The 2023 Sand Sports Super Show brought the dune and off-road industries to the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California, September 15–17. The show arrived at an especially interesting point for the UTV market: Can-Am had just introduced the Maverick R, Polaris was expanding into long-distance adventure travel with the XPEDITION and builders continued finding new ways to transform the RZR Pro R.
We spent the weekend looking for the vehicles and products that stood apart. From customer-ready Speed UTVs and a turbocharged Yamaha RMAX to race cars, 35-inch sand tires, digital accessory controls and LED lighted mirrors, these were our highlights from the 2023 Sand Sports Super Show.
New UTVs and Major Show Highlights
Can-Am Maverick R Makes Its Sand Show Debut
The 2023 show gave many enthusiasts their first opportunity to inspect the new Can-Am Maverick R in person. Introduced only weeks earlier as a 2024 model, the Maverick R combined a 240-horsepower turbocharged engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a suspension design unlike anything previously fitted to a production UTV.
Our 2024 Can-Am Maverick R first look explains its specifications and unusual tall-knuckle front suspension. We had also already driven the machine; see our first-ride Maverick R review for those initial impressions.
Speed UTV Customer Deliveries
Speed UTV had one of the weekend’s most closely watched displays. Robby Gordon said the company planned to hand over the keys to 62 vehicles during the show. After the long development and production wait, seeing a group of customer machines ready for delivery was a significant moment for the program. But did they deliver?
SDR Motorsports Polaris XPEDITION Overlander
SDR Motorsports applied its custom-build experience to the newly introduced Polaris XPEDITION. The overland-oriented project demonstrated how the platform’s cab, cargo capacity and long-distance design could support camping and backcountry travel instead of the short, high-intensity trips associated with many sport UTVs.
For more about the platform, see our Polaris XPEDITION guide and XPEDITION XP 5 NorthStar review.
A Can-Am on 35-Inch Tires
One of the most popular posts from the weekend was this Can-Am displayed by Bert’s Mega Mall on 35-inch tires. The size attracted plenty of attention because fitting tires that large affects clearance, gearing, steering load and suspension setup—not just appearance.
Custom UTV Builds
XTC Power Products Polaris RZR Pro R 4
XTC Power Products went well beyond a conventional accessory display with this extensively customized Polaris RZR Pro R 4. The build was featured by Shock Therapy during the show and demonstrated how quickly the four-seat Pro R had become a foundation for elaborate dune and show vehicles.
Shock Therapy Polaris RZR Pro R
Another over-the-top Pro R appeared in the Shock Therapy booth. Beyond its show presentation, the build emphasized the amount of suspension tuning available for Polaris’ high-performance platform. Our overview of Shock Therapy RZR Pro R packages provides more detail about the company’s ride-improvement options.
Weller Racing Turbocharged Yamaha RMAX
Weller Racing brought a clean turbocharged Yamaha Wolverine RMAX build to the Yamaha booth. The RMAX is normally positioned as a versatile recreation machine rather than a pure sport UTV, making the forced-induction conversion a particularly interesting departure from the typical build formula.
Rugged Radios Polaris GENERAL Taco Truck
The Polaris GENERAL Taco Truck in the Rugged Radios display was a reminder that not every memorable show build needs to chase maximum horsepower. The creative conversion used the GENERAL’s recreation-and-utility layout as the starting point for a mobile food-themed build.
Evolution Powersports Tow Rig
Evolution Powersports brought another highly detailed tow-rig display to the show. Shock Therapy highlighted the suspension upgrades used on the project, which accompanied a Can-Am Maverick X3 and demonstrated the attention many owners give to the vehicles transporting their UTVs.
Jeffries Performance Can-Am Defender
Jeffries Performance debuted a Can-Am Defender that balanced custom styling with suspension improvements. The build used FOX QS3 shocks fitted with Shock Therapy springs, illustrating how a utility UTV could receive the same attention to stance and ride quality as a sport machine.
UTV Race Cars and Giveaways at the Show
Carson Wernimont Kawasaki KRX Race Car
Carson Wernimont’s Kawasaki KRX was one of the cleanest competition vehicles on display. Race cars give show attendees a chance to inspect cage construction, occupant protection, navigation equipment and suspension preparation that can be difficult to study when the vehicle is working in the desert.
Sara Price’s Alsup Racing Can-Am Maverick X3
Alsup Racing Development built this distinctive Can-Am Maverick X3 for Sara Price. Its race-focused construction offered a useful contrast to the polished recreational and dune cars elsewhere at the show, while showing how thoroughly the X3 platform had been developed for serious off-road competition.
American Sand Association RZR Pro R
The American Sand Association displayed a Polaris RZR Pro R as its 2023 raffle vehicle. The fundraiser gave one winner a complete high-performance UTV while supporting an organization focused on protecting access to public sand-recreation areas.
New UTV Products at the 2023 Sand Sports Super Show
System 3 SS360 35-Inch Sand Tires
System 3 Off-Road displayed 35-inch SS360 sand tires alongside its broader tire-and-wheel range. Larger UTVs and increasingly powerful engines were driving demand for taller sand-tire packages, particularly for long-wheelbase four-seat machines and high-output platforms such as the Pro R.
Rugged Radios Full-Face Helmet
Rugged Radios introduced a new full-face helmet at the show. Integrating helmet and communications equipment through one supplier can simplify the selection of wiring, speakers, microphones and connectors for riders who need reliable in-car and car-to-car communication.
Switch Works Alpha12 Digital Accessory Controller
The new Switch Works Alpha12 from SSV Works replaced a conventional bank of accessory switches, fuses and relays with a programmable solid-state system. It offered 12 outputs controlled through an LCD push-button display, giving builders a centralized way to operate lighting and other electrical accessories.
Sector Seven PRIZM LED Lighted Mirrors
Sector Seven’s new PRIZM LED lighted mirrors combined wide-angle side mirrors with forward-facing LED lighting. Sector Seven specified 22 high-output LEDs, more than 24,000 raw lumens and an approximately 200-degree viewing span, providing both rearward visibility and lighting that follows the sides of the vehicle.
Buckshot Racing Pro R Suspension
Buckshot Racing displayed a new Polaris RZR Pro R suspension design without a separate rear toe link. The simplified arrangement was shown in the System 3 booth and attracted attention because the Pro R’s factory rear suspension normally uses multiple links to manage wheel travel and toe control.
Why the 2023 Show Mattered
The 2023 Sand Sports Super Show captured the UTV industry at another turning point. The Can-Am Maverick R was introducing a dual-clutch transmission and a new level of factory performance, while the Polaris XPEDITION was expanding the category toward long-distance travel and overlanding. At the same time, builders continued pushing established platforms such as the RZR Pro R, Maverick X3, Kawasaki KRX, Yamaha RMAX and Can-Am Defender in very different directions.
The products followed the same trend. Thirty-five-inch tires were becoming more common, suspension companies were rethinking factory geometry and increasingly sophisticated electronic controllers were managing growing collections of lights and accessories.
Compare these highlights with our 2022 Sand Sports Super Show coverage, then continue to the 2024 Sand Sports Super Show recap.
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More Sand Sports Super Show Coverage
Explore UTVGuide.net’s complete Sand Sports Super Show coverage archive, with annual recaps, photographs and product highlights documenting the evolution of the UTV industry from 2007 through today.
