Is it a car? Is it a motorcyle? No, it's a Slingshot!

"Whenever I ride, I feel my heart beating and my mind racing," the 52-year-old Sioux City man explained. "I feel the ultimate freedom."

A few months ago, Fountoulakis purchased a 2015 Polaris Slingshot.

Part motorcycle, part car and part high-performance trike for self-admitted "adrenaline junkies" like Fountoulakis, the road-hugging Slingshot has flying off of the salesroom floor, according to Taggart's Powersports' Cam Taggart.

"We've had a waiting list since the first of the year," Taggart said. "They're new, eye-catching and people want 'em bad."

This is in large part due to an on-going marketing campaign orchestrated by Polaris, the Medina, Minn.-based motorcycle, ATV and watercraft manufacturer that makes the Slingshot.

"I remember seeing preview images of the Slingshot last year and thought it was the ugliest thing I ever saw," Fountoulakis said with a chuckle. "That was before I saw it in person at a motorcycle show in Minneapolis."

Then, he said, it was love at first sight.

"It really is a beautiful machine," Fountoulakis said, wiping a smudge off of his base Slingshot, which included bucket seats, five-speed manual transmission and a 2.4 liter dual over head cam engine. "It handles like nothing else."

Taggart said the main audience for Slingshots are the twentysomethings and thirtysomethings desiring "the new new things" as well as the baby boomer wanting an alternative to the traditional two-wheeled motorcycle.

While enjoying "new toys," Fountoulakis said he mostly bought a Slingshot to please his wife Maria, who has a bad back.

"Long rides on motorcycles are too tough on my back," Maria Fountoulakis admitted. "But the Slingshot is so smooth and comfortable, it feels like you're riding in car, not a bike."

That was certainly the case when the Fountoulakises took a spontaneous trip to Lake Okoboji in April.

"Tom had just gotten his Slingshot and I suggested we take it out for a spin," Maria remembered. "We drove to Okoboji in the morning, had lunch, and made it home by early afternoon."

"It was wonderful," she said, smiling.

Married for 26 years, Maria said she has gotten used to her husband's lust for life.

"I was the shy daughter of Greek Orthodox priest while Tom was a guy with a big personality and a love for adventure," she said. "Over the years, I think Tom's rubbing off on me."

Though Fountoulakis said, despite his love for high-octane machinery, he's no daredevil.

"Riding in a fast car or motorcycle gives me a sense of control and skill," he explained. "I know what I'm doing and enjoy the rush."

One thing that Fountoulakis, the owner of Sioux City cleaning firm, doesn't like is routine.

"Yeah, routine is a killer," he reasoned. "If you're in your comfort zone, you're not challenging yourself."

Which is why Fountoulakis wanted to be one of the first people to own a Slingshot.

"Tom wanted a black one because he thought a red one would be too flashy," Maria said a laugh. "Tom didn't realize that both colors of Slingshot will generate a lot of attention."

Still, Fountoulakis didn't seem to mind racing his sleek and modern Slingshot whenever he pleases.

"My philosophy has always been that you only live once," he said, revving up the Slingshot's engine. "You might as well enjoy the life that you have."