This $200,000 Polaris RZR Side-By-Side Is a 400-HP Dakar Buggy You Can Own

There are sporty side-by-sides, and then there are all-out race cars. The Polaris RZR Pro R Factory Boost fits squarely in the latter category as a turnkey competitor, built to tackle Baja, Dakar, and whatever else you’re crazy enough to try on four wheels. It builds on the “normal” Pro R Boost—if you can call it that—by cranking up the 2.0-liter turbo to 400 horsepower and totally reworking the chassis, the bodywork, the fuel system, and… well, there’s a lot.

Polaris reckons it’s worth $200,000, and I won’t be surprised if demand outpaces supply.

Polaris

We’ve known for years that the RZR’s four-cylinder can handle boost. I remember writing a blog in 2023 about a tuned Pro R with 643 hp on 35 psi. This factory-built machine shouldn’t have any problem running 400 hp reliably through the desert, then. (The Pro R Boost this car is based on makes 275 hp, and let me tell you—it’s plenty fast.)

While practically anyone can get more power out of this engine, Polaris did the factory race shop thing and fabricated some bespoke pieces to make the platform even better. It stretched the wheelbase by 6.5 inches, for a total of 111 inches. That’s better for straight-line stability, which you’ll take all that you can get when running triple-digit speeds across the bumpy desert. It’s also stiffer thanks to larger tubing sizes in key structural members. Rounding out the fab upgrades are the cage and the cockpit, which is two inches wider than the standard Pro R for better comfort.

Polaris

It’s not likely that your local speed shop can create CFD-tested carbon fiber bodywork. Some can, of course, but few have the know-how to intentionally craft more aerodynamic pieces using computational fluid dynamics. That’s what Polaris did here, modeling airflow at speeds above 100 miles per hour. The result is a menacing style that’s clearly informed by function; the form just happens to be sick as well.

Traveling long distances at high speeds is the Pro R Factory Boost’s entire modus operandi. Polaris fitted it with a 45-gallon fuel tank—larger than what you’ll find on lots of heavy-duty pickups—to minimize stops. Still, Polaris estimates the range to be “beyond 200 miles,” meaning this bad boy gets something like five mpg at full tilt. Boost makes a race car engine thirsty.

Arguably the most important component on the car is the Dynamix DV suspension with Fox Live Valve internal-bypass shocks. Those units measure three inches, and they’re capable of adjusting damping up to 200 times per second. Polaris also upgraded the shock shafts to one inch, so they’re stronger than the normal Pro R Boost’s. A standard Fox steering damper also helps lighten the load on the driver while covering hundreds of rocky, sandy miles.

Polaris

The RZR Pro R Factory Boost will be sold alongside the non-turbo version, and it’s engineered and built at the same facility in Roseau, Minnesota. Anyone with 200 G’s to spend on one will want to order theirs by Feb. 15, 2027, to get it during the first window. Polaris’ partner, SCI Distribution, will handle the sales and customer support process. If you’re interested in running one of these on your team, they’re the people you want in your corner.

If you’re a hillbilly like me who has no business driving something this fast, maybe just stick to the non-race-car version. Even that thing is a lot to handle.

Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com

The post This $200,000 Polaris RZR Side-By-Side Is a 400-HP Dakar Buggy You Can Own appeared first on The Drive.

Source: www.thedrive.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.