The ultra-firm suspension settings of the Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo Sno Pro encourage a much sportier type of riding. You get all the stability you need to hit jumps and attack bumpy corners at high speeds. On the other hand, comfort is reduced on semi-bumpy trails; the rider even has to lift his or her rear end in order to better soak up imperfections. Fans of aggressive riding will no doubt be thankful for these firm settings, while others will turn to the regular Z1, Z1 Turbo or Z1 LXR which all achieve an excellent balance between sporty riding and long-distance comfort.

The 2009 Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo Sno Pro is the market leader in terms of output.

Turbo engine
The most impressive new feature this year at Arctic Cat is pretty easy to spot... and hear. Developed in partnership with Suzuki, the 1,056-cc twin-cylinder engine of the Z1 gets a turbocharger. Displacement remains the same, while the compression ratio has been lowered to 9:1 so as to compensate for the pressurized air-fuel delivery. Internal parts that were originally designed to withstand the power increase of the turbo also remain unchanged. The engine uses a single 46-millimeter throttle body (as opposed to dual 48-millimeter bodies on the naturally-aspirated variant), with the air going from the turbine to a radiator before reaching the intake valves.

With 177 horsepower and 162 pounds-feet of torque on tap, the 2009 Arctic Cat Z1 Turbo Sno Pro is the market leader in terms of output. A slight turbo lag is felt around 4,000 rpm, confusing the rider who wants to accelerate upon exiting a corner. At full throttle, though, the engine is a real bomb beyond 4,000 rpm, pulling as relentlessly as a large-displacement superbike. As you swallow miles of trails and become more and more familiar with the machine, forward thrusts will always feel civilized, predictable and manageable. You can also make up for the turbo lag by reaccelerating a little sooner in corners.

Naturally-aspirated engine
The naturally-aspirated Z1 with Twin Spar chassis is still my favorite Arctic Cat -- and the company's benchmark -- for many reasons. The engine is easy to exploit and displays all the good qualities of typical naturally-aspirated powerplants. It produces heaps of torque at low and medium revs and, while it quickly runs out of steam at higher revs, you can still enjoy decent accelerations and shifts. Arctic Cat engineers even managed to mitigate the unpleasant engine braking (at least for sporty riders) by having the ECU gradually reduce throttle opening when the rider releases the lever. This smoother drop in engine speed diminishes the weight transfer on the skis when entering corners, thereby allowing greater steering control and precision.

The naturally-aspirated Z1 with Twin Spar chassis is still my favorite Arctic Cat.