Drawing inspiration from the Mercedes AMG GT R, the German automaker and the American Cigarette Racing Team have partnered for their tenth year in business together to create the 2017 50′ Marauder AMG, a sleek, powerful, and surprisingly tasteful-looking (for a powerboat) powerboat.
Thanks to composites, the Marauder is lightweight
Like the Mercedes AMG GT R, the Marauder heavily relies on carbon fiber in its construction, which according to Mercedes, drops 1,300 pounds off its weight compared to a powerboat using standard materials. The Marauder’s deck, consoles, and and cockpit are made entirely of the stuff—as well as its engine hatch—in an effort to save weight wherever possible. Even the Marauder’s electrical system was given extra attention to shed weight.
Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes AMG GmbH said, “Performance, perfection and passion are the values that unite Mercedes AMG and Cigarette Racing. Based on these values, eight sensational special editions have been created during our successful ten years of collaboration, and the 2017 50′ Marauder AMG presented here is a particular highlight among these. The new Edition is thus a symbol for the ten-year partnership with Cigarette Racing as well as for Mercedes AMG’s 50th anniversary.”
This Cigarette smokes
Powering the 50-foot powerboat are two Mercury Racing 1550/1350 QC4v engines—9.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8s—that require, like the Bugatti Veyron and Chiron, two keys to unleash their full potential. One key, called the Pleasure Key, sets the dual calibration engines at 1,350 horsepower each, because a total output of just 2,700hp in a stiff, carbon fiber powerboat sounds pleasurable. The other, the Race Key, opens up the quad cam, four valve engines to produce 1,550hp each, giving the driver a total of 3,100 at his or her disposal This, however, requires race fuel.
Regarding the styling, the paint outlining the AMG badge—called Green Hell Magno, a nod to its Nurburgring-honed development—is lifted directly from the GT R. There’s also commemorative badging on the Marauder’s deck to remind its driver and onlookers this is one special powerboat.
And one special powerboat it is; with only eight made, it’s rare you’ll run into one, so take a peak at the 3,100hp powerboat doing its thing.