Lexus Sport Yacht uses supercar technology and twin V8 engines

Lexus has just launched a new Sport Yacht concept in a bold move from the highways to the road-less-travelled. Powered by twin high-performance Lexus V8 engines, and inspired by the Toyota Marine Department, the new Sport Yacht has a claimed top speed up to 43 knots.

The Marquis-Carver Yacht Group, a production boatbuilder in Wisconsin, has been chosen to build the new 12.7m Sport Yacht using a unique carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) construction — usually reserved for the Lexus LFA supercar, race cars, high-performance aircraft, competition skis and bicycles, and world-class racing sailboats.

The twin 5.0-litre V8 petrol engines are based on the same 2UR-GSE high-performance engines featured in the Lexus RC F coupe, the GS F Sport sedan, and the new LC 500 luxury coupe.

Each engine produces more than 328kW to drive the yacht at speeds up to 43 knots, Lexus says, through a pair of sterndrives with hydraulic steering. A bow-thruster with joystick aids in docking.

If you want even more of a throbbing beat, there’s an integrated audio-video entertainment system fully networked with 4G Wi-Fi & WAN.

Sound reproduction is by Revolution Acoustics surface-mounted drivers using the ceiling panel as a transducer, powered by a Mark Levinson Reference digital amplifier.

The Lexus Sport Yacht concept was recently revealed by Lexus chief branding officer Akio Toyoda at Di Lido Island on Biscayne Bay, Florida, and was inspired by the Toyota Marine boat in this news.

You can see the new Lexus Sport Yacht in this video...

CARBON CONSTRUCTION
The carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) construction claims to save nearly 1000kg compared with a similar yacht constructed in fibreglass-reinforced plastic (FRP). The upper deck and outer hull are bonded around an inner structure, each piece being a massive hand-laid composite of two-part polyurethane epoxy resin reinforced with carbon-fibre.

The underwater hull design is stepped to reduce resistance or drag and improve handling balance at high speeds. The helm controls monitor on-board systems with a colour touchscreen panel showing GPS navigation, digital charts, surface radar, underwater sonar, lighting and entertainment systems.

INTERIOR STYLE
A touched on, the Lexus boat was inspired by Toyota's new range of Ponam Premium Yachts which will soon be launched in Japan. But the Lexus Sport Yacht accommodates more people with six to eight guests.

The forward passenger cabin is said to be finished in luxurious Lexus leather with wood and glass details. A standing height sofa seating for six with a table, and air conditioning create a comfortable entertaining environment.

The galley features a two-burner stove, sink and under-counter refrigerator while the head includes a shower.

LEXUS LEXICON
Yoshihiro Sawa, executive vice president of Lexus International, said the concept for a Sport Yacht has allowed Lexus to explore how it can design language that can be applied to a maritime idea. The boat is said to feature advanced Lexus styling and handling.

"For the Lexus Design Centre, this project has been very exciting. The effort is valuable to us as it stirs our creative energies and pushes our imagination to design and lifestyle possibilities outside of the automotive realm we know well," Mr Sawa said.

But before you get too excited, Lexus says its Sport Yacht is a bespoke one-off project with no plan for production.

In the mid-1990s, Toyota entered the inboard ski-boat market with Epic
21 and 22 boats powered by a marinised Lexus 400 engine and with ski or
wakeboarding packages. But that venture failed to ignite the market.

Preliminary Specifications: Lexus Sport Yacht
Overall length: 12.7m
Beam (width): 3.86m
Payload: 8 people
Total power: 660kW
Top speed: 43 knots
More about Toyota Marine at www.toyota.co.jp/marine/.