How to track down unusual noises in your ATV drivetrain

2016 Mazda MX-5

1931 Ford Model A roadster

A roadster (also spider, spyder) is an open two-seat car with emphasis on sporting appearance or character.^[1][2] Initially an American term for a two-seat car with no weather protection, its usage has spread internationally and has evolved to include two-seat convertibles.

The roadster was also a style of racing car driven in United States Auto Club (USAC) Championship Racing, including the Indianapolis 500, in the 1950s and 1960s. This type of racing car was superseded by rear-mid-engine cars.

The term "roadster" originates in the United States, where it was used in the 19th century to describe a horse suitable for travelling.^[3][4] By the end of the century, the definition had expanded to include bicycles and tricycles.^[5] In 1916, the United States Society of Automobile Engineers defined a roadster as: "an open car seating two or three. It may have additional seats on running boards or in rear deck."^[6] Since it has a single row of seats, the main seat for the driver and passenger was usually further back in the chassis than it would have been in a touring car.^{[4][7]: 258} Roadsters usually had a hooded dashboard.^[7]: 257

In the United Kingdom, historically, the preferred terms were "open two-seater" and "two-seat tourer".^[8][9] Since the 1950s, the term "roadster" has also been increasingly used in the United Kingdom. It is noted that the optional 4-seat variant of the Morgan Roadster would not be technically considered a roadster.^{[citation needed]}

The term "spider" or "spyder," sometimes used in names for convertible models, is said to come from before the automobile era. Some 19th-century lightweight horse-drawn phaetons had a small body and large wooden wheels with thin spokes; they were nicknamed "spiders" because of their appearance; the nickname was transferred to sports cars, although they did not look similar.^[10]

In 1962, Chevrolet introduced the Monza Spyder, a turbocharged version of its Corvair compact, available as a convertible or coupe. Although not a true 2 passenger vehicle, it featured upgraded suspension and other equipment to classify it as a "sporty car."

Auto racing began with the first earnest contests in 1894 in Europe, and in 1895 in the United States. Some of the earliest race cars were purpose-built or stripped for the greatest speed, with minimal or no bodywork at all, leading to a body style aptly named 'speedster'. The cut-down speedster body-style really took form in the 1900s. After removing most of the body (and fenders), an empty platform on the ladder-frame chassis was mounted with one or two seats, a gas tank, and spare tyres.^[11]

American manufacturers Mercer and Stutz started offering ready-made racing speedsters, intentionally built to be driven to race(-track), raced, and driven back by their owner – essentially the first track day cars.^[11]

• 1890s to 1920s speedsters
• 
  Ransom Olds' 1896/1897 "Pirate" racer was one of the first speedsters.
• 
  Barney Oldfield and Henry Ford with Oldfield's 999 speedster, 1902
• 
  1909 model T speedster – announced winner of the 1909 Ocean to Ocean race, disqualified because of an engine change
• 
  1910 Mercer 35R Raceabout (1912 specimen)
• 
  The 1912 Stutz Bear Cat / Bearcat, (1914 shown), available doorless through 1916

The immediate predecessor to the roadster was the runabout, a body style with a single row of seats and no doors, windshield, or other weather protection. Another predecessor was the touring car, similar in body style to the modern roadster except for its multiple rows of seats. By the 1920s roadsters were appointed similarly to touring cars, with doors, windshields, simple folding tops, and side curtains.^[4]

Roadster bodies were offered on automobiles of all sizes and classes, from mass-produced cars like the Ford Model T and the Austin 7 to extremely expensive cars like the Cadillac V-16, the Duesenberg Model J and Bugatti Royale.

• 1920s to 1950s roadsters
• 
  1926 Ford Model T roadster
• 
  1932 Duesenberg J Murphy-bodied roadster
• 
  1937 Delahaye 135MS roadster
• 
  1949 MG TC open two-seater marketed in USA as a roadster

By the 1970s "roadster" could be applied to any two-seater car of sporting appearance or character.^[12] In response to market demand they were manufactured as well-equipped as convertibles^[13] with side windows that retracted into the doors. Popular models through the 1960s and 1970s were the Alfa Romeo Spider, MGB and Triumph TR4.

• 1950s to 1980s roadsters
• 
  1973 MGB
• 
  Alfa Romeo Spider
• 
  1983 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
• 
  1987 Cadillac Allanté

The highest selling roadster is the Mazda MX-5, which was introduced in 1989.^[14][15][16] The early style of roadster with minimal weather protection is still in production by several low-volume manufacturers and fabricators, including the windowless Morgan Roadster, the doorless Caterham 7 and the bodyless Ariel Atom.

• 1990s to present day roadsters
• 
  BMW Z3
• 
  Pontiac Solstice
• 
  Mazda MX-5
• 
  Porsche Boxster
• 
  MG Cyberster

The term roadster was used to describe a style of racing cars competing in the AAA/USAC Championship Cars series (the IndyCar equivalents of the time) from 1952 to 1969. The roadster engine and drive shaft are offset from the centerline of the car. This allows the driver to sit lower in the chassis and facilitates a weight offset which is beneficial on oval tracks.^[17]

One story of why this type of racing car is referred to as a "roadster" is that a team was preparing a new car for the Indianapolis 500. They had it covered in a corner of their shop. If they were asked about their car they would try and obscure its importance by saying that it was just their (hot rod) "roadster". After the Indianapolis racer was made public, the "roadster" name was still attached to it.^{[citation needed]}

Frank Kurtis built the first roadster to race and entered it in the 1952 Indianapolis 500. It was driven by Bill Vukovich who led for most of the race until a steering failure eliminated him. The Howard Keck owned team with Vukovich driving went on to win the 1953 and 1954 contests with the same car. Bob Sweikert won the 1955 500 in a Kurtis after Vukovich was killed while leading. A. J. Watson,^[18] George Salih and Quinn Epperly were other notable roadster constructors. Watson-built roadsters won in 1956, 1959 – 1964 though the 1961 and 1963 winners were actually close copies built from Watson designs. The 1957 and 1958 winner was the same car built by Salih with help by Epperly built with a unique placement of the engine in a 'lay down' mounting so the cylinders were nearly horizontal instead of vertical as traditional design dictated.^[19] This gave a slightly lower center of mass and a lower profile.

Roadsters continued to race until the late 1960s, although they became increasingly uncompetitive against the new rear-engined racing cars. The last roadster to complete the full race distance was in 1965, when Gordon Johncock finished fifth in the Wienberger Homes Watson car. The last roadster to make the race was built and driven by Jim Hurtubise in the 1968 race and dropped out early.^[20]

Some pavement midget roadsters were built and raced into the early 1970s but never were dominant.^[21]

• Barchetta, a related two-seater body style designed primarily for racing
• Convertible, the general term to describe vehicles with retractable roofs and retractable side windows
• Roadster utility
• Tonneau cover, a protective cover for the seats in an open car

• Media related to Roadsters at Wikimedia Commons

Polaris Slingshot
Overview
Manufacturer	Polaris Industries
Production	2014–present
Model years	2015-Present
Body and chassis
Layout	FR layout
Powertrain
Engine	2.4 liter (2,384 cc) GM Ecotec LE9 I4 (2015–2019 model years), Polaris ProStar 2.0 Liter (1997cc) DOHC I4 (2020 - present model years)
Transmission	5-speed Aisin AR5 manual (all model years) 5-speed AutoDrive AMT (2020–present model years)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	105 in (2,667 mm)
Length	149.6 in (3,800 mm)
Width	77.6 in (1,971 mm)
Height	51.9 in (1,320 mm)
Curb weight	1,651 lb (749 kg)

The Polaris Slingshot is a three-wheeler. The first edition of the model was introduced in 2014 as a 2015 model.

The Slingshot has a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, side-by-side bucket seats,^[1] and does not lean. It has no roof, doors, or side windows. The open interior is waterproof and can be hosed down and drained because it has drain holes in the floor.^[2]

The S and SL models include a 20x9-inch back wheel fitted with a 255mm width tire, and 18x7.5-inch front wheels with 225mm wide tires. The SLR and R models have the same front wheels and tires, but feature an upgraded 20x11-inch rear wheel fitted with a 305mm wide tire. All models have a front double wishbone suspension with an anti-roll bar. An optional five-speed automatic transmission became available in 2020 with the release of the generation two models. A small windshield is an optional extra on the base model, and fitted as standard on the SL model.^[3] There is also an optional fiberglass wind and sun cover, which Polaris calls a "Slingshade", that features inset polycarbonate windows and snaps onto the Slingshot's tube frame, acting somewhat like a hardtop roof.^[4] The steering wheel, gear stick, and brake, clutch, and throttle pedals have a conventional automobile layout.

In the United States, depending on the jurisdiction, the Slingshot may be registered as a motorcycle or autocycle. It is classified as an autocycle in 49 states (with one state, Massachusetts, requiring a motorcycle license) as of January 2024.^[5] Three-point seat belts are fitted; however, it has no airbags or crumple zone, and in certain jurisdictions, the driver and passenger must wear motorcycle helmets.^[6]

Beginning with the 2020 model year, the Slingshot is powered by a 2.0 L inline four-cylinder gasoline-powered Polaris ProStar Engine rated at 203 hp (151 kW; 206 PS) at 8250 rpm and 144 pound force-feet (195 N⋅m) of torque at 6500 rpm.

It can be fitted to either a conventional five-speed manual or an AutoDrive five-speed automated manual transmission the first time an automatic transmission has been made available on the Slingshot. This transmission is essentially the same standard five-speed synchromesh-equipped manual gearbox, but the clutch and shifting are hydraulically actuated and computer-controlled. The interior was also redesigned, and the exterior was updated. For the 2015 through 2019 model years, the Slingshot was powered by a GM-sourced 2.4 L Ecotec I4 that is rated at 173 hp (129 kW; 175 PS) at 6200 rpm and 166 pound force-feet (225 N⋅m) of torque at 4700 rpm.

• Campagna T-Rex, another 3-wheeled vehicle
• List of motorized trikes
• Microlino
• Nobe GT100
• Elio Motors
• Three-wheeler