While trolling the patent office's database a few months ago, we came across a rather interesting-looking patent by our good friends at Polaris. It was, at the time, wild to see, as the patent drawings showed a race-ready UTV. But the machine in question was just slightly different compared to the RZRs we'd witnessed first-hand in Baja. So what was this?
Could it be next year's race model? Or could it be something we've been clamoring for Polaris to build since it started racing off-road? Could it be a race-spec RZR that you and I could, theoretically, drop a heaping load of cash onto our local dealership to buy and race ourselves? Could this be how we finally live out our off-road racing fantasies? To go boldly where many have gone before.
Well, fine sirs and madams, the answer is here and it fulfills the latter dream to such a degree that I can't hardly believe my eyes.
Say hello to the RZR Pro R Factory, a $140,000 race-ready UTV that you could buy today and race tomorrow. So long as you have a fire suit, a good supply of race gas, a helmet, and a healthy obsession with Baja, Dakar, or King of the Hammers. Plus the aforementioned fat stacks of cash, the latter of which I do not. At least not yet...
So what do you get for your $140,000?
Well, quite a lot, to be honest. The first batch of these rigs will be limited to just 30, but are centered around a stock RZR Pro R platform that's been strengthened for race duty. They're then built up, like the prior pro-only RZR racers, to handle the rigors of desert racing. Included in that beefing up is a 255-horsepower race-tuned ProStar Fury HO 2.0 engine that's been paired with a "rear-mounted radiator, integrated transmission oil cooler, and dual 500W fans to maintain peak performance under extreme conditions."
Additionally, customers will get MaxLink suspension with FOX's Live Valve X2 shocks, and Polaris' own DYNAMIX DV semi-active system. Racer-trusted Alcon brakes that feature adjustable in-cab bias provide the stopping power, while 35-inch BFGoodrich KR2 tires and Method 407 bead-lock wheels keep the UTV planted while powering through the whoops or rocks off the Baja Penninsula. You'll also get a 130-liter fuel cell with a dry break, carbon Kevlar Sparco seats, a MoTec race harness that's been done to "military-grade" standards, and a lightweight lithium battery.
The UTVs will be built by Polaris in conjunction with Scanlon Clarke Industries (SCi), a newly formed entity comprised of Craig Scanlon and Travis Clarke. And if the first name sounds familiar, Craig Scanlon is the owner of the Polaris Factory Racing Team, CEO of K&N, one of the team's drivers, and essentially founded UTV racing. So the man knows his way around a race-spec UTV.
As for what the new group will be doing, according to Polaris, SCi will "manage all sales and post-sale support," which'll include both tech assistance and parts, too. So you won't just be stuck in the middle of the Arabian desert, asking the nearest camel if it has a spare Polaris driveshaft hidden under one of its humps.
According to Reid Wilson, Polaris Off Road's President, "The RZR Pro R Factory represents the pinnacle of Polaris’ off-road innovation, offering off-road racers and teams a unique opportunity to own a purpose-built machine designed to win. Since its debut, we’ve received incredible interest and demand for the vehicle from other teams, fueled by its unmatched track record. By making this vehicle available, we’re empowering more teams to elevate competition and set a new standard for off-road racing, further reinforcing Polaris’ leadership in the industry."
Now here's the best part.
Yes, it's expensive. And, yes, this year is only going to see 30 of these machines built. But Polaris says it's committed to selling more of these and will release more RZR Pro R Factory models to the general populace each year. So if you don't have the cash in 2025 or your race season is already on lock, you could wait until 2026 to snag one of these babies and hit the dunes then.
But hot damn, I can't really believe Polaris did it! Now, I just need to come up with $139,999 in the next week and I'll be heading down to Baja to see RideApart's own Robbie Bacon for some epic tacos and maybe a class win.
