The new model includes the choice of a normally aspirated or for the first time in-season, turbo charged engine, along some of the most sought-after accessories pre-installed and a unique coloration.

“This snowmobile brings huge value to buyers with all the best features like clean running E-TEC engines, short tunnel for easy handling and a deep snow rider’s best friend, SHOT starting, plus the hottest accessories,” stated Elsa Vilarinho, BRP Global Director, Marketing, Snowmobiles and On-Road. “Someone that missed purchasing a turbo charged model usually available in spring only, or is looking to renew their ride will find this to be a great opportunity to get a sled that’s ready to go right out of the crate.”

This 2025 Summit Adrenaline with Edge package features a unique Carbon Black coloration with Spartan Red accents to highlight its upscale nature. Buyers also have the choice of either the Rotax 850 E-TEC or 850 E-TEC Turbo R engine – the first time the Turbo R has been offered in season.

Additionally, the package includes accessories most commonly added by deep snow riders:

• Soft Glove Box Extension
• LinQ Fuel Caddy = 11 L/3 Gal
• Deep Snow Ultra Lightweight Seat w/integrated belt holder
• Flexible Hand Guards
• Adjustable Brake Lever

3 configurations are available:

• 850 E-TEC – 154 x 2.5 in.
• 850 E-TEC – 165 x 3.0 in.
• 850 E-TEC Turbo R – 165 x 3.0 in.

Production of this unique snowmobile has already begun and they will be shipping to dealers very soon in limited quantities. Buyers wanting more information about this model are encouraged to reach out to their dealer soon.

About BRP: BRP Inc. is a global leader in the world of powersports products, propulsion systems and boats built on over 80 years of ingenuity and intensive consumer focus. Through its portfolio of industry-leading and distinctive brands featuring Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles, Sea-Doo watercraft and pontoons, Can-Am on and off-road vehicles, Alumacraft and Quintrex boats, Manitou pontoons and Rotax marine propulsion systems as well as Rotax engines for karts and recreational aircraft, BRP unlocks exhilarating adventures and provides access to experiences across different playgrounds. The Company completes its lines of products with a dedicated parts, accessories and apparel portfolio to fully optimize the riding experience. Committed to growing responsibly, BRP is developing electric models for its existing product lines. Headquartered in Quebec, Canada, BRP has annual sales of CA$10.4 billion from over 130 countries and a global workforce of close to 20,000 driven, resourceful people.

For more info check out the Next Level Riding Clinic website at nextlevelclinics.com

One just-introduced 2020 mountain ride we’re paying close attention to is Ski-Doo’s Summit X Expert.

There are a couple of things about the Expert that are truly ground-breaking and much of the conceptualization of this sled has come right from Ski-Doo mountain aficionado, Carl Kuster.

The first thing you notice is the tunnel and track are not the same length. Available in two track lengths – 154 and 165, the Expert uses a 146-inch tunnel on the 154 skid version and a 154-inch tunnel on the 165. All versions come with a 3-inch track. Also, there’s almost no visible snowflap at the rear of either Expert variation.

What? Here’s the story on these innovations. Apparently, when you’re navigating super-deep powder and the skid and tunnel are almost buried in fluff, the tunnel acts as a rudder. Unfortunately, the rudder is heading straight ahead, so if you try to turn while you’re pouring on throttle there’s extra resistance from a longer tunnel. If the tunnel is shorter it’s easier to pivot the sled in the deep stuff.

We were skeptical, but after riding it a couple of days in the mountains one of our test riders, Jon Legato, had this to say: “I feel like the shorter tunnel and longer track allow the sled to feel less cumbersome and long while climbing steep and deep areas. Jumping the sled felt significantly better too because of the shorter tunnel, it seemed to allow the sled to pop up better while maintaining control in the air.”

The better jumping response may be more because of the fact there’s only a tiny snowflap at the rear and the tunnel can clean out instantly, letting the track respond more quickly to engine power under less load. “There’s definitely potential with the “no snow flap” feature on the Expert. When trenching through the deep powder, it allowed the sled to power though without the chance of getting stuck compared to the normal snow flap holding snow inside the tunnel. Also, while in a wheelie climbing steep terrain, you have more control because nothing is dragging or grabbing the snow.”

Arctic Cat mountain team leader, Andy Beavis, and his engineering group have been burning the midnight oil to meet and exceed those competitors and have given mountaineers something truly different that works.

Some of the issues the team has addressed are 1. Weight 2. Panelling-out on side-hills 3. Ease of Side-hilling and 4. Crisp, immediate throttle tip-in.

Cat successfully dealt with throttle response last year when it brought out its new DSI 800. This slot-injected 155-hp twin is exactly what the vert crowd needed and delivers the kind of braap-braap throttle response you require when you’re performing powder maneuvers. That alone makes a huge difference.

Cat’s recent mountain bodywork is actually inches narrower than previous designs and allows the rider to weight the sled and run sidehills so the lower bodywork prevents the uphill ski coming unattached from the snow.

Good uphill ski bite is the key to sticking on sidehills as you’re standing on the inside running board. Also, those boards are about an inch narrower and sculpted so the riders feet are more forward for better balance.

All of these changes, combined with lighter, skinnier spindles up front allow less drag and better agility in deep powder.

Without a doubt he biggest change this year is a new mountain specific skidframe design called “Alpha One”. This is where things get super-interesting: Basically Cat took all the old deep snow skidframes and track design concepts and threw them out the window.

Mark Says:

Here’s an example of how Ski-Doo refuses to let any buyer fall through the cracks.

This sled represents careful targeting at the almost mountain specific market while still allowing for spirited and pleasurable trail riding.

The 850 Freeride can get you to the snow and the vertical rides better than any pure mountain rooster. With fully adjustable KYB’s out front and a custom calibrated t-Motion skid, the Freeride comes as close to anything you might call dual purpose in MY 2018.

Before Kent loses his mind (it may be too late for that), let me qualify my last statement. If you were heavily into trail carving and into riding off-trail frequently, the new Renegade Backcountry X 850 with a 146 would be the right choice. However, there’s a ton of riders who spend significant time on trails or hard pack just to get to the big snow.

This 146 x 2.25 PowderMax-equipped Freeride is the perfect balance of track and suspension to make both genres enjoyable.

There’s more here making my intuitive anointing of the Freeride as the BIC winner. Think about a 165-hp E-TEC with lightweight SHOT batteryless starting, mass centralization, tunable KYB dampers, RAS 3 IFS, t-Motion rear suspension and the list goes on.

The Freeride is, quite frankly, one of the best-equipped vert sleds in Ski-Doo’s line-up, yet it still displays competent trail riding versatility.

Hard to beat, Kent.

Since then, Arctic Cat has continued to tweak its ProClimb chassis, making both small and large changes that have culminated in a very competitive mountain sled capable of climbing and carving with the best of them.

This year the last big gripe we had with the M8000 was finally addressed with the addition of Cat’s much anticipated, C-TEC2 800 twin. This single change alone completely transforms the M8000 into a more capable, easier-to-ride mountain sled.

Every one of the things we didn’t like about the old Suzuki 800 had been addressed: Bottom end is stout, the engine runs smooth and clean, throttle tip-in is crisp and immediate, it starts easily and power is easy to modulate smoothly. We had always liked how the former 800 pulled up top and the new one performs very much the same in its upper RPM range.

So, under the hood the 2018 M8000 Sno Pro is all roses and sunshine – but what about the rest of the sled? Yes, the 2017 model was better than the 2016, which was better than the 2015 and so on. But, was a new engine all the news for 2018? No… definitely not. Arctic Cat has incorporated a number of additional changes to the 2018 M8000, labelled the “Ascender platform”.

The first and most obvious change is new bodywork. Very similar to the body panels on the turbo models, this new bodywork is 10-percent narrower. The side panels are shaped in a way that positions the rider’s feet 2 inches farther forward on the running boards, which are one-inch narrower than last year. When the narrower running boards are combined with the new body panels, you get a sled that sidehills easier and doesn’t panel out on steep sidehills.

Another big change is the driveshaft location. It’s been dropped 1.125 inches which results in a nearly 10-degree drop in the approach angle of the track. Approach angle is something manufacturers have starting talking more about the past few seasons and, according to the experts, it plays a far greater role in how the sled climbs up on top of the snow than anyone had previously believed it did.

The new approach angle on the M8000 does, absolutely, make a noticeable difference, especially when the snow is deep and light. The sled wants to climb up on top, as it’s supposed to, instead of trenching downward.

These are really the biggest changes to Cat’s 2018 M8000 Sno Pro. The rest of the sled remains very similar with excellent ergonomics, a decent list of features and a light, but otherwise disappointing set of Fox Float shocks all the way around.

Last season, we liked this sled. But there was no way we could keep up with the others line for line. This season, the new Ascender platform with the 800 C-TEC2 under the hood has taken a good mountain sled and transformed it into a great one and it’s a strong competitor in any track length!

We have to agree that 4-stroke weight isn’t always a hardcore mountain rider’s best friend, however, 4-strokes are all Yamaha builds and by utilizing Arctic Cat’s pretty advanced mountain chassis tech, sleds like the SideWinder M-TX are actually impressively proficient in most mountain situations.

The truth is, Yamaha’s mountain program has seen some very real advancements in the last two years. Most of this is in chassis development because of Yamaha’s engineering partnership with Arctic Cat.

If you look at the Yammer website you’ll learn there are virtually no mountain sleds using anything less than the 998cc turbo and there’s a reason for this: Power!

To a large degree, power cancels weight and 180-200 stallions can get you up and over a lot of deep snow and out of tricky situations, despite the extra weight you’re carrying.

Okay, I’m not trying to blow menthol on a situation most mountaineers are not going to buy into – and yes, I admit, for tricky maneuvering, side-hilling, powder hooks and generally challenging vertical events, a 2-stroke will get you through better nearly every time, but here’s where the SideWinder MT-X really gets traction (pun intended): Mountain climbing.

When it comes to pure unobstructed vertical climbs, there’s nothing better than a turbo. Not only do you not lose power as altitude increases, but the pure, brutal oomph of these 4-strokes makes them very appealing.

If you attend a hillclimb race, you’ll learn that sleds like the 9000 Cat and Yamaha SideWinder are in attendance and very evident.

We believe Yamaha is well aware it’s SideWinder M-TX program will not capture sales from the hardest of the hardcore vertical crowd, but there is a very real place for it – a place where it can actually excel.

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