinder Slingshot 2000 cc is supposedly just that block with 2 additional cylinders added , time will tell.