Review: 2026 Polaris Slingshot Grand Touring

There aren't many vehicles on the market that can compare to the Polaris Slingshot — for starters, the machine has three wheels, which alone puts it in rarified company. It's not quite a car and not quite a motorcycle: an open cockpit, a steering wheel, and side-by-side seating that borrows from both worlds without settling into either one. But it's the blend of engagement, precision, and creature comforts that really puts it in a league of its own.

That core personality and experience carries across the entire lineup, which spans five models: the S, SL, SLR, R, and the limited-edition, top-of-the-range GT. Every trim can be had with a five-speed manual or Polaris's AutoDrive automated transmission, so how involved you want to be in the process is up to you. All of the trims share the same Polaris-built ProStar 2.0L four-cylinder, an engine that always wants to be revved out — you can feel and hear every bit of it climbing toward its 8,500-rpm redline. Power varies by trim, with 180 hp in the S and SL and 204 hp in the SLR, R, and GT.

Some Slingshot History

The Polaris Slingshot was originally conceived as an idea back in 2010, and arrived in dealers in 2014 with just two trims, the S and SL, with a GM-sourced 2.4L engine putting out 173 horsepower. It stayed that way for the better part of five years, earning a cult following before Polaris decided to revamp everything in 2020 including a from-scratch ProStar 2.0L engine built in-house, an available automatic for the first time, and the R trim joining the lineup.

Since then, Polaris has continued to iterate on the winning formula, bringing new tech-focused features such as Apple CarPlay and comfort features like the heated and cooled seats on the GT model.

Grand Touring

Now I had the chance to drive the GT model, which stands for Grand Touring, and sitting atop the model spectrum, this one has a few more comfort-focused features than the rest of the lineup. To name a few, you'll get the Slingshade roof with integrated sunroof-ish windows, the heated and cooled seats previously mentioned, as well as an upgraded interior lighting package and improved speaker system. This is a limited-edition model that starts at $41,999 for the manual-transmission version. Worth noting that the paintjob on this one is exclusive, pairing Viper Black with Green Venom to standout.

Also included in this model was the 7-inch infotainment screen which comes with Apple CarPlay and has "Ride Command +" available which includes real-time traffic and weather overlays as well as vehicle location and health monitoring features.

Now, although I had the GT model, the base S model starts at just $24,999 for the manual version which gives a spry, enthusiastic car for someone on more of a budget. It really is quite good bang for your buck, since the car is easy to work on, safer than a motorcycle, and gives a driving experience unlike any other right out of the box.

Limited Competition

The other vehicles that the Slingshot is competing against are far-less common on the road. One is the Morgan Super 3, which starts around $54,000 and is completely the opposite of the Slingshot in terms of styling and vibe. The Slingshot is built in Huntsville, Alabama and the Morgan Super 3 is built in England - the slingshot is performance and tech-focused whereas the Morgan is focused on a driving experience from the 1900's, which many people truly crave. They are fundamentally different cars, and the only real overlap is that they both have three wheels. The Slingshot is more accessible and tech-heavy; the Morgan a bit more classic and niche.

The Slingshot isn't for everyone — a loud, three-wheeled beast that revs to 8,500 rpm was never going to be a hit in retirement communities or on the streets of Nantucket. But it's a welcome change of pace whenever you want to do some exploring on the weekend, or take someone on a date night. In a world that constantly asks for more driver engagement, the Slingshot delivers it in spades.

Thank you to Polaris for the opportunity to enjoy the car for a couple of weeks.