The 2012 Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 raised the bar for production sport UTV suspension with 17 inches of front travel, 18 inches at the rear and a 95-inch wheelbase built to attack rough desert terrain.
Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000: UTV of the Month for October 2011
When Arctic Cat introduced the Wildcat 1000, it pushed the sport UTV market into new territory. Its combination of long-travel suspension, a full-perimeter chassis and an unusually long wheelbase made the Wildcat feel more like a purpose-built desert car than a conventional side-by-side.
After driving the new Wildcat at Barstow’s Stoddard Valley OHV Area, it was clear that Arctic Cat had created something special. That breakthrough in suspension and chassis performance earned the Wildcat 1000 our UTV of the Month honors for October 2011.
Built Around Long-Travel Suspension
Suspension was the defining feature of the original Wildcat. The front used double A-arms providing 17 inches of wheel travel, while Arctic Cat’s five-link trailing-arm rear suspension delivered 18 inches.
Barstow is filled with rough, uneven whoops created by everything from motorcycles and UTVs to desert race cars and trophy trucks. It is the kind of terrain that quickly exposes the limitations of a suspension package.
The Wildcat floated across that terrain remarkably well. With two occupants aboard, we initially found the rear suspension bottoming on the larger hits. Increasing the compression damping on the Walker Evans Racing 2-inch shocks helped settle the rear and allowed us to carry considerably more speed through terrain that would have forced most UTVs of that era to slow down.
Arctic Cat calibrated the shocks to work across a wide range of riders and terrain. A desert-specific revalve would have made the Wildcat even more capable in large whoops and hard g-outs.
A Long Wheelbase Made a Big Difference
Wheel travel was only part of the equation. The Wildcat’s 95-inch wheelbase was 13.5 inches longer than the original Polaris RZR XP 900.
That extra length helped the Wildcat remain composed when crossing closely spaced whoops. Instead of dropping both axles into the same depression, the longer chassis allowed the suspension to bridge gaps and smooth out rough sections.
The tradeoff was a larger turning radius and reduced maneuverability on tight trails, but the added stability was a major advantage in the open desert.
Front and Rear Suspension Articulation
The Wildcat’s front suspension delivered impressive articulation. Rear articulation was more restricted because of the anti-sway bar, which appeared relatively easy to disconnect for low-speed rock crawling.
For desert use, we wanted a slightly stiffer rear sway bar to keep the chassis flatter in corners. That observation reflected the difficult balance Arctic Cat faced: the factory setup had to work for dunes, desert riding, trails and slower technical terrain rather than being optimized for one specific use.
Full-Perimeter Exoskeleton Chassis
The Wildcat’s full-perimeter chassis was another major departure from the UTVs available at the time. Rather than relying on a central frame with smaller tubing added primarily to support the bodywork, Arctic Cat used full-size tubing throughout the structure.
The styling took some time to absorb, but the engineering behind the chassis was easy to appreciate. Suspension loads were fed into a substantial structure designed around the performance requirements of the vehicle.
It was an early example of the industry moving toward integrated chassis designs developed specifically for high-performance recreational driving.
Power Was the Weak Link
The Wildcat’s suspension and chassis were ahead of the competition, but its engine performance did not make the same impression.
Its 951cc V-twin delivered respectable power, but the Wildcat was heavier than the RZR XP 900 and did not have the same immediate bottom-end response. The engine’s intake and exhaust configuration also left obvious opportunities for the aftermarket.
Even so, the Wildcat was capable of carrying impressive speed through rough terrain because its chassis allowed the driver to use more of the available power. In Barstow, suspension performance mattered at least as much as acceleration.
For a more complete account of our time behind the wheel, read the original Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 review. Additional model information is available in our Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 overview.
2012 Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 Specifications
| Engine displacement | 951cc |
|---|---|
| Engine | Liquid-cooled V-twin, SOHC, four-stroke, four-valve |
| Fuel system | Electronic fuel injection |
| Transmission | Duramatic CVT with Park, Reverse, Neutral, Low and High |
| Final drive | Shaft |
| Drive system | Selectable 2WD/4WD with four-wheel-drive lock |
| Front suspension | Double A-arm with remote-reservoir, compression-adjustable shocks |
| Rear suspension | Five-link trailing arm with remote-reservoir, compression-adjustable shocks |
| Front travel | 17 inches |
| Rear travel | 18 inches |
| Ground clearance | 13 inches |
| Wheelbase | 95 inches |
| Overall length | 120 inches |
| Overall width | 64 inches |
| Dry weight | 1,305 pounds |
| Brakes | Four-wheel hydraulic discs |
| Parking brake | Park position in transmission |
| Front tires | 26x9R-14 |
| Rear tires | 26x11R-14 |
| Wheels | Aluminum |
| Fuel capacity | 8.8 gallons |
| Cargo box dimensions | 35.8 x 21 x 8.4 inches |
| Cargo box capacity | 300 pounds |
| Payload capacity | 740 pounds |
| Lighting | LED high/low-beam headlights and LED taillight/brake light |
| Steering | Electronic power steering with tilt steering wheel |
| Instrumentation | Digital gauge with analog speedometer, tachometer, odometer, tripmeter, gear indicator, fuel gauge, AWD indicator and warning lights |
| Original MSRP | $16,599 |
More Arctic Cat Wildcat Photos
Final Thoughts
The original Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 was not the quickest sport UTV of its time, but it helped redefine what buyers could expect from a production suspension system.
With 17 inches of front travel, 18 inches of rear travel, a five-link trailing-arm suspension and a 95-inch wheelbase, the Wildcat was engineered to attack rough terrain at speeds that would overwhelm many competing machines from the same period.
That willingness to prioritize chassis and suspension performance made the 2012 Wildcat 1000 one of the most important sport UTV introductions of its era.
