2013 Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 X Preview

Just before be celebrated the new year, Arctic Cat gave us a little teaser of what was to come in 2013 – the Wildcat 1000 X. We did our best to guess what Arctic Cat had up its sleeve, but we were left with far more questions than answers. Fortunately, Arctic Cat has now provided us with the answers we were looking for.

Our biggest issue when reviewing the original Wildcat 1000 was its power. We wrote: When we look at the Wildcat we think of an unbridled thrill-slinger from the word go, and yet it isn’t that complete of a package. Don’t get us wrong, as this machine has loads of power, but we think it just needs a bit more right off the bottom to make the driver feel like he has a 1000i in his control.

Arctic Cat has taken the covers off its Wildcat 1000 X we’re excited about what we see.

It seems that Arctic Cat has been paying attention as the Wildcat X boasts 90-plus horsepower – up from 78 ponies on the original Wildcat 1000. Of course, horsepower is little more than a meaningless number if the power doesn’t get to the ground. To make sure that happens, Arctic Cat partnered with Team Industries to develop a new Drive and Driven clutch that “delivers the arm stretching torque and horsepower of the 951cc V-Twin engine.” Arctic Cat clearly saw the benefit of the new “Rapid Response Clutches” and has spread them across the Wildcat family to the Wildcat 1000, Wildcat 1000 Limited, Wildcat 4.

The Team Industries Rapid Response Clutch should help get more power to the ground, which was one of our concerns with the original Wildcat.

These beautiful new shocks will make their way across the Wildcat family.

Other innovations making their way to the entire Wildcat family are a new sway bar that has been designed to worth with the all new 23-position, compression-adjustable FOX Podium shocks.

Helping set the Wildcat X apart from the base Wildcat are 27-inch Maxxis Bighorn tires, front and rear aluminum bumpers, and color matched seats. The Wildcat 1000 X will hit dealerships in March.

“The Wildcat 1000 X reflects our strategy to enter new growth segments,” says Claude Jordan, chairman and chief executive officer of Arctic Cat. “With its 90-plus horsepower, industry leading 18 inches of rear travel suspension and 13 inches of ground clearance, the Wildcat X offers even greater acceleration and maneuverability to those seeking the best balance of power, suspension and handling in an off-road vehicle.”

Arctic Cat had already released 2013 models of the Wildcat 1000 and Wildcat 1000 Limited, so the updated models are being called model year 2013.5. Here’s a breakdown of the new features on each member of the Wildcat family.

Wildcat 1000 (US$16,999/C$18,999) Team Industries Rapid Response Clutches, New Lightweight Crankshaft, Fox Podium Shocks, Swaybar

Wildcat 1000 Limited (US$17,699/C$19,999) Team Industries Rapid Response Clutches, New Lightweight Crankshaft, Fox Podium Shocks, Swaybar, Front and Rear Bumpers, Color Seats

Wildcat 4 (US$19,599/C$21,999) Team Industries Rapid Response Clutches, New Lightweight Crankshaft, Fox Podium Shocks, Swaybar

Wildcat X (US$18,499/C$20,799) 90+ Horsepower, Team Industries Rapid Response Clutches, New Lightweight Crankshaft, Fox Podium Shocks, Swaybar, Front and Rear Aluminum Bumpers, Color Matched Seats, 27” Maxxis Bighorn Tires

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