An ongoing journey to realize a dream
Strand Craft, a Miami Beach, Florida-based company, has been working diligently to realize a dream eight years in the making. They want to bring to market a personal luxury watercraft that pushes the limits of everything the Waverunner and small water vessels alike represent. I introduce you to the Strand Craft V-8 Daytona GT.
So who exactly is Strand Craft? In their own words:
Strand Craft was founded in 2003 by Kurt Strand. The company began as a design and development company, specializing in custom built luxury boats. Kurt Strand is a Norwegian boat builder with 30 years of experience in boat design and custom boat building.
The Strand Craft V-8 Daytona GT was first written about in luxury magazines as early as 2014. I can only imagine the regulatory hurdles, testing, quality control measures, production concerns, and supply constraints they are experiencing causing this lengthy delay in bringing this beast to market. The lofty promises of a V-8-powered motorized vehicle are enough to bring excitement to the thrill-seekers and shudders to public officials.
Eight years ago, there was a promise of a vessel in the starting range of $50,000 with a top speed of 120km/hr (75mph). The vessel would measure 4.9 meters (16 feet) and equip with a 370 HP 4.2 liter V8 TDI engine from Volkswagen Marine.
Today’s promises are a bit different, with no cost estimate given, leading me to believe the new price will far exceed the original $50,000 price tag. We know that the 2022 specifications call out the unit as being a little longer at 5.08 meters (16.6 feet). The engine is more extensive and is described as an aluminum V8 6.2L Supercharged. Expect more power and performance, but it could be a natural gas guzzler, as demonstrated by the large 22-gallon fuel tank. Again, today’s specifications are undoubtedly subject to change.
Additional Specifications:
Projected weight of 1250 lbs
Storage box in front and a self-contained cooler under the seat
15" Touch Screen Display with included Premium sound system
Expect a custom two-tone paint job
To provide the best of what is available to those who are willing to pay for it, the following upgrades are available:
Carbon Inlays Custom wrap Custom trailer Custom paint Carbon fiber body V8 DAYTONA GT Cover Wood inlays Teak wood deck Retractable tender lifting rings GPS Navigator Special custom art paint 3D Gold or Silver wrap Underwater camera V8 Turbo Diesel engine Shock absorbing seat
Conclusion: This is a sports car for the open water, and most likely too much muscle for people such as myself. There will undoubtedly be people lining up once this luxury machine finally hits the market. Just another toy to add to the collection!