Surf & Turf: Abarth makes a powerboat with triple 350hp Yamaha V8s
SACS Powershore Abarth SP – Click above for high-res image gallery
When Fiat relaunched its Abarth performance division, it had a fairly straightforward objective: to turn its ordinary hatchbacks into fire-breathing performance models. But as it turns out, Abarth's mandate extends beyond transforming Fiats. The scorpion sub-brand has also turned out the special-edition Yamaha FZ1 Abarth Assetto Corse to celebrate the 100th birthday of its namesake founder Karl Abarth and has teamed up again with the Japanese company – whose MotoGP team it also sponsors, headlined by multiple champion Valentino Rossi – for an offshore inflatable speedboat.
Bringing boatmaker SACS Marine and naval architect Christian Grande into the fold, the Powershore Abarth SP is a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) with not one, not two, but three Yamaha Marine 5.3-liter DOHC 32-valve fuel-injected V8 outboard motors. Each of the three engines produces a tidy 350 horsepower, measured right at the prop-shaft. Based on the SACS Strider 12S, the Abarth SP measures over 40 feet long, weighs 5.7 metric tons and packs a 960-liter fuel tank. Don't forget the double bed, bathroom and galley (that's a kitchen for you land-lubbers). The Powershore Abarth SP is set to debut at the 49th Salone Nautico Internazionale di Genova 2009 in October.
Gallery: SACS Powershore Abarth SP
[Source: Italiaspeed]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
RicoChet 8:17AM (8/14/2009)
Damn I'd love to have one of these, the perfect summer toy for the lakes!
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Emulsifide 8:19AM (8/14/2009)
253 gallons of gas X my local average gas price of $2.79 for 91 octane = $705.87 fillup.
I'll stick to goofing off on land...thanks.
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Lemon 9:32AM (8/14/2009)
And gas is more expensive on the lake, too!
Javanese 8:32AM (8/14/2009)
That boat will be expensive... the engines alone will cost more than $20,000 Each! I bet it'll be at least $150,000. That and the outrageous fuel cost and range of (I'm guessing) less than 200miles per fill up... yikes. That said, it's a cool toy to have.
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Sofa King Fast! 9:22AM (8/14/2009)
I was thinking the same thing but my estimate was about $35,000 for each engine = $105,000 for the engines alone. For the cost of the engines alone you could buy a ZR1 and use the gas savings (!) to buy a racing sail boat which is a hell of a lot more fun and costs nothing in gas.
rar 10:43AM (8/14/2009)
Javanese is close on the price of the engines, but my guess on the total price of the boat is going to be over 250k. Any boat over 40' with trips is going to be way over 200k. It does seem strange that it will be inflatable, with a berth, head and a galley. For that kind of change I would rather have something like this.
http://www.raymondsboats.com/n1451.htm
KeithFL 8:45AM (8/14/2009)
Autoblog or Boatblog? If there were a boat blog - I would read it.
PS: A RIB with three outboards is not so uncommon - nor a connection to auto manufacturers.
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Aloysius Vampa 9:36AM (8/14/2009)
Shut it. Anything with an internal combustion engine that provides forward, sideways, and reverse motion is interesting to me.
KeithFL 11:32AM (8/14/2009)
Riding lawn mowers?
Beastage 3:47PM (8/14/2009)
Petrol powered dildo?
Quan 5:01AM (8/15/2009)
How about a... nevermind I can't 1up that last one.
Art 8:54AM (8/14/2009)
how many GPH?
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nuggetsmcduggets 9:23AM (8/14/2009)
Your rational, levelheaded assertions are boring me and ruining America.
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PeterO#227 9:24AM (8/14/2009)
"Based on the SACS Strider 12S, the Abarth SP measures over 40 feet long, weighs 5.7 metric tons and packs a 960-liter fuel tank. Don't forget the double bed, bathroom and galley (that's a kitchen for you land-lubbers)."
Am I missing something the boat in that picture is no more than 20' tip to Prop, and the hull is no where deep enough for any type of living quarters, am I missing autoBlogs joke?
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Lemon 9:34AM (8/14/2009)
I was wondering the same thing....it doesn't look that big..
CH 9:51AM (8/14/2009)
It seems to me that the proportions are off and the boat is way bigger than it looks. Just to think each of these engines in the back has a 5.3L V8 underneath gives me the feeling it must be enormous. But then again, how is this boat inflatable and with full interior and all. Meh I just think I don't know anything about boats...
ozyran440 11:45AM (8/14/2009)
Look very, very closely at the seats in the picture. They're tiny.
This is just a scale model of what the real thing will look like.
innoc3nt 11:55PM (8/15/2009)
I thought the same thing. The seats do look tiny, but no matter how I look at it, I can't seem to wrap my head around it.
The thing looks about the size of an ordinary car to me...
300istheno. 9:44AM (8/14/2009)
did you know the size of the yamaha v8 outboard? its huge! and did you look at the steering wheel....??? the rib is definitely bigger than 20' and also i'm sure room enough for a head and maybe bed.....you can get that on a 21' boston whaler so i don't know what's the issue Peter...
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Yar 9:59AM (8/14/2009)
Too bad the Yamaha V8 is a dog... Go 2-stroke or go home.
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