Presented in partnership with Polaris Factory Racing
Off-roading is a popular hobby in the United States. After all, we have trails, vistas, and landscapes as challenging as they are breathtakingly gorgeous. Unsurprisingly, however, you’ll need the right tool to tackle the trails, dirt, and unruly terrain. Enter the Polaris lineup of off-road vehicles, the ultimate race-bred weekend warrior toys.
The Polaris RZR Pro R demonstrates the weekend warrior status of the brand’s off-road vehicles
Sure, you could try to turn a high-mileage Jeep Wrangler YJ or a Chevrolet Blazer into your dream off-roader. In the process, you can break things, over-spend on an endless list of aftermarket parts, and end up frustrated when it’s not as nimble and eager on the trails as you’d like. That, or you can opt for a purpose-built, off-road-ready side-by-side (SxS) like the Polaris RZR, Polaris GENERAL XP, and Polaris XPEDITION.
First and foremost, for the thrill-seeker, the Polaris RZR is race-bred. Not like “there’s racing DNA baked into each RZR.” No, no. Everyone from amateurs to the Polaris Factory Racing team races derivations of the brand’s flagship sport side-by-side. I recently traveled to Ensenada, Mexico to experience the SCORE Baja 500, and the UTV categories were packed with RZRs.
For that iconic race, Polaris Factory Racing brought their race-ready derivation of the range-topping RZR Pro R model: the Polaris RZR Pro R Factory. The team fielded four mechanically identical models to take on some of the most challenging terrain on the planet. And take it on they did; Cayden MacCachren took the win in the Pro UTV Open series. While that’s impressive by itself, MacCachren also won the SCORE San Felipe 250 in a Pro R Factory.
“If you look at these race cars, most of them are stock parts,” Polaris Factory Racing Director Alex Scheuerell said of the brightly-liveried race vehicles. “The Pro R Factory is a purpose-built race machine that we designed and built in-house at Polaris. It’s the product of 60 years of off-road racing experience and Polaris engineering. We combined all of those things to make the most bitchin’ off-road racer out there.” Better yet, the Pro R Factory is essentially a tweaked version of the current RZR Pro R. That means any off-road racing hopeful can enjoy a race-bred UTV in the RZR platform.
I was fortunate enough to see a bit of what the RZR platform can do in Baja California. For starters, I had the opportunity to ride with one of Polaris Factory Racing’s drivers, Brock Heger, in a RZR Pro R. Even better, the ride took us across cratered roads, jagged hard-pack trails, and dusty desert paths.
Still, even with the dynamic nature of Baja California’s trails, Heger put the RZR platform through its paces. He instigated four-wheeled drifts, tail-happy antics in the dirt, and jumps that would have the most gravity-defying NBA players in a jealous fit.
Needless to say, the RZR soaked up the dramatic landscape without so much as a heavy sigh. “Anyone can do it,” Heger said of taking a RZR model racing. “Anyone can buy or lease one of these cars and get into it.” And even with tons of seat time, Heger still revels in the vehicle’s performance. “It’s amazing to see what these cars have evolved into.”
What’s more, the current RZR Pro R weighs around 2,150 lbs. As a result, you don’t need a massive pickup truck to tow your ultimate weekend warrior toy to the desert, woods, or trails. Instead, SUV models like the JL Jeep Wrangler or Nissan Pathfinder are more than capable of towing a RZR on a small trailer. Of course, it might be easier with a torque-happy pickup truck.
Of course, the Polaris RZR isn’t the only off-roader in the brand’s lineup. The brand’s side-by-sides span from the youth-friendly RZR 200 EFI to the farm-ready RANGER. But when it comes to camping companions, the Polaris XPEDITION can handle the weekend warrior duties.
Better yet, a ride like the Polaris XPEDITION is a solid alternative to schlepping around the backcountry in a wide, cumbersome SUV or truck. With the narrow footprint of a modern side-by-side, an enclosed cab, and loads of ground clearance, the Polaris XPEDITION has the potential to get you to nearly any campsite, kayak launch, hunting blind, or fishing spot.
Finally, the two-or-four-door Polaris XPEDITION can host a multitude of camping and adventure equipment. Chief among these, the wilderness-ready UTV can tow, use a bumper-mounted winch, accommodate mountain bikes on a rear-mounted rack, carry kayaks and fishing equipment, and even serve as a base for a roof-mounted tent system.
Photo credit: Nelson Flores, Erik Sherman, Polaris