The 2000-hp, 65-foot Lexus you’ll never see on the road
Lexus is no stranger to designing bold, non-automotive concepts, and its two most recent nautical creations are case in point. Between the stunningly-sleek Sport Yacht Concept and production-ready LY 650, the Japanese automaker has again proven that it’s more than capable of building a high-quality watercraft.
Originally debuting in January 2017, the Sport Yacht concept was positioned as a culmination of the brand’s design, engineering, and lifestyle ethos. The 42-foot boat features styling influenced by the current product line as well as a pair of impressive engines out of the LC 500. Two DOHC 5.0-liter V-8s produce a combined output of 885 horsepower, pushing the boat’s top speed to 49 mph. Not blistering velocity, but certainly more than enough to get out of its own way. Unfortunately, there are no official plans to produce Sport Yacht at this time.
Lexus did, however, recently announce plans to produce a larger luxury yacht, the LY 650. This 65-footer incorporates the automaker’s most current design language, “L-finesse,” into the boat’s handsomely sculpted hull and well-appointed interior. With the overall size bumped up from that of its Sport Yacht sibling, powertrain options for the LY 650 also increase accordingly. Twin Volvo IPS 1200 or IPS 1350 setups will be offered, pumping out a combined 1800–2000 horsepower. And while these diesel power plants are thrifty on fuel, a 1000-gallon tank will be greatly appreciated by those who plan on covering long distances between fill-ups.
The LY 650 will be produced in Pulaski, Wisconsin, by Marquis-Larson, an established builder of the high-end Carver and Marquis yacht brands. The first completed boat is slated for late 2019, while customer deliveries will most likely begin by 2020. Nobody said that jamming out to some yacht rock on a marine-grade Lexus was going to come cheap, so don’t be shocked to see this vessel priced well north of $1 million.
