This is your new face of American hardcore insanity. This is the Polaris Slingshot.
For years, Europeans have made crazy track-day specials and bonkers trikes their own playground, while we Americans were stuck with nothing but spec Miatas. But the Polaris Slingshot is an attempt to change all that, to go up against the Ariel Atoms, the Morgan Three-Wheelers, and the BAC Monos of the world.
Belying the motorcycle-and-ATV origins of its maker, Polaris, it's got three wheels, open slashes and angular panels for bodywork, and a 176-horsepower 2.4L EcoTec engine, which should have no problem moving its 1,725 pound curb weight around.
It comes in two flavors, starting with the base Slingshot, which gives you two bucket seats, the aforementioned three wheels and engine, a five-speed manual transmission, and that's about it. The next trim level, the Slingshot SL, gets bigger forged (as opposed to cast) wheels, a media console with USB plugin, bluetooth, and a backup camera, and red paint.
Both come with ABS, traction control, electronic stability control, and even electric power steering, but it'd probably more fun without all of those.
Because it's only got three wheels, it's technically still a motorcycle and not a car, requiring you to wear a helmet pretty much everywhere.
And sure, competitors like the Campagna T-Rex, made in Canada, might be even faster, but at a base price of $19,999, the Slingshot seems like a pretty hard deal to beat.
Especially when you consider that it comes from Minnesota-based Polaris, a company with a long history of putting vehicles like bikes, and ATVs together, and it's not a slapdash operation you've probably never heard of.
And it looks like Satan's trike, unlike the Can-Am Spyder.
So, rest of the world, you're on notice. Get ready.