Well, moderators, I wasn't sure where to post this one, since this is an auto forum...but I figure the Garage threads are as good a place as any. Lexus has unveiled a sport-boat powered by two Lexus V8s.
I once had a friend, several decades ago, who had a 28-ft yacht powered by two Chrysler V8s...you would not believe the amount of gas (marine fuel) that thing used.
https://www.autoblog.com/2017/01/12/lexus-sport-yacht-concept-official/
Lexus goes from land yachts to water yachts with this boat concept
The Lexus Sport Yacht Concept is a pet project of CEO Akio Toyoda.
JOEL STOCKSDALE
Jan 12th 2017 at 10:00AM
MORE PHOTOS
- 2019 Lexus UX: Geneva 2018
- 2018 Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series: SEMA 2017
- Lexus Black Panther Inspired LC Concept: SEMA 2017
- Lexus LC SEMA cars
Just this week,
Lexus unveiled its fully redesigned flagship,
the LS sedan. But the term "flagship" seems a bit misplaced now that Lexus has revealed an
actual ship. Well, the Lexus Sport Yacht may be a bit small to be called a ship, but it's as close as many automakers will get.
According to
Toyota, the idea for the boat came about when the company's CEO, Akio Toyoda, was trying out one of the marine division's new yachts that use Toyota diesel engines. He wanted to see what a sporty, luxury yacht using Lexus design would be like. At his behest, the Toyota Marine Department and Lexus got to work on the concept you see here.
More than a clay model, this is a fully-functional nautical machine. The Lexus Sport Yacht was constructed from carbon fiber by Marquis-Carver Yacht Group in Wisconsin, and has a pair of V8 engines shared with the
Lexus RC F (and
GS F, and LC500). You can even see through the clear engine compartment cover that they share the same bright blue-painted intake manifolds. Compared with the automotive applications, each engine makes a bit less power at
440 horsepower. When you have two of them, though, that becomes less important. Together the engines' roughly 880 horsepower can propel the boat to a top speed of 49 mph.
The Lexus Sport Yacht comes complete with many luxury amenities. There's seating for eight on the deck. Two of those seats fold out from either side of the captain's chair "for very special guests." The captain also has access to a pair of touchscreens, a small one in the wheel and a massive one ahead of it for instruments and other information. Down below, the forward passenger cabin is loaded with leather, wood, air conditioning, a table, and sofa seating for six. The yacht's galley has a sink, refrigerator, and stove, and the bathroom comes complete with a shower.
Don't expect to see the yacht on sale anytime soon, since this is just a concept at the moment. That being said, luxury automakers, including
Aston Martin and
Mercedes, have started competing in the yacht market. And while Toyota's marine division hasn't built a pleasure boat since the
Epic line, it probably wouldn't be too difficult for the company to start building this Lexus.
Related Video: