UTV MANUFACTURERS
LIKE CAN-AM ARE
IN THE MIDDLE OF
A HORSEPOWER
WAR, UTILIZING
TURBOCHARGERS TO
ACHIEVE HIGHER LEVELS
OF PERFORMANCE.
the price and squeeze more
power out of the motor than
we ever could," says SCORE
UTV racer Derek Murray of
the #2917 Can-Am. "We are
still working with a maximum
of 1000cc engines. There is a
limit; the turbos just allow for
a little more power through
the whole power band. With
manufacturers building better
and more powerful engines,
racers don't have to spend
a majority of their racing
budget to be competitive."
UTV manufacturers such
as Polaris and Can-Am are
leading the power wars with
new developments in greater
horsepower and engine
longevity. "Can-Am was the first
to pass the 100-hp mark," said
Marc-André Dubois, Director
Global Marketing, Can-Am Off-
Road. "We then introduced the
Can-Am X ds 1000R Turbo in
2014, which brought the first
factory-installed turbocharged
side-by-side to the market.
That platform continues to
evolve for both consumers
and racing enthusiasts."
While greater horsepower
isn't always a determining
factor in winning a SCORE
race, it nevertheless didn't stop
manufacturers from moving
forward with the technology.
Not wanting to be outdone,
Polaris responded the following
year with a turbocharged model
of its own. "We launched our
RZR XP Turbo EPS in July 2015
as part of our model year 2016
lineup," said Donna Beadle, Sr.
External Relations Specialist at
Polaris. "We have seen many of
our racers switch to the turbo,
but the RZR XP 1000 EPS is
still a very viable desert racer."
With some racers embracing
every new high horsepower
models, others are content
utilizing their current vehicle
PHOTO
COURTESY
BRP
072
SCORE JOURNAL
