Yamaha Phazer is Snow Goer’s Snowmobile Of The Year

There is one 2007 model snowmobile that has been talked about more than any other: The Yamaha Phazer, and it’s Snow Goer magazine’s 2007 Snowmobile Of The Year.

Internet forums, dealer showrooms and local barstools have hosted conversations about the innovative, outside-the-box snowmobile. Some of the last people we expected to ask questions about the hip, lightweight four-stroke machine were the most eager for our opinions. We met them at gas stations, through random calls through our switchboard and even at family gatherings. We had a hard time finding snowmobilers who weren’t curious about the reinvention of the Phazer, much like the buzz generated by the first Yamaha Phazer in 1983.

It’s easy to be curious about a machine with radical styling, but that isn’t where the inquisitions end, and neither does our Snowmobile Of The Year award. Our award is based on innovative, trendsetting representations of the future and a unique and positive impact on the sport.

Yamaha built its lightweight, four-stroke Phazer using its patented die-cast construction that eliminates parts and reduces weight. The Genesis 80FI, a marriage of two YZ250F dirtbike engines, has high-revving, quick power and uses an advanced fuel injection system to build 80 hp.

This sled is built for the future and aimed at a new generation of riders in emerging segments. Minimalist, naked styling and a narrow cockpit makes the Phazer look light, lively and spirited in a showroom. Its beauty is more than skin deep. Suspensions and ergonomics of the 474-pound sled were designed with active, fun-loving riders in mind.

Concerns about modern sleds are that they’re too expensive and over-powered. At its $6,399 retail price, the Phazer offers plenty of sizzle for every caliber of rider. The price tag not only makes the Phazer the least expensive four-stroke sled, but it’s the least expensive liquid-cooled snowmobile for 2007.

The Phazer has made such an impact that industry insiders have said the machine is what snowmobiling needed in order to attract new people to the sport. Other manufacturers now have the challenge of building lightweight, well-performing, price-point machines that require new designs — not trickle-down, dated designs with tooling paid for in the last decade.

The Phazer is a fantastic, sporty snowmobile that makes people re-examine what they need to have a capable, fun machine that doesn’t break the bank. Its unique, positive impact and its representation of the future and future buyers earns itself our Snowmobile Of The Year award.