Lexus is the latest automaker to plunge into the marine market, adding its name and design-think to a sleek new sports boat, the Lexus LY 650. But it’s not the first time a premium carmaker has collaborated on a luxury yacht. Here are five collaborations that definitely float our boat.
LEXUS LY 650
You’re looking at the new flagship of the Lexus lineup. Measuring 65 feet, this opulent sport yacht is being built in partnership with Wisconsin boatmaker Marquis-Larson. In 2017, Lexus stuck its toe in the water with the one-off 42-foot Lexus Sport Yacht Concept.
But this is the real deal, going on sale later this year. Brimming with Lexus quality touches, the LY 650 comes with Volvo IPS engines, which produce up to 1,350 hp.
Lexus LY 650 sport yacht. Photo: Courtesy of Lexus
The perfect car match: Has to be the new rolling flagship LS 500 F Sport, powered by a twin-turbo V-6 packing 416 hp. A steal at $81,450.
Lexus LS 500 F Sport. Photo: James Halfacre
F.A. PORSCHE DYNAMIQ GTT 115
Those swoopy buttresses supporting the flybridge hardtop? Just like the roof supports on Porsche’s latest 911 Targa. The retro houndstooth design on the carpets and cushions? Same as you see in a 928 from the ’80s.
Dynamiq GTT 115. Photo: Courtesy Dynamiq
No surprise, since the styling of the 115-foot Dynamiq GTT 115 came from the drawing board of Studio F.A. Porsche. Just seven of these Italian-built hybrid-electric mini-superyachts are being offered, starting at $14 million.
The yacht’s retro houndstooth design. Photo: Courtesy Dynamiq
The perfect car match: Track down one of the hybrid-electric Porsche 918 Spyders, built between 2013 and 2015. Just be ready to spend more than $1 million.
Porsche 918 Spyder. Photo: Courtesy of Porsche
MERCEDES–AMG CIGARETTE RACING TEAM 41′ AMG CARBON EDITION
Cigarette Racing 41′ AMG Carbon Edition. Photo: Courtesy Mercedes-Benz
Looking for the perfect go-fast boat to match your $160,000 go-fast Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S? Look no further than this $850,000 waterborne rocket ship from Miami-based Cigarette Racing Team. Powered by a quartet of Mercury Racing 400R outboards packing a combined 1,600 hp, this 41-foot projectile can hit a top speed of 85 mph. Mercedes and Cigarette have been turning out boats together since 2007, making it arguably the most successful partnership ever between an automaker and a boat brand.
Mercedes AMG GT 63. Photo: Courtesy of Mercedes
The perfect car match: The curvy fastback lines of Mercedes’s gorgeous 639 hp AMG GT 63 S four-door inspired this latest Cigarette.
ASTON MARTIN AM37
Aston Martin AM37. Photo: Max Earey
This latest AM37 was designed by Aston Martin Q Division in collaboration with Mulder Design and built by Quintessence Yachts in Amsterdam. Thirty-seven feet long, it’s powered via twin 370 hp Mercury diesels or, for the upgraded AM37S, 520 hp Mercury Racing V-8s, hitting 50 knots. That should have you shaken and stirred. The $1.64 million cost will be easier to swallow if you can expense it.
Aston DBS Superleggera Volante. Photo: Courtesy of Aston Martin
The perfect car match: The new DBS Superleggera Volante is Aston Martin’s fastest convertible ever. Powered by a 715 hp twin-turbo V-12, it’s priced from $329,100.
BUGATTI NINIETTE 66
Bugatti Niniette. Photo: Courtesy of Bugatti/Palmer Johnson
There’s only one must-have option for your $2.99 million, 1,500 hp Bugatti Chiron hypercar: a Bugatti yacht. In 2015, Bugatti teamed up with Monaco superyacht builder Palmer Johnson to create the 2017-revealed Bugatti Niniette, a 66-foot cruise missile powered by twin 1,000 hp MAN diesels capable of punching it to a 44-knot max. But what sets it apart is the jaw-dropping styling, which echoes the sculpted profile of the Chiron. As for the price, if you have to ask…
Bugatti Chiron Sport. Courtesy of Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
The perfect car match: A new Chiron with matching color scheme, naturally. But go for the latest Chiron Sport, at $3.26 million, with its even sharper handling.
RIVA LAMBORGHINI
Lamborghini Riva Aquarama. Photo: Courtesy of Riva-World
Back in the Swinging ’60s, if you wanted to wow the crowds on the Côte d’Azur, the boat to own was a Riva Aquarama. Lamborghini founder Ferruccio Lamborghini felt the same and, in 1968, bought one, persuading Carlo Riva to fit a pair of 350 hp 4.0-liter V-12s from a Lamborghini 350 GT sports car. With a top speed of 48 knots, it became the speediest Aquarama ever. It’s now for sale with Dutch specialists Riva-World.
Ferruccio Lamborghini’s Riva Aquarama. Photo: Courtesy of Riva-World
The perfect car match: To capture la dolce vita, it has to be a classic Lamborghini 350 GT coupe, built from 1964 to 1966. Expect to pay around $750,000 for a good one.
Lamborghini 350 GT. Photo: Courtesy
