Toyota trades miles for knots with new Ponam-35 boat

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.