In this video, Tom dreams up his dream car / boat pairing. Two British pedigree brands; The Range Rover SVR and the Cobra Nautique 600HP RIB.
So over the year, we have reviewed some lovely boats and with the influx of new boaters it got me thinking, if you wanted to buy the ultimate performance family package, what would you go for? Im not just talking the boat, as people have started boating for the first time, many have needed to buy a truck or upgrade their car to a towing vehicle too. So as a package, what would be on my bucket list?
Well, for me I love performance products but with superb engineering behind it. First stop was to put a call into Land Rover who hooked me up with what they position as the ultimate performance SUV; the Range Rover Sport SVR, a mega powerhouse of a 4×4 capable of getting to 60mph in under 4.5 seconds, has just shy of 600HP and is powered by a massive V8 motor. Next call was to Josh and his team at Cobra to let borrow a couple of new Nautique’s. Bar Humber RIBs, I believe Cobra to be one of the oldest RIB brands in the UK still in production and their pedigree is evident in the engineering and quality of the craft this stable produce, clearly a brand that with land rover share many synergies.
So with a brand new 2021 SVR delivered to the PBR office, I hit the road to Cobra HQ in Christchurch to check out how this combo stacks up. On the way to Christchurch you immediately feel you are in something special with the SVR. In the past year, in America alone; there have been over half a million new millionaires and more than ever before, there is an ever growing clientele of customer who can afford and desire a high performance SUV, such as this SVR, The SVR being a product of Jaguar Land Rover’s special vehicle operations division. This special vehicle represents the most powerful Land Rover in the companies history with its 5L V8 creating monster performance. Switch her into Dynamic mode and she goes from an agile, nimble luxury armchair to a rapid barking angry animal, charging down the road with every gear change sounding like a gunshot.
Besides the SVR badging, the styling identifiers consist of enlarged front air intakes on a revised front bumper, new black grilles on the nose, bonnet and front wings, a new roof spoiler and a rear valance that includes a rear diffuser and quad tailpipes. No single design revision looks over the top in isolation, but on a performance car the sheer size of the SVR they combine to create an impression of genuine menace rather than looking like your dads 4×4 that’s crashed through Halfords, every element is there for a purpose and it is a genuine joy to drive.
If you are after a Performance boat then the pairing of the Nautique hull design with the latest engines from Mercury Marine create a vessel that is to be respected. Cobra have learnt to mix the ingredients of a hard-core RIB with a well-balanced sports boat, topping it off with a good amount of luxury, modern build techniques and high class rigging quality. Josh has lent me the keys to two new craft; 8.7m and 9.2m Nautique.
These GT style RIBs have a level of luxury normally reserved for the superyacht tender brigade, but still with a purist sports boat feel with agile handling and performance. Do not be mistaken though, these two Cobra models must be respected in their performance. Both models are nudging 60 knots and at that speed you need to have your wits about you. This is a beast of a boat that unlike the car has no automotive style “get out jail” safety features, no ECU’s to correct over zealous driving, thus the experience is raw and adrenaline enhancing, however needs to be respected. Although the boat can be very forgiving in its handling, we must remember that the sea is an environment which has to be respected at all times, especially when travelling at high speed.
Once your driving skills are honed, the craft can really reward you with race boat like characteristics, for the novice though, a single engine version is more than ample on this superb pedigree hull. Both craft follow the same winning format that has kept this model at the top of the RIB popularity list, a superb helm console with the option of a heads inside, a tall enough moulding to offer great protection, equipment rigged superbly with the ergonomics just right to eat miles and put the hammer down. The seats have inbuilt suspension and built into a fibreglass moulding that features a fridge feature, plus lots of storage. Forward has a console seat and a V shape cushioned area that can either be used for picnic entertaining using the optional infill, can be transformed into a sun pad. Both transoms are easily accessible and perfect for water sports. So there you have it, two options for my high performance bucket list, an SVR Range Rover and a Cobra Nautique, two British engineered powerhouses in their industries.
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