[Baron]

Ok, lets say God was a mean dude and didn't allow the guys at Polaris to make the Slingshot. In my mind the design of the Slingshot is kinda a Spyder with non-saddle carlike seats. What wold you buy or build to get your Slingshot thrills if it wasn't around? McLaren P1 is easy answer, but what would you do bang for the buck on our regular people budgets? And, street legal like the Slingshot. Would you say screw it and just buy a motorcycle? But, you can't deny the SS is more a car. Would you buy a used car? IDK I think like minded people (people who would buy a SS) like similar things. What do you think you'd do?

 

[BKL]

I've wanted a reverse trike since I first became aware of them about 10 years ago (didn't start riding motorcycles until I was almost 55, 7 years ago). The Slingshot is the first mass-produced RT available at even close to a reasonable price. When you consider the ABS /Stability/Traction systems, nothing else really compares. Too bad Texas is playing games as this quote from Motorcycle.com's Spyder, Morgan, Slingshot comparison article so nicely phrased it - "asinine decision to disallow Slingshots to be registered as motorcycles. Asinine because the Morgan, Spyder and T-REX have already established precedent to the contrary."

 

[Slobbering Fits]

Nothing. I wasnt in the market for anything .The SS look like 2 much fun to pass up. Aint going to live forever .

 

[Bigfoot21075]

A Chrome bumper C3 Vette, but it is not the same for sure and you are always working on the Vette - not because you want to because you have to.

 

[Otter]

I just wanted a light, open-air, roadster thing with a power to weight ratio around 10 lbs/HP or better. I didn't care if it had 3 wheels or 4. I thought God HAD answered my prayers with the SS so ordered one right after announcement.

But that lousy bastard was just teasing me! Laid my money down, now it's December and I still don't have it!

So I started building 'WhatTha' . See 'SS vs WhatThe' thread for a laugh.

 

[DocZee]

Ok, lets say God was a mean dude and didn't allow the guys at Polaris to make the Slingshot. In my mind the design of the Slingshot is kinda a Spyder with non-saddle carlike seats. What wold you buy or build to get your Slingshot thrills if it wasn't around? McLaren P1 is easy answer, but what would you do bang for the buck on our regular people budgets? And, street legal like the Slingshot. Would you say screw it and just buy a motorcycle? But, you can't deny the SS is more a car. Would you buy a used car? IDK I think like minded people (people who would buy a SS) like similar things. What do you think you'd do?

I left my BMW in the same garage with my Vrod and 5 months later my slingshot was released. Do you think ? It definitely has its Mother's smile.

 

[Wriggly]

I have had a lot of cars, and driven some exotics. I picked up a 2015 Subaru WRX last April, and while it could use a little more power it'll corner with a 911.
I spent a little more to get the limited with the premium audio system, keyless and leather, but they can be had pretty cheap, and they are very satisfying to drive.
I am 6'5" and the Subaru is the first car with a sunroof that I fit in comfortably. I have headroom to spare. Plus, as an added benefit, it actually has a back seat that is decent for two adults and a trunk that has good space.
I wanted a 911 with the adaptive seats. They are the best car seats in the world. I just couldn't bring myself to spend upwards of 130k for a car. I spent a quarter of that on a car that handles just as well, and had plenty left over for a new Indian and a Slingshot.

Had the Slingshot never been born, I would have been content with my WRX and Indian for my entertainment. Slingshots a nice bonus.

 

[Otter]

View attachment 3079 View attachment 3078

I left my BMW in the same garage with my Vrod and 5 months later my slingshot was released. Do you think ? It definitely has its Mother's smile.

View attachment 3080

Yep, Bimmers have the prettiest faces in the automotive world. The resembalence helped sell me on the SS.

 

[jdskycaster]

Hard to tell exactly without actually driving an SS yet but the plans are for it to replace:

• One of my RZR's that was going to get outfitted for hard surface driving
• Already sold my MC so this has already been replaced
  
• Future top down automobile - have had a few options in my sights but the cost is prohibitively high for the number of months we drive them up here. They spend most of their time sitting in storage. The SS is far easier to justify to have sitting for a few months at only $20K.

For me I fall squarely into the camp of it replacing multiple toys in my garage and therefore is why I have been so excited about it as a new category of product.

I guess the short answer is, there is no single solution for the SS had it not ever existed.

 

[Swinglo]

I'm coming from a Lotus Elise (well, two actually) and I'm all about 'smiles for the miles'

An '05 Elise (first year of import) is now 10 years old and goes for @ $32K and on up.

Frankly, I can't think of another vehicle - CAR, I'm a car guy - that can fit the bill for the money.

Another option is to build a kit car (a bucket list thing before I die). Specifically, a Lotus Super Seven vehicle (Caterham, Birkin, Westfield) or a MEV Tr1ke.

The car I was really planning on getting was Beck replica 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder (150hp @ 1300#), but the SS is $10-12K cheaper and a whole lot crazier!

 

[Hogg]

Nothing. I wasnt in the market for anything .The SS look like 2 much fun to pass up. Aint going to live forever .

Last year I wasn't looking for nothing in Sturgis. Saw the SS and now one is in my garage. YEEEHAAAA

 

[BKL]

I'm coming from a Lotus Elise (well, two actually) and I'm all about 'smiles for the miles'

An '05 Elise (first year of import) is now 10 years old and goes for @ $32K and on up.

Frankly, I can't think of another vehicle - CAR, I'm a car guy - that can fit the bill for the money.

Another option is to build a kit car (a bucket list thing before I die). Specifically, a Lotus Super Seven vehicle (Caterham, Birkin, Westfield) or a MEV Tr1ke.

The car I was really planning on getting was Beck replica 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder (150hp @ 1300#), but the SS is $10-12K cheaper and a whole lot crazier!

Just wondering, I noticed you hadn't mentioned the Factory Five Mk4 as a Lotus Super Seven candidate. A neighbor up the street built one after he retired and it looks sharp. I absolutely love Factory Five's GTM Super car and the 818 model looks to be relatively affordable, but I'm not sure my skills are up to the task.

 

[Baron]

The 2015 Spyder F3 is REALLY nice looking. Are they in dealers yet? Toys are SO expensive. Hate it. Maybe lease a C7. ugh who knows.

 

[Kip]

Now what if the Slingshot came out years ago, and the "revolutionary new Spyder" were just hitting the streets right now?

How would the lighter and nimble Spyder look if it were competitively priced against the aged Slingshot, and dubbed the "Slingshot Killer"?

Do you think the budding Spyder community would have a big following like the Slingshot community did?

Would Polaris try to thwart CanAm's attempts to enter the market?

This is totally going left of field, but I love playing what ifs!

 

[BKL]

Wasn't all that impressed with the Spyder. As I was getting frustrated with the Polaris/Texas problem, I read about the F3. It seems significantly improved over the regular Spyder. Of course, then I hear Texas and Polaris have evidently worked out an agreement.

 

[Stuntn01]

SwingLo, I thought that name was familiar. You had the Yellow Lotus Elise that burnt to the ground because of a bad battery... Correct? My 2006 Exige burnt to the ground last April and they never determined why. I'm picking up an SL tomorrow. I wanted the base originally, but I'm picking this up so I can go on the Toys for Tots ride on Sunday. I live in Aurora, pm me if you want to check it out. Side not, picking up an Alfa Romeo 4C later this month or early Jan. Should be a great Exige replacement.

 

[Baron]

I wonder what kind of audience the SS will capture. Hear me out for a second. If you pull up to the light in the SS, 99 out of 100 people will say its a car. Where 99 will say the Spyder is a motorcycle. With that being said. I showed my mom a pic of the SS and the spider and asked which one looks safer. She immediately said the SS. I think her brain said the spyder = motorcycle. motorcycle = dangerous. i wonder if the stubborn wifes won't go OMG if you buy that thing buy yourself a coffin too! Hence, making it more appealing to more.

 

[Baron]

I have had a lot of cars, and driven some exotics. I picked up a 2015 Subaru WRX last April, and while it could use a little more power it'll corner with a 911.
I spent a little more to get the limited with the premium audio system, keyless and leather, but they can be had pretty cheap, and they are very satisfying to drive.
I am 6'5" and the Subaru is the first car with a sunroof that I fit in comfortably. I have headroom to spare. Plus, as an added benefit, it actually has a back seat that is decent for two adults and a trunk that has good space.
I wanted a 911 with the adaptive seats. They are the best car seats in the world. I just couldn't bring myself to spend upwards of 130k for a car. I spent a quarter of that on a car that handles just as well, and had plenty left over for a new Indian and a Slingshot.

Had the Slingshot never been born, I would have been content with my WRX and Indian for my entertainment. Slingshots a nice bonus.

New GT3 is a work of art. Flame away, I don't care, Im cool with the PDK...

 

[Kip]

It's a motorcycle by the skin of a hair. Polaris is on the verge of accidentally becoming a car company within a few model years I feel. I feel like this was possibly planned.
Polaris owns a lot of EV and car-like brands like Axiam and Goupil. The Ranger can be enclosed and made street legal just like a car. The Slingshot was Polaris's on-road answer to people who did that to their Rangers and RZRs.

I think either a weight class issue, or some government mandate, or some new technicality will turn the Slingshot a car someday, and then it's do or die whether the SS continues in this form or another.
When people ask me if Slingshot is a car, or if Polaris intends to build them someday and stand up to the Big Three, I recite my forum signature to them, "You know what they say about Slingshots... They're giant killers."

To answer the OP question, once upon a time I imagined dropping a four-banger into a street-legalized Ranger and using it like a car. But when the Slingshot came around I very quickly abandoned that idea and it has hardly crossed my mind. For the price of doing all that to produce one kind of on-road experience, Polaris has pre-packaged a totally different kind of experience that is way more my flavor.

 

[Baron]

It's a motorcycle by the skin of a hair. Polaris is on the verge of accidentally becoming a car company within a few model years I feel. I feel like this was possibly planned.
Polaris owns a lot of EV and car-like brands like Axiam and Goupil. The Ranger can be enclosed and made street legal just like a car. The Slingshot was Polaris's on-road answer to people who did that to their Rangers and RZRs.

I think either a weight class issue, or some government mandate, or some new technicality will turn the Slingshot a car someday, and then it's do or die whether the SS continues in this form or another.
When people ask me if Slingshot is a car, or if Polaris intends to build them someday and stand up to the Big Three, I recite my forum signature to them, "You know what they say about Slingshots... They're giant killers."

To answer the OP question, once upon a time I imagined dropping a four-banger into a street-legalized Ranger and using it like a car. But when the Slingshot came around I very quickly abandoned that idea and it has hardly crossed my mind. For the price of doing all that to produce one kind of on-road experience, Polaris has pre-packaged a totally different kind of experience that is way more my flavor.

sure has the weight of a car! need to test drive/ride a SS pronto.