Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/343790
FOCUS PSB UTV-Sport www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • July 13, 2014 • 29 and butter for a while, the need dissipated as Polaris increased its stock horsepower. Waste- land then upped the ante, developing its Z1 Turbo engine swap kit, which produces 180 hp, or up to 265 hp with an ECU flash upgrade. But determined not to stay stagnant, Waste- land has expanded, now selling a line of belts and bearings for the RZR, and offering full- vehicle consulting services. "It's truly taking the experience that I have working for Yamaha, Polaris and Redline and my own experience, it's kind of taken all that and bought it here, and we can have a lot of fun with it," Johnson said. WASTELAND'S NEWEST PROJECT Though Johnson has begun consulting on a variety of vehicle projects, he has also begun one of his own. Wasteland will be producing its own branded RZR XP 1000s starting next fall. "It will basically be like a Saleen Mustang- type thing. They'll be fully complete vehicle that customers can buy," Johnson said, also comparing the vehicle to a Waldoch conversion or a Roush Mustang. Wasteland's RZR XP 1000 will have an 850cc Weber motor, which will produce 170-180 hp, along with a custom roll cage, upgraded shocks and unique tires and wheels. "The big thing that we're designing is the next Weber kit, and that's really a good thing because we're essentially going to become a manufacturer at that point," Johnson said. Wasteland will purchase the vehicles directly from Polaris, customize them at its Minnesota shop and distribute them. "We'll initially start selling through us, but we definitely want to develop a dealer network to sell those vehicles," Johnson explained. The plan is to produce 25-50 of these vehi- cles next year, a process which Johnson said his current staff of three full-timers plus temporary part-timers will be able to cover. "It'll actually be very production-ized in regard to parts and everything like that. Every- thing's laid out in the kit, so it's basically just assembly," he said. What will set this premium-priced vehicle apart, on top of its exclusive features, will be its factory-level durability, warranty and cus- tomer support. "We want it to have that OEM feeling to it where you buy it for support and durability," Johnson said. The vehicle is being designed for the cus- tomer who wants to buy a unit with added horsepower off the showroom floor. The vehicle, like the kits Wasteland sells, will use pump gas instead of race fuel, so it will appeal to enthusiasts across the board. The clutch cover will also be fully enclosed, so the unit will be prepared for use in a variety of conditions. "We look to be showing all the units this fall if not sooner. It's really going to be related to how fast we can get EPA approval," Johnson said. For now, Wasteland Performance is focus- ing on the EPA tests and looking for a brand name for its machines. The goal is to create a brand that customers will grow to recognize for its high-performance vehicle variants. PSB WASTELAND CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23 Wasteland Performance's Z1 Turbo engine swap kit for the RZR produces 180 hp, or up to 265 hp with an ECU flash upgrade.