The Bugatti Veyron of boats
XSMG's £1.3m diesel-powered superboat - the XSR48 - a is easy to drive, a joy to own - and very, very fast.
I thought I'd never see the day, says Hugo Andreae in Motorboat & Yachting. Ever since XSMG said it was going to build a £1.3m superboat, the XSR48, it seemed to be heading for a fall. Three years later, the boat had only ever appeared in luxury lifestyle magazines, and it looked like the credit crunch would finish the project off for good. But no. The boat has finally made it into production and been handed over to journalists for testing.
Like the best supercars, "theatre is everything", says Andreae, and that's just what you get on this boat too. You press a button before getting on board and the small transom gate raises and the lights switch on. The space-shuttle-style seats all five of them cost over £10,000 each. You get linked headphones to talk to your passengers over the noise of the roaring engines.
And it's very fast the Bugatti Veyron of boats, as Peter Rear of Lusso magazine put it. Up to 50 knots it feels much like any other sportsboat. But then "things start to get serious", says Andreae. The second turbos kick in, the G forces pull you back into your seat, and the boat no longer rides up and down over the light chop, but powers clean across the top of it.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
It's also "easy to drive" and "a joy to own". For the world's fastest diesel-engined production boat, it's much less scary and more usable than you'd think. It proves that the boating world can serve up a sense of occasion equal to that provided by a supercar, says Top Gear's James May.
Overall length: 48ft. Beam: 10ft. Displacement loaded: 8.7 tonnes. Fuel capacity: 220 imperial gallons. Top speed: 67 knots, 210 miles @ 2,500rpm. Price: from £1.3 million excluding taxes. Contact: XSMG Limited, 01590-646002, www.xsmgworld.com.
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
MoneyWeek is written by a team of experienced and award-winning journalists, plus expert columnists. As well as daily digital news and features, MoneyWeek also publishes a weekly magazine, covering investing and personal finance. From share tips, pensions, gold to practical investment tips - we provide a round-up to help you make money and keep it.
-
Rightmove: UK asking prices drop as market adjusts to higher stamp duty costs
Sellers are coming to market with lower asking prices to attract buyers amid a glut of supply
-
8 of the best houses for sale with outdoor swimming pools
The best houses for sale with outdoor swimming pools – from a family house in Wimbledon Village, London, to a 1640s mansion in Derbyshire with a heated swimming pool in the grounds