Yamaha has put the focus back on performance for 2014 by unveiling a lineup in early August that promises to feature more power in multiple categories.
As hotly rumored in the months leading up to the August reveal, the brand’s offerings for 2014 have a decidedly performance feel. That performance comes from a new engine, the Super Vortex High Output (SVHO). Based on the current Yamaha 1.8-liter, it features a new supercharger, intercooler, fuel injectors, pistons and oil cooler, all of which promise to add up to 20 percent more power delivery and 60 percent greater boost than the previous SHO engine. The new supercharger, along with its larger, 25 percent more efficient intercooler, is likely responsible for much of the newfound performance, as is the sizable 160-millimeter, race-inspired pump that delivers that power to the water. Changes to support the engine’s thirst for performance include larger fuel injectors and a stronger forged piston design. Manufacturers continue to avoid horsepower numbers, but Yamaha reps will reveal that the SVHO produces horsepower that is 5 percent greater than the Sea-Doo 4-TEC used in the current RXP-X 260.
Two existing models will use that engine, each to a different end. The FZ line promises to bring the most excitement, and Yamaha is making no bones about the fact that the FZR/FZS — long considered agile, performance-oriented models — will now squarely target Sea-Doo’s similarly minded RXP-X. Company reps quickly trotted out the head-to-head spec comparison between the crafts. The FZ series craft will feature the aforementioned 5 percent more horsepower, but also bigger displacement, greater torque and the best power-to-weight ratio in the class. As a result, they promise both quicker acceleration out of the hole and a higher top-end speed.
Power, however, is only one of the RXP-X’s strengths. Another is the boat’s incredible handling. To that end, Yamaha has also tweaked the FZ running surface to handle far more aggressively than the 2013 and earlier versions. The ride plate has been extended, as well as reshaped, the sponsons have been redesigned, and the pump inlet grate has been changed from a standard four-blade style to a three-blade top-loader. Yamaha’s claim is that the FZ now surpasses the RXP-X in terms of handling and in fact is the “best-performing” muscle craft currently on the market.
“We virtually touched every performance part of this watercraft … to create the ultimate musclecraft,” said marketing manager Andrew Cullen.
The second line to be touched by the SVHO engine is the flagship FX series, where the new engine will simply expand the HO and SHO models currently in the line. The new FX SVHO and FX Cruiser SVHO will showcase Yamaha’s best performance in the more luxury, touring-oriented models. In addition to the obvious performance benefits, the SVHO models should also handle more aggressively as a result of their own redesigned, extended ride plate and switch to top-loader-style scoop grates.
The entire FX Cruiser line will also get a redesigned touring saddle, which features more lower body support and more attractive, durable, two-tone vinyl and improved stitching. The models’ Hydro-Turf matting will also be upgraded to now include a two-tone look.
Though they’ve received no such engine upgrades, the VX models also promise to have a significant performance boost — the result of Yamaha expanding the use of its proprietary lightweight NanoXcel hull material. According to Cullen, the switch to NanoXcel means a 65-pound weight reduction for the craft — a move that should certainly increase power and decrease fuel consumption. Again, the company took aim at a Sea-Doo model: the GTI. Comparing the two crafts, Yamaha noted as much as a 75-pound weight reduction. Reps also promised that the VX models acceleration to 30 mph would improve by about half a second, fuel efficiency at cruise would improve 23 percent, and top speed climb about 1 mile an hour.
Though it remains with the previous hull material, the VX Sport also received some attention in terms of price. Bucking the trend of the last several years, the model will actually decrease $300, once again dropping back under $8,000 at $7,999. Yamaha hopes the reduction will make the boat even more attractive to rental operators, as well as work in conjunction with the recently announced Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program.
