It’s become a must: if you are a premium car brand you have to launch a sportsboat as well. So, after Aston Martin, Bugatti, Mercedes, and – indirectly – even Lamborghini, it is time for Lexus the luxury brand of the Japanese behemoth Toyota.
Lexus Sport Yacht: one-off, hi-tech
Lexus Sport Yacht has been presented in early 2017 in Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, Florida, and although a series production it is not yet determined, there actually is a unit, perfectly finished and floating. The lines are those of an open boat, 42 feet long, with sinuous and elegant surfaces, which actually don’t have much to see with the look of Lexus sedans.
The connection with the namesake car is more evident in the technical part: Lexus Sport Yacht is built with great use of CFRP, or carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. CFRP is the same material used on the Lexus LFA, the supercar built in a limited edition and sold for over 400,000 euro (but don’t try to buy one, it’s been discontinued already). Thanks to the use of this material, over 1000 Kilos have been dropped when compared to a similar boat built in fiberglass.
To propel Lexus Sport Yacht there’s two engines derived from the ones that sit in the trunk of the Japanese road limos: 8 cylinder, gasoline, 442 HP each, capable of pushing the boat to 43 knots through sterndrives. The detail that makes the difference, in this case, is the engine room surrounded by glass panels, which highlight the clean aspect of the engines from different angles.
The features are top-notch, with bow thruster, maneuvering joystick, radar, touchscreen monitor to control GPS and the main on-board functions, power driver’s seat, up to a steering wheel with a large central screen, very similar to the one seen for the first time on Wider 42.
Below deck, one forward double cabin is trimmed in leather, with wooden and glass details inspired by Lexus cars. A dinette for six, a galley with sink, refrigerator and double stove, and a bathroom with shower complete the setup, all – of course – refrigerated by automatic air conditioning.
Also very Lexus-style is the on-board entertainment system: flat speakers mounted in the ceiling, 4G, Wi-Fi and WAN connection, and digital amplifier developed by Mark Levinson Reference as on their cars.
The first technical data say of 12.7 meters in length and 3.86 in beam, with a total power of 885 HP and a capacity of 8 passengers.
Lexus Sport Yacht has been built in the Marquis facility in Wisconsin, USA, although Toyota has long had their Marine Division who build Ponam-branded boats, cabin cruisers mainly sold in Japan. But in this case the ambition, at least in terms of image, is much higher: in order to be a true premium luxury brand, a speedboat is what it takes.
