UK high-end RIB brand Scorpion returns, but with a twist

Twisted already has skin in the performance boat game, having either renovated older boats to make them look new again, as well as modified Axopar 25 and 28 monohulls and Archipelago 47 catamarans.

However, Twisted announced overnight that it has taken over Scorpion RIBs, a brand specialising in high-performance rigid-hull inflatable boats that fell into administration earlier this year, with plans to spin out Twisted Scorpion as a standalone brand and even rejuvenate older Scorpion boats for owners.

Twisted Automotive founder Charles Fawcett, who also heads up Twisted Marine, said the group was “incredibly excited” to bring Scorpion into the family.

“Scorpion RIBs is a brand synonymous with quality, innovation, and performance, values that align perfectly with our own,” Fawcett said.

“By preserving and revitalising Scorpion RIBs, we are not only saving a great brand but also opening new avenues for growth and creativity."

British production of Scorpion’s three-model range that includes Serket open and Silurian T-top centre console and Sting open- or cabin-style boats will pick up again, but Twisted will bring its engineering expertise and resources to enhance Scorpion RIBs' production capabilities and product development.

Scorpion has a long legacy of competing in RIB racing in Europe and was briefly introduced to the Australian market in late 2010.

Twisted Automotive was founded in Yorkshire in 2000, developing performance parts for iconic British brand Land Rover. In 2003 it launched its first fully modified vehicle built on top of a short-wheelbase Land Rover Defender 90 TD5, adding a long-wheelbase 110 TD5 to the mix the following year.

The first General Motors LS-based V8 version appeared in 2012, fitted to a Defender 110 producing 360kW and sending drive to all four wheels via a Trimec five-speed gearbox.

It has since gone on to produce versions of the Defender powered by the 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine from the Ford Mustang and the 6.2-litre LT1-powered TV-8 small block.

Scorpion’s range of boats can come with either single inboard, single or twin outboard-engined power, or jet drive for shallow water performance.

The hulls use a twin-stepped design to reduce drag at cruising and high speeds.

Scorpion went into administration in September last year after two angel investors failed to find a way to make the company viable in the wake of rising input costs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as rising interest rates.

The company had a number of outstanding contracts with fixed prices that did not reflect the rising costs.