As anticipated Arctic Cat is rolling out a new direct-injected 2-stroke 600cc engine for 2014, but also is shoe-horning Yamaha’s gutsy 1049cc, 135-horse 4-stroke into its ProCross chassis.
Last week Cat announced the engine deal with Yamaha, and Yamaha announced it was getting the ProCross chassis for its lineup too. Basically Cat is bringing in the Yamaha 4-stroke to replace a Suzuki 4-stroke. What more will come from Cat and Yamaha’s cooperative efforts remains to be seen.

While that move is important to both makers, the bigger news is that Cat will make its own 600cc dual-stage direct-injected motor and it looks to be both simple and clever in design, plus more powerful than Team Arctic’s former 600 (discontinued in 2011), and much more fuel efficient.

 The new 599cc C-TEC2, which continues Cat’s laydown engine design, incorporates its own exhaust pipe temperature sensor and batteryless EFI systems. It also is 10 lbs. lighter than the previous 600, but emits less CO. To the rider, what you’ll see is less oil usage and better fuel economy. Gas mileage is estimated in the 16 mpg range in aggressive trail riding.
(Subscribers can see the whole Cat 2014 product story here.)

In addition to the new 2-stroke and Yamaha’s 4-stroke, Cat has a new naming convention for its engines, implying more power the greater the series number. Plus performance models also get new names too, F is gone and ZR are the new initials.

Here’s how the engines will be listed:
-    5000 Series C-TEC4 1100 – this is the older 1056cc naturally aspirated Suzuki 4-stroke that creates roughly 120 horses.
-    6000 Series C-TEC2 600 w/dual-stage injection – this is Cat’s new 599cc 2-stroke that creates roughly 123 horses, up from 118 hp in the former 600.
-    7000 Series C-TEC4 1049 – this is the Yamaha 4-stroke formerly used only in Yamaha’s Nytro and creating 135+ horses.
-    8000 Series 800 H.O. – this is the Suzuki EFI 2-stroke that Cat has used for several years and makes roughly 160 horses.
-    9000 Series C-TEC4 1100 Turbo – this is the turbocharged version of the Suzuki 4-stroke 1100. With the turbo added it creates roughly 180 horses.
Note: Cat still has two other Suzuki engines, a 499cc liquid for its 500 Sno Pro and F5, plus the venerable 2-stroke 570 fan.

How can you get hold of one of the spiffy new Cat 2-strokes?

Well, Cat will put that engine ONLY in one model for 2014, the ZR 6000 El Tigre as it revives a legendary Cat name. This follows one year after Polaris re-launched its Indy name.

The El Tigre uses the C-TEC2 600 in its ProCross chassis, but with some major improvements.

(You can subscribe today and get more details about the new engines and complete sled lineups here, or by picking up the Spring issue of American Snowmobiler at your local newsstand.)

By Mark Savage