A question of class

Anything goes – an open UTV class will run next year in New Zealand.

Here we go. Offroad racing is taking a major step forward in 2026, creating an open class among the UTV ranks.

It’s mainly been created to move the Yamaha YXZ out of S class, where it raced under a rule allowing naturally aspirated UTVs to use an approved turbo kit. That, say critics, created an unfair advantage when up against ‘manufacturer turbo’ UTVs like the Polaris and Can Am. Important to note that this dispensation did apply to all UTVs, meaning Polaris and Can Am cars could go down the same route, but the current crop of racers chose not to do so.

So now the Yamaha guys have a free pass, will that make the cars faster? Racers say the platform is incredible already, but there’s a lot of potential for more performance.

Factory engine internals limit the YXZ to around 164kW. So forged internals? Balancing? Heavy duty transmission?

The future is wide open, and Yamaha could be joined in the open class by the likes of Segway’s Super Villain turbo UTV, which has a 2.0-litre engine and hybrid drivetrain. Now available in New Zealand, the Super Villain makes 175kW and 570Nm of torque off the showroom floor. It has 510mm of travel, 370mm ground clearance, and a seven-speed transmission, all for just under $60,000.

The top-of-the-line Polaris RZR Pro R, by comparison, makes 167kW out of the box and costs $76,000.

Both prices are as-sold, before any competition or safety modifications or turbocharging kit.

Likewise, Honda’s Talon R UTV ($42,000) could move across to the new open class to step up to turbo kit power.

So now the UTVs get an equivalent of class one, an anything-goes category that emphasises innovative design and construction without budget constraints or the need to stick to off-the-shelf components.
At the other end of the scale, Polaris is creating a proposing a one-make class for stock UTVs to ensure there’s an affordable entry point to racing.

Meanwhile, the racers who will eventually benefit from all this change have just had their own event at TECT Park near Tauranga. The Brooklyn Horan Memorial Trophy weekend featured short course and endurance races for Kiwitrucks and young racers up to the age of 21. There were support races for older, established racers.

Drivers transition from Kiwitruck in their mid-teens and can then choose a class in the main championship. One such racer is Lily Williams, who had a last run in her M-class Kiwitruck at the event and also got in some race seat time in her new class seven single-seater.