Polaris RZR Pro R Boost Packs 275 HP For $50,000

Anybody who's spent time behind the wheel of a side-by-side knows the horsepower race has been heating up for years, and Polaris just raised the bar again with the RZR Pro R Boost, a machine that makes 275 horsepower. Polaris bills it as the strongest-output production side-by-side yet.

The Engine

Sitting just ahead of the rear axle is a two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. It's a peaky powerplant: peak power doesn't arrive until 7,500 RPM, and peak torque of 215 lb-ft shows up at 4,000 RPM.

That character suits a rig meant for fast running over rough terrain and mated to a continuously variable transmission. You want the CVT to keep the engine spinning where the power lives.

Weight And Performance

Polaris lists an "estimated dry weight" of 2,531 pounds on its consumer site, which isn't much use since you can't run a side-by-side without fluids in it.

A more usable number is the curb weight: the two-seat Ultimate trim should carry 2,671 pounds. That's a lot of power moving a machine that light.

Built To Take It

To handle the torque and the pace, Polaris beefed up the driveline, added cooling capacity for the transmission, and fitted the engine with a second radiator. Adaptive Fox internal-bypass dampers control the suspension.

Buyers can add adaptive sway-bar linkage and 32-inch BFGoodrich rubber built for the dirt. There's also a four-seat configuration if you want to bring the crew along.

The Price

The RZR Pro R Boost starts at $49,999. That's serious money for an off-road machine you can't legally drive on the street in most places.

For that kind of outlay you're paying purely for recreation and trail speed, not for a rig that'll pull double duty hauling feed or running fence lines around the property.