Can-Am Off-Road

Can-Am was created as a subsidiary of the Bombardier Corporation in 1972, manufacturing high-performance motocross and enduro motorcycles.^[2]

In February 1998, BRP entered yet another market which was all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) by introducing a prototype of the Traxter - a utility based ATV. In 1999, the Traxter was named "ATV of the Year" by ATV Magazine.^[3] Later that year, BRP also began working on their second ATV, the performance-oriented DS650 that was designed for experienced sports enthusiasts. In 2004, this model won the Dakar Rally in the quad class.^[4]

BRP added an additional variation of the Traxter all-terrain vehicle in 2000 which was called the Traxter XL. The BRP Traxter XL was the first 4x4 all-terrain vehicle to feature a dumping box-bed. In 2002, BRP introduced the Traxter MAX, which featured two seats. It was the first and only ATV with the manufacturer's approval to accommodate two riders.

In 2002, BRP introduced another Traxter all-terrain vehicle called the Traxter MAX which featured two seats. The BRP Traxter MAX was the first manufacturer-approved ATV for two people.^[5]

2005 was a successful racing season for BRP. In January, Antoine Morel of France successfully completed and won what is arguably the hardest off-road race in the world, the Dakar Rally, racing on a BRP DS 650X. In late October, BRP wins its first GNCC Racing Series Championship in the Utility Modified ATV Class on an Outlander 800 ATV. BRP would earn a total of 12 GNCC Racing Championships in the following four seasons of GNCC Racing.

In September 2005, BRP introduced the APACHE track kit - which was the first and only OEM ATV Track kit to fit most major all-terrain vehicles.

May 2006 was a big year for Can-Am. It was announced that Bombardier ATV would become Can-Am ATV. Starting in 2007, BRP launched and re-branded its ATV segment to Can-Am.

Just one year after announcing the re-branding, BRP inaugurates its new plant in Juarez, Mexico. The new plant would oversee manufacturing and assembly of the Can-Am Outlander and Renegade ATV model lineup including the Rotax engines that power these two all-terrain vehicles.

In January 2006, the newly branded Can-Am ATV earns yet another Dakar Rally win along with taking rest of the three positions on the podium in the ATV category. Juan Manuel Gonzales, Antoine Morel and Alain Morel, spent 16 challenging days and traversed more than 9,000 kilometers from Lisbon, Portugal, to Dakar, Senegal to earn a spot on the podium in the 2006 Dakar Rally aboard Can-Am all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

2010 was another milestone for Can-Am when they first introduced the Can-Am Commander - their first side-by-side vehicle. The 2011 Can-Am Commander model line up featured a total of six models with two different engine sizes to choose from. The Can-Am Commander 1000 features an 85-hp Rotax 1000 V-Twin engine, an industry exclusive dual-level cargo box.

Shortly after its introduction, the Can-Am Commander 1000 receives the "Best of the Best" Award in the Side-by-Side vehicle category by Field & Stream magazine in 2011.

Two years later, Can-Am announced another side-by-side vehicle the 2013 Can-Am Maverick. The Can-Am Maverick 1000R was designed to be a pure sport side-by-side and would compete against the Polaris RZR XP 1000 and the Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 H.O. The Can-Am Maverick featured the highest horsepower from a manufacturer at the time of 101 horsepower with its 976cc Rotax V-Twin engine.

In September 2014, Can-Am introduced the industry's first side-by-side vehicle to come with a turbo straight from the manufacturer. The Can-Am Maverick X ds Turbo features a 121-hp Rotax 1000R turbocharged option - which is currently the highest horsepower side-by-side vehicle on the market. Along with the introduction of the 2015 Can-Am Maverick X ds, Can-Am also expanded their line of recreational side-by-side vehicles by adding the Can-Am Commander MAX Limited Model. In 2016, Can-Am introduced the Defender in North America, its first utility side-by-side vehicle created specifically for farmers and hunters.

The first Can-Am manufacturer-approved four-wheeler able to handle two passengers arrived in 2002.

The 2007 Renegade 800 was a big-bore sport-recreational ATV engineered to create a thrilling ride. With a CVT sub-transmission with high, low, park, neutral & reverse, it offered a sporty riding stance more prone to aggressive trail tackling and equally suitable for dirt track racing.^[6] It was also suitable for rough terrain where other large vehicles would not fit. The Renegade 800 came with a small storage space and a rear rack.^[6]

The more recent Renegade X mr 1000R model is capable of 91 hp (68 kW), with a CVT adjusting the drive ratio.^[7]

The Outlander 800 was launched in 2006 with an 80-degree V-twin, using TTI suspension in the back and double A-arms in the front. It also had a Visco-Lok auto-locking differential.^[8] The 2022 Outlander MR model has a front differential.^[9]

BRP launched two Commander models in 2011: the Commander 1000 (85 hp (63 kW)) and the Commander 800R (71 hp (53 kW)). Convenience features included a dual-level cargo box.^[10]

The Commander X MR has its engine air intake positioned higher to prevent water and dirt from getting inside.^[11] The 2022 Commander XT-P model is equipped with Fox suspension, 15-inch wheels, and 30-inch tires. The base XT is available in either 1,000cc or 650cc guise, but the Max and XT-P are 1,000cc only.^[12]

In 2013, BRP launched the Maverick. The Maverick 1000R model was designed to compete against the Polaris RZR XP 900. At the time, the Maverick 1000R boasted the most horsepower in its class, 101 hp (75 kW), from a 976 cc Rotax twin-cylinder engine.^[13] It gained attraction to its appearance and its dimensions (64 inches wide by 118'' long and 74'' high).^[14]

As of 2022, three high-powered trim levels were available, producing between 120 and 200 hp (89 and 149 kW).^{[15][16][17][18]}

The Can‑Am Defender vehicle was designed and engineered from the ground up, to establish new standards in terms of torque and power, as well as versatility to cater to all types of outdoor activities. BRP leveraged the Rotax engine technology to create a work-focused version of the durable V-Twin Rotax engines, calibrated to offer torque: the new Rotax 50-hp HD8 or 72-hp HD10 engines.^[19]

The Defender 6x6 model has a towing capacity of up to 3,000 lb (1,400 kg), along with a cargo box with hydraulic power tilt.^[20]

Can-Am manages multiple community programs, such as:

• International Female Ride Day, held annually in May to celebrate the importance of female riders and their positive contributions to the industry.^[21]
• The Women of On-Road program, created to help more women experience riding through inclusivity and education. To date, more than 12,500 people have joined the Women of On-Road community.
• The Responsible Rider Program, which aims to educate riders about safety, etiquette, and the environment.
• The Road Warrior Ride, an annual event held in collaboration with the Road Warrior Foundation (RWF) wherein war veterans are given the opportunity to ride Can-Am three-wheelers.^[22][23]

The company also holds events during International Off-Road Day on the 8th of October.^[24]

In 2005, Antoine Morel of France won that year's Dakar Rally on a BRP DS 650 X.^{[citation needed]} In late October of that year, a BRP-sponsored team won its first Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) championship in the Utility Modified ATV class, later earning a total of 12 GNCC championships in the following four seasons.^[25] In 2006, Juan Manuel Gonzales, Antoine Morel, and Alain Morel, racing for Can-Am, claimed the 2006 Dakar Rally podium in the ATV category.^[26] In 2007, Warnert Racing Can-Am riders Rick Cecco, Michael Swift, and Cliff Beasley won the 12 Hours of ATV America endurance race.^[27]

In 2008, Can-Am riders took the two top spots in the 2008 CMRC Canadian Pro 450 ATV championship. Can-Am X-Team racer and Québec native Richard Pelchat won the overall race and championship at Ste-Julie near Montréal. It was Pelchat's sixth national championship and the first Canadian national championship for the DS 450. Michael Ouellete, who raced for NDB Sport / PLX Sport took second overall in the championship.^[28]

In 2009, Team Warnert Racing / Can-Am had two victories at the final round of the 2009 GNCC season near Crawfordsville, Indiana. The first had Michael Swift in the 4x4 Limited class at the Ironman GNCC, the second was Bryan Buckhannon's 4x4 Open championship—and morning overall victory—also on his Outlander 800R.^[29]

In the U2 class, Can-Am X-Team racer Jeremie Dudding took the victory. In the Women's Novice class, Cassie Carlson finished the season with a win. Cliff Beasley won, who already had the 4x4 Lites class championship. Chris Bithell finished fourth overall in the XC1 Pro class.^[29]

In the GNCC racing season, Can-Am Outlanders won all three 4x4 class championships, and the Renegade 800R won its first U2 class championship with Rick Cecco. Can-Am took home four GNCC championships in 2009.^[29]

In 2013, Can-Am ATV and side-by-side racers competed in the 46th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert endurance race in Mexico and came away with one class victory and third-place finishing it the UTV class. Team UXC Racing/Can-Am racer Michael Swift rode the entire 833-mile course alone to win Class 26 aboard his Outlander 4x4 ATV. Cory Sappington also finished the race, earning third overall in Class 19 (UTV) with his side-by-side vehicle.^[30]

Three Can-Am Outlander ATV and Grand National Cross Country racers made up the competitors for class 26. They consisted of Team UXC Racing/Can-Am team members Michael Swift and Don Higbee, who each raced alone on separate ATVs, as well as Penland Racing/Can-Am pilot Mike Penland and his squad. Swift, who won the 2013 GNCC U2 class championship on a Can-Am Renegade 4x4, held the lead for much of the race and finished averaging 26.6 mph.^[30]

Mitch Guthrie Jr. took the checkered flag for both 2018 and 2019 races at the Can-Am King of the Hammers UTV race.^[31]

In 2020, Can-Am won first place in the Side-by-Side Category. Casey Currie, residing in California, and co-driver Sean Berriman, residing in Las Vegas, from the Monster Energy Can-Am race team took home first place, winning by 39 minutes. In Podium Sweep, Can-Am vehicles finished three times for the second straight year. In Going 20 for 20, Can-Am vehicles crossed the finish line in all of the top 20 positions.^[32]

In 2021, Francisco López, Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre^{[clarification needed]} won the first place in the Dakar Rally, held in Saudi Arabia, in the combined Lightweight Vehicle category, as well as the Side-by-Side class. Can-Am was also one of the top 11 finishers in class.^[33]

In 2022, Can-Am announced that factory racers scored victories in both desert and short course racing. Austin Weiland and his team secured the win in the Pro UTV Forced Induction class and UTV Overall at the 54th SCORE Baja 500, while Nick Bruce secured second in the Pro Stock UTV class. Kyle Chaney secured the win at the first round of the Short Course Championship Off-Road Series in Antigo.^[34]

The first round of the Short Course Championship Off-Road series started in Wisconsin at Antigo Lions Roaring Raceway, where Can-Am Factory racer Kyle Chaney won in the Pro Turbo SxS class against a stacked field in Maverick X3.^[34]

Can-Am Off-Road scored their fifth consecutive Dakar Rally victory since 2018. Can-Am Factory South Racing driver Austin Jones and his navigator, Gustavo Gugelmin, won the T4 category at the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.^[35]