Surf & Turf: Abarth makes a powerboat with triple 350hp Yamaha V8s

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.

[Source: Italiaspeed]