Polaris’ New Line of RZR's Side-by-Sides are Race-Ready Rippers

Gripping the wheel and ripping around in a race car is the stuff of dreams, especially off-road, traversing the same trails that lead pros from dust to glory. Lucky for us, brands like Polaris pour hours of R&D into their fleet of UTVs, gathering insights from their athletes who tackle the world’s most grueling terrain and also their enthusiasts addicted to white-knuckled fun. What Polaris has done with the launch of their new RZR Pro line is nothing short of taking racing DNA and injecting it into machines the rest of us can experience.

This summer, Polaris debuted their thrilling trail-ready base model RZR Pro XP, their mid-tier but also menacing RZR Pro S (formerly Turbo R), and the grunty RZR Pro XP on the dunes of Coos Bay in coastal Oregon—a familiar playground for gear heads who relish in surfing the sand in these vehicles. Shredding across the desert in a side-by-side is one kind of fun, but powering through the G-forces on silica waves is like dropping into a massive set at Mavericks. It's the perfect testing ground for this new lineup.

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For 2024, the Polaris team looked to the past to inform the present, revisiting driver feedback to fine-tune the details. “We had some really good platforms to start with," says Polaris’ product planning director of recreation, Dave Elia. Since 2020, we have launched multiple Pro models with really advanced chassis, suspension, and powertrains. For 2025, we were really able to focus on the style, the finish and interior comfort as well as some new tech and audio systems. We gave the engineering team the ability to focus on improving that so they were able to execute at a high level."

Across all models, that means enhanced comfort, and climbing into the cockpit of any RZR Pro is just plain awesome—especially when you see it light up with Polaris' bold new Fang Lighting, a signature style point. The cabins of older RZRs got hot, so new radiator scoops circulate air more efficiently in all the Pro models, a big improvement given the sweltering heat in many OHV recreation areas. 

New contoured seating molds to your body when you cinch down the seat belt harnesses and a red panic button on the steering wheel temporarily stiffens the suspension so you won’t scrape the skid plate on a g-out. Most mud, dust, and debris is mitigated thanks to new solid doors and beefed up seals. Polaris’ Ride Command navigation system has been retooled for quicker access to its interface to locate other drivers, plot your route, or fine tune the new Rockford Fosgate Stage 4 audio system which easily pairs with your phone.

Here’s what it’s like to drive each one.

RZR Pro XP

The Coos Bay Dunes aren’t just a wide-open, full throttle playground; they’re also flanked by tight, technical wooded trails that are perfect for the smaller RZR Pro XP. Its shorter wheelbase and a new lower low gear made crawling through the tighter terrain a breeze—features I would have fully appreciated in more mountainous areas, especially with the added protection of Polaris’ optional rock slider accessory. 

In the sandy corners, the turbocharged 181HP motor isn’t shy and whips through berms when you put your foot into it. From the moment you turn the ignition, the power doesn’t just keep up with your ambitions—it amplifies them. It’s fast, precise, and aggressive in all the right ways, yet priced like an affordable daily driver.

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RZR Pro S

Most off-road enthusiasts want a vehicle that’s just right—something that isn’t underpowered but also capable of fueling your imagination and offering a ride you can grow into. Formerly the Turbo R, the new RZR Pro S ticks those boxes, and driving one feels strikingly familiar even if you’ve never been behind the wheel of a side-by-side. That’s largely due to the extensive development and upgrades, resulting in a complete package that feels safe while bombing up and down dunes and handling tight, off-camber corners with ease.

Certain areas of Coos Bay feel a lot like the whooped-out sections of San Felipe in Baja, so with a mode aptly named after it, the DYNAMIX DV suspension option adjusts a dynamic range of damping with the touch of a button. Other modes, like Comfort, Track, and Rock, make the RZR Pro S a fierce contender in all kinds of terrain.

RZR Pro R

The dream of driving a fully-fledged race vehicle is realized in the Polaris RZR Pro R, and it feels like it. “Our factory race team has proven the race toughness,” Elia tells me. In fact, many of the components on the stock Pro R are on the factory race car. “And now those [parts] are race proven winning the Baja 1000.” An impressive claim, given the demands of the toughest off-road races on Earth.

Limping through the staging area on my way to the dunes, the RZR Pro R feels like a caged lion ready to pounce. Boasting 44 more horsepower than its siblings, it springs to life as soon as you hit the gas, roaring with the fury of a confidence-inspiring machine. Its stance is wide and stable at 74 inches, its trim is sleek and looks fast, and its 29 inches of usable travel just eats up the whoops.

This isn’t a joyride through the woods—this is the thrill of competition, the kind that leaves your heart racing and your hands shaky after you skid to a stop. The RZR Pro R puts you in the driver’s seat of the off-road fantasy you’ve been dreaming of since you were a kid.

For a second, I forgot I was just an average Joe and felt like I could take on Baja or Dakar. That's what makes the RZR Pros stand out—the way they bring that level of performance within reach.

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