The three-wheeled Slingshot drives like a car, but it's a motorcycle

It looks like something from a super-hero movie - a cross between a motorcycle and a stripped-down sports car - and it's appearing in motorcycle dealerships this month.

The Slingshot, from Minnesota-based Polaris Industries, is a three-wheel vehicle that's licensed as a motorcycle but takes some styling cues from a futuristic automobile.

It has two wheels in the front and a single wheel in the back, a design akin to a Can-Am Spyder.

But unlike the Spyder, the Slingshot has side-by-side seating so your passenger doesn't sit behind you. And unlike the Spyder and other motorcycles, it has a steering wheel instead of handlebars.

Equipped with a 2.4-liter General Motors EcoTec engine, coupled with a five-speed manual transmission, the Slingshot is more than capable of highway speeds. The deluxe model sells for $23,999 and comes with a rear-view camera and a six-speaker audio system.

Like a car, it has wide tires, seat belts, anti-lock disc brakes and traction control. But lacking a hard top and a heater, it's not a practical winter vehicle.

"It's designed for high performance, on wet or dry pavement, but definitely not snow," said Shawn Kelly, sales manager at Engelhart Motorsports, a Polaris dealership in Madison, Wis.

The Slingshot is classified as a motorcycle.

"It's for the person who wants to get into motorcycling but doesn't want to drive on two wheels. I think it will open the gates for that person who wants to get their hair in the wind," said Brett Cottrell, sales manager at Cedar Creek Motorsports, a Polaris dealer in suburban Milwaukee.

There's always been a market for three-wheel motorcycles, also called trikes, especially with motorcyclists who have difficulty balancing a two-wheeler weighing hundreds of pounds.

"With 8,000 people a day turning 65 years old, for the next 18 years I believe there's a market for this," said Genevieve Schmitt, founder of Women Riders Now, an online publication for female motorcyclists.

"Polaris seems to be looking at expanding the market and capitalizing on the baby boomers who have money and are looking for alternative ways to have fun," Schmitt said.

Polaris, a $3.8 billion manufacturer of motorcycles, snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, also recently relaunched the Indian Motorcycle brand from a clean slate after numerous attempts by others to revive Indian failed.

The Slingshot, designed in Minnesota, went into production last month at the Polaris plant in Spirit Lake, Iowa - where the company also is making the Chief, the first model in the revived Indian lineup.

The Slingshot is scheduled to arrive at dealerships this month, according to the company.

Polaris' design statement was to produce a trike that pushed the boundaries of what people were used to seeing in a vehicle, said Chris Doucet, the Slingshot project director.

"It was intended to provide the feeling of a motorcycle while, at the same time, having side-by-side seating and a three-wheel stance for a little extra stability," Doucet said.

"It's very fast, very quick, and . . . your tailbone is literally less than 12 inches from the ground," Doucet said.

Some motorcyclists say the Slingshot lacks the visceral feel of a two-wheel bike powered by a V-twin engine.

The Slingshot looks "more like a minimalistic sports car," said Jeff Haig, a Harley-Davidson rider.

The Slingshot adds to the versatility of motorcycles, said Dave Zien, a former Wisconsin state lawmaker who has logged more miles on a Harley-Davidson than nearly anyone and has a Harley trike.

"If your face is in the wind, it's a motorcycle," Zien said.