Polaris RZR Turbo S 4 Adventure Build
Just how close to desert-ready is the Turbo S 4 seater?
Photos: Adam Campbell Photography
The Polaris RZR Turbo S and Turbo S 4 seater are two of the best machines to ever roll off of Polaris’ assembly line. With over a decade of experience with current adaptations of the RZR XP platform, Polaris has nearly reached the end of this product’s lifestyle. Newer, next-generation RZR machines are being introduced every day (there’s even one in this issue!), and the newer PRO XP platform is set to eventually replace the aging RZR XP line.
The RZR XP Turbo S 4 is Polaris engineers’ version of a built XP turbo. Factory long travel suspension, DYNAMIX adjustable shocks, 32 inch tires, 168 horsepower, and a strengthened frame built to take the abuse. If you’ve ever driven a RZR with an aftermarket long travel kit, it’s like that- only more refined. Factory tuner cars like this are rare, and we are still blown away that Polaris’ accounting department funded the R&D budget for the Turbo S cars. It’s likely that the initial design and R&D work that went into the Turbo S was intended for future products, and that the by-product of all of that testing was the final evolutionary form of the first RZR platform. Either way, we are happy to have one in the stable.
Our 2020 Polaris RZR Turbo S 4 started life as a Dynamix edition in $30,999 trim. This makes the Turbo S 4 Polaris’ second-most expensive UTV on sale to date, right behind the $32,299 RZR PRO XP 4 Ultimate. As a factory-stock unit, the S 4 is likely the best-handling 4 seat UTV on the market, with massive amounts of suspension travel available at all four corners to smooth out the ride. Our goal with the Turbo S 4 was to improve the comfort, carrying capacity, and safety factors without introducing too much added cost- after all, this is one of the most expensive UTVs on the market.
As with all of our builds, we started with the comfort and safety aspects of the build. It has been commonplace in the UTV industry since the introduction of turbo cars to feel that a stock machine is far too quick and capable for its factory-issued safety equipment. The S 4 is no exception to this rule, so we dialed up UTV Speed INC for a full cage setup. What they sent was a gorgeous radius roll cage complete with a full-length roof rack and glass windshield. The fitment of the parts was great, and the cage gives the S 4 a more elegant appearance while offering a big upgrade in terms of safety. UTV Speed has a ton of cage options for available accessories, so it’s best to give them a call and discuss your needs over the phone. We added a couple of mounting provisions for a spare tire, Pro Eagle jack, KC Hilites light bar, and more.
The glass windshield is definitely a piece you’ll want to option if you ride in cold weather. Any type of wind deflection is great for the cold, but the full-coverage glass windshield adds a layer of insulation from the elements that does not go unnoticed. UTV Speed’s finish work is great, meaning the windshield bolts on and off quickly and easily.
To keep us contained, we turned to Simpson and PRP. We optioned Simpson Vortex UTV seats for the front occupants, leaving the rear two seats stock to save cost. Simpson helped us color-match the stock seats, so even though they aren’t identical, they match visually and don’t draw your eye to the stock parts in the back. PRP 4.2 harnesses were fitted to the UTV Speed cage crossbars, offering much more support than a stock 3-point seatbelt. Just a small PSA here- if you drive your UTV at high speeds in rough terrain AT ALL, you should be running 4 point harnesses at the very least.
PRP’s harnesses and interior bags add much-needed comfort to the RZR’s cockpit. With 168 horsepower and almost 2 feet of suspension travel on tap, you’re bound to use it. Bouncing around in the cab of a stock RZR with 3 point seatbelts, stock seats and no interior padding is fun for a short time and a short time only. PRP’s carefully-positioned storage bags are also padded at contact points between your body and the RZR’s, keeping elbows and knees from bruising while you’re racking up miles in rough terrain.
To ensure we could keep going when the trail turned rough, we added our own tool kit using Krazy Beaver Tools’ Ridgid toolbox mount. It bolts to an inexpensive “Ridgid” brand tool box available from Home Depot ($39.00) and secures it to the bed of your RZR for an inexpensive toolbox mounting solution. We packed the box full of our own spare garage tools, and included a new Torx driver set as well!
ALSO, SEE: UTV Tire Repair Products
We secured a spare belt bag from Dragonfire Racing and filled it with a Gboost Sandstorm drive belt. We have been testing the Gboost drive belts in the harshest of conditions including racing the Baja 500. We personally saw belt temps over 350 degrees F for 40+ miles in race conditions with no belt failures last race- if we can trust the belts in Baja, we can trust them on the trail.
HMF Racing has been expanding their product portfolio for a few years now. We optioned a front and rear Defender series bumper set to go with their 4” Performance Series full exhaust, all of which bolted on like factory equipment. HMF’s fit and finish is top-notch, and we couldn’t be happier with the sound and power increase that the exhaust provided. HMF has a ton of options when it comes to exhaust systems, so it’s best to check their website to design your own. Color options abound aplenty, as well as ceramic coating options, different sound levels, canister and tip designs, etc. Following the same footsteps as their performance division, HMF’s hard parts are high-quality, fit well, and offer exceptional durability. Their Defender LT front bumper is one of the slimmest available, adding protection while not sacrificing approach angles.
To aid with visibility, we added a Tusk Alloy UTV mirror kit with 5” convex glass. The mirrors bolt to the roll cage with surprisingly simple mounts, and feature a great look and a strong build construction. The anodized black aluminum mirror bodies are strong and lightweight. We also optioned a Tusk convex center mirror for added rearward visibility.
KC Hilites provided their 39” Gravity LED Pro6 light bar, which features 6 x 20 watt LED emitters in large reflective housings. KC says their G6 LED reflector optics utilize a combination of their “Driving” and “Wide-40” beam patterns for optimal lighting balance and performance. Essentially, this bar offers the throw of an HID light with the flood of a high-end LED bar. As an added bonus, it looks absolutely stunning. The 39” bar consumes 120 watts at full power and produces a whopping 13,800 lumens and a claimed beam distance of 1,435 meters (4,708 feet). With nearly a mile of light available, even the RZR Turbo S 4 can’t outrun this bar at full power.
We wrapped up the build with a set of gorgeous Raceline Podium 15” A93SG beadlock wheels in stealth grey finish with a black beadlock ring. Raceline beadlock wheels are available in a multitude of sizes, bolt patterns, styles, and colors, so check their website for more options. The A93SG is built with a heavy duty A356 aluminum alloy and a forged 6061 beadlock ring. The beadlock hardware is US-made Grade 8 material for long life.
We wrapped the gorgeous Raceline wheels in CST Apache 33×10-15 rubber. The 33” Apache tire is about as tough as they come- a steel-belted, 8-ply radial designed to withstand the rigors of desert racing. Even though our RZR XP Turbo S 4 came stock with 32” tires, the change to 33” steel belted tires on 15” beadlocks added quite a bit of rotational mass. In order to compensate for the added weight of this adventure build, our next step will be to re-tune the factory shocks and clutch setup to regain the performance lost in the build process.
We have been racking up miles on our Polaris RZR Turbo S 4 Adventure build rather quickly. Most of our trips have started on the desert floor, and all of them have ended high in elevation, climbing and exploring every mountain pass we can find in the massive Southern California desert. The added comfort and cargo capacity we have baked into this build have allowed us to stay on the trail longer and make easy trailside repairs to other units. The biggest benefit is peace of mind – we know that no matter what the trail throws at us, we are prepared to tackle it. That’s a good feeling, especially when you can do it in complete comfort and style.
Polaris RZR Turbo S 4 Adventure Build
Brand…Product (Size)…Price…Contact
CST Tires…Apache (33X10-15)…$182.00…http://www.csttire.com
Dragonfire Racing…Belt Bag…$24.99…http://www.dragonfireracing.com
GBoost Technology…Sand Storm Drive Belt…$139.95…http://www.gboosttechnology.com
HMF…Dual Full Turbo Exhaust…$859.95…http://www.hmfracing.com
HMF…Defender LT Front Bumper $279.95…http://www.hmfracing.com
HMF…Defender Rear Bumper…$249.95…http://www.hmfracing.com
KC Lights…39” PRO6 Gravity 6 Light System…$1,399.00…http://www.kchighlights.com
Krazy Beaver Tools…Rigid Toolbox Mount…$49.99…http://www.krazybeavertools.com
PRP Seats…4.2 Harnesses…$99 each…http://www. prpseats.com
PRP Seats…Stock Door Bag…$65 each…http://www. prpseats.com
PRP Seats…Buggy Bag…$25.00…http://www. prpseats.com
Raceline Wheels…Podium Beadlock wheels (15”) $249…http://www.racelinewheels.com
Ram Mount…X Grip Mount…$60.49…http://www.rammount.com
Rugged Radios…2-Person Car-to-Car…$1508…http://www.ruggedradios.com
Scoshe…Terra Clamp…$54.99…http://www.scoshe.com
Simpson Seats…Vortex UTV Seat…$499.95 each…http://www.simpsonraceproducts.com
SpeedStrap…25’ Recovery Strap…$54.99…http://www.speedstrap.com
SpeedStrap…3-Point Spare Tire Strap…$25.99…http://www. speedstrap.com
TUSK…Alloy UTV Mirror Kit…$59.99…http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com
UTV Speed INC…Standard Radius Cage…Starting at $1,595…http://www.utvspeedinc.com
UTV Speed INC…Roof Rack….Starting at $750…http://www.utvspeedinc.com
