SCORE Journal

SCORE Journal Issue - JULY 2017

SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing

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Pushing Harder and Faster Can-Am Increases Horsepower And Performance In Its 2018 Model UTV Line-Up. The factory UTV wars continue to escalate with Can-Am’s announcement of its 2018 model side-by-sides. For off-road racers utilizing vehicles within the Can-Am stable, the company’s latest models feature more horsepower that will ultimately increase the speeds and performance levels during desert racing. For recreational enthusiasts, the new models will provide additional specialty packages for those who want a more adaptable vehicle for their lifestyles. Maverick X3 Turbo R At the top of the Can-Am UTV performance pyramid, is the Maverick X3 Turbo R. For 2018 the new model will incorporate 172 horsepower from its Rotax ACE engine. According to Can-Am engineers, the vehicle’s intercooler and fan were redesigned to improve heat transfer by as much as 49 percent. As a result, the cooler air intake charge accounts for 18 more horsepower over last year’s model and includes a 10 percent increase in torque. In addition, Can-Am engineers added a new fuel pump with greater volume capacity to support the increased power. All of this translates to greater acceleration, allowing the X3 Turbo R to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. According to Can-Am, this makes the 2018 Maverick X3 Turbo R the fastest accelerating factory-built side-by-side on the market. Despite the increase in performance, the 2018 Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo R has not increased in price. Instead, the company added new color options to the complete Maverick line which includes the base X3, X3 X ds, and X3 X rs models. While all these vehicles are still available in two and four-seat models, for 2018, they all come standard with a retractable four-point harness system. Can-Am also realized that the X3 family of vehicles was missing an entry-level model with a competitive price point to its competitors. This led to a new 120 horsepower version of the Maverick X3 Turbo, that still provides more horsepower than competitive vehicles, around $20,000, and still includes all of the X3’s long-travel suspension system and Rotax ACE turbocharged engine, but without the intercooler system. Utility And Recreation Models For 2018 Can-Am also offers two new Utility Recreation models (Ute-Rec) that include the Defender Max HD8. This is an entry-level vehicle with an MSRP price of $12,399, that can carry up to six passengers and 1,000 lbs. in its cargo bed. The vehicle also features a Rotax HD8 V-Twin engine that makes 50 horsepower and features the company’s PRO-TORQ transmission for excellent trail power and torque. The vehicle also utilizes a double A-arm front suspension and TTA-HD rear suspension that provides 10-in. (25.4 cm) of travel, as well as a selectable 2WD / 4WD with Visco-Lok auto-locking front differential. The second Ute-Rec vehicle offered for 2018 is the Defender MAX XT Cab HD10. This is an all-new vehicle with a full cab enclosure that includes a full glass windshield, wiper/washer kit, full doors with electric windows (front), and hinged windows (rear), hard roof with liner, an interior dome light, and a sliding rear glass window. The cab kit was optimized for enhanced quality and to create a true 100 percent enclosed system. The vehicle also has front arched A-arms that increase the XT Cab’s track width and provides 11-inches of ground clearance. All Defender XT packages for 2018 include a new front bumper, larger 27-in. (68.6 cm) Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 tires and painted wheels. All Can-Am Defender family vehicles also receive a cargo box deflector to eliminate debris from the cargo bed reaching the engine compartment and a revised shifter gate for smoother operation and durability. Can-Am’s Commander recreation-utility models were also revised for 2018, to include an increase in power (92hp) for the Commander 1000R, as well as larger brakes. The vehicle uses the Maverick Rotax V-Twin 1000R engine and transmission, as well as the air intake system. Other upgrades for 2018 include new 14-in. (35.6 cm) cast-aluminum wheels, and new FOX 2.0 QS3 Podium shocks that provide tool-free adjustments to compression and numerous fine-tuning ranges for outstanding ride quality. A Bluetooth connector was also included as part of the Limited package. As the UTV market continues to grow, racers and recreational enthusiasts are enjoying higher levels of performance and function from Can-Am’s innovations and technology that have been achieved from the company’s involvement in off-road racing. With new innovations in suspension technology, engine performance and safety, we can only expect to see more racers utilizing Can-Am’s latest vehicles to win more races in the coming months. For more information on all of Can-Am’s side-by-side models, visit https://can-am.brp.com/off-road/ SJ

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