As the school buses start rolling and summer starts to wind-down toward fall, a hot rumor is rumbling that Arctic Cat will be coming out with a 600cc RR model soon, perhaps as soon as Haydays next weekend. If it’s announced at the world’s largest outdoor snowmobile show, the race replica would likely be a 2014 model, but a release early this winter could make it a 2015 model and offer a glimpse into next year’s lineup.
The Arctic Cat ZR 6000 RR makes sense for several reasons. Arctic Cat could double-down on the buzz created by the 2014 ZR 6000 El Tigré that was unveiled last spring, and since Ski-Doo MX Z X-RS models are only available for order in the spring, guys who are willing to jump from yellow to green could still get an ultimate-performance 600cc trail sled.
If the machine is built, it would probably be just like the ZR 8000 RR, other than being powered by the all-new Arctic Cat-built 599cc C-TEC2 engine. The 2014 Arctic Cat ZR 8000 RR is built on the ProCross chassis with a 129- by 1.25-inch RipSaw track. The sled’s heavy-duty Race Slide-Action rear suspension has Fox Zero Pro piggyback shocks and the front Arctic Race Suspension has Fox FLOAT Evol X shocks.
RR suspension calibrations are firm, but the suspensions are surprisingly compliant and make for a comfortable ride for aggressive riders. Truly, the harder an RR is pushed, the better it feels. Unlike the subdued black color scheme of the ZR 6000 El Tigré, you can’t miss an RR’s racy graphics, and that would certainly set the limited-build 6000 RR apart from the production El Tigré.
Other than the engine, what else could be different on the 600cc Arctic Cat RR? Some 2014 M Series machines have an updated driveshaft and drivers to reduce weight. Aluminum chassis spars replaced the steel bars, also to cut weight, and these would be possible updates for Cat’s ultimate performance, 600cc trail sled.
Logical guesses for the machine’s name are ZR 6000 RR or ZR 6000 El Tigré RR. Here’s another suggestion: Call it the ZR 6000 Cross-Country Cat. Racing is a big part of Arctic Cat’s heritage, and it fielded Cross-Country Cat race sleds in the late 1970s, so using the name on this consumer trail sled would be a cool throwback as part of Big Green’s 2014 snowmobile lineup.
For more about Cat’s new power train, click here to read the story behind Arctic Cat’s revolutionary snowmobile engine.
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How about calling it an ZR El Tigre 6000 Special, or Cross-country special.Keep the main color black with a graphic scheme similar to the 92 EXT Special. The new ZR El Tigre 6000 is already a sno pro, and if you look at El Tigres of the past most of them were pretty basic as far as graphics are concerned. I like the minimal graphics package on the 14 model, but if Cat does do an RR, Cross Country, or Cross Country Special (my choice) it should have some cooler graphics (92 EXT Specialish) as long as were at it how about a reliable front arm dial adjuster. I loved that on my 98 ZR 600 Cross Country, and 01 ZR 800 Cross Country. Any way I think a RR/Cross-country/Cross-country Special ZR El Tigre 6000 would be an excellent spring order sled I know I would sign up on.