2012 Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 Test

Over the past few years, Arctic Cat has been developing a machine with which to dominate the side-by-side world––a machine with more displacement, longer suspension, travel, and more features than the competition. The new Wild Cat 1000 abandons the usual truck-like appearance of most other side-by-sides for a distinctively dune buggy-like appearance. Make no bones about it, the Wild Cat takes aim directly at the Polaris RZR XP900. On paper, the Wild Cat appears to have some distinct advantages. To prove them to us, Arctic Cat invited us to the desert just outside Barstow, California–– a popular practice area for desert truck and buggy racers. The terrain offers lots of high-speed sections, deep-rutted whoops, and the occasional gnarly rock bed. This terrain is a lot of fun for drivers, but it is hell on an off-road vehicle. It is the perfect location to put the Wild Cat to the test. With a retail price of $16,599, features like EPS, painted plastic, plus class-leading suspension travel are stacked in the Wild Cat’s favor. Its superb real-world performance makes us crave owning one. While it’s not completely perfect, there are things it does notably better than any of its competitors, like going ridiculously fast in the rough, and doing so while cocooning both driver and passenger in complete comfort. Arctic Cat may have just changed the way people perceive side-by-side performance, and them as a company.