arctic cat launches 2008 sno pro 600

Arctic Cat unveiled an all-new race sled for the 2007-2008 season at its race school Friday, Nov. 9.

The new Sno Pro 600 weighs 450 lbs. dry and has an additional 2 inches of ground clearance to keep it from scrubbing off speed in big holes on the race courses this winter.

Team Arctic calls the mean new green machine its "ultimate terrain racer" as the Sno Pro is designed to win on cross-country and snocross circuits, according to Brian Dick, the project leader for the racer.

Weight was cut, the suspensions are all reconfigured, the tunnel is wider, oh, and now there's a 600cc engine under the new shorter snout. All racers move to the 600cc formula this season and Cat is using a highly massaged version of its 600 laydown twin used in its F-series sleds, but without EFI. Now, the sled features dual 40mm TM flatslide carbs (with throttle position sensors), which will make for easier tuning. A new crankshaft also cuts 5 lbs. from the sled, compared to last year's racer.

The engine also uses the V-Force Reed Valve system, a new cylinder head, ceramic-coated exhaust pipe, adjustable timing module and Hot Start button. The Cat 600 will run on 92-octane fuel and requires the pre-mixing of oil.

Underneath the skin is a new tubular chassis that uses a combo of 4130
chromoly and extruded aluminum to form the pyramidal structure. This, along with the use of self-piercing rivets instead of welds, increases the chassis rigidity. That in turn helps engineers better tune the suspension to handle the rigors of racing.

Up front, the suspension uses new lighter weight extruded spindles that use ball-joints instead of the older spindle and housing form. The shock mounds also have been moved to the lower A-arm and the A-arm's geometry has been revised. The suspension's longer spindles also allow Arctic to raise the sled's ground clearance.

In back, the suspension is mounted 2 inches forward of the former Sno Pro racer, shortening the sled's wheelbase. That, coupled with an increased steering angle, gives the sled a tighter turning radius. Cat brings back the Progressive Steering System and dual-position steering post mounts from last year's sled. C&A Pro skis are standard too and Fox IFP shocks are used front and rear.

The Slide-Action rear suspension is back too with a more aggressive rail profile to boost traction. Plus, there's a new 15x128x1.7-in. Camoplast track. An optional Cobra track with 1.25-in. lugs is available for cross-country racers. Cat widened the tunnel to accommodate that wider track.

To put power to the track, Arctic uses a Cat drive clutch, TEAM driven clutch and Peak Torque Limiting System driveshaft, which worked flawlessly last season on Cat's Mod sled. But, the driveshaft is mounted higher this year to increase ground clearance.

Other changes include revamped running boards with an open-hole design, and also making the boards wider and flatter. To help cross-country racers, Arctic created a slightly wider and softer seat. Both a 7-gal. (snocross) and 12-gal. (cross-country) tank are available too. Cat also offers two windscreens, tall and short!

Arctic Cat notes that it has no plans to make a similar Sno Pro for consumers, just 300 of the Sno Pros have been made and sold to Team Arctic racers. But, we know manufacturers love to test out parts and concepts on their race machines, so don't be surprised to see a few of these goodies surface in the near future.

Could we see any in the 2009 lineup? Could be!