Toyota trades miles for knots with new Ponam-35 boat

il y a 13 années, 1 mois - 9 Septembre 2011
Toyota trades miles for knots with new Ponam-35 boat
Toyota doesn't just make crafts for landlubbers. The Japanese automaker is venturing into the ocean, and this isn't the first time that Toyota engineers have put on life jackets.

In the late 90's, Toyota tried its hand at building a boat targeted at towable watersports enthusiasts. The Toyota Epic was a Lexus-engined ski boat that was built for a few years before the automaker backed away in 2001. Now, Toyota is ready to head to sea with a very different type of craft.

Called the Ponam-35, this nearly 40-foot cruiser is a stylish ship that gets power from two diesel V8 engines sourced from the Toyota Land Cruiser. The twin 4.5-liter eight-cylinder mills produce a combined 730 horsepower, which should be sufficient to get the nearly 19,000-pound craft up to speed. Inside the Ponam-35, 12 passengers can enjoy the interior space, while up top, the fly bridge is rated to support five.

Toyota says that the Ponam-35 is just the first example in the Ponam line, which will consist of boats adept at both pleasure cruising and light fishing duty. The automaker/boatmaker is looking to sell 15 units per year. That's a reachable goal considering the Ponam-35 starts under a million bucks, with a base price of 59,010,000 yen or approximately $765,271.