Skip to main content

Hit the high seas in style with Lexus’ upcoming LY 650 luxury yacht

Lexus’ latest flagship is an actual ship. The Lexus LY 650 is a 65-foot luxury yacht designed in concert with parent company Toyota’s marine division. It builds on the previous 42-foot Lexus Sport Yacht concept, but unlike that boat, the LY 650 will be sold to customers.

Styling cues from the Sport Yacht concept were applied to the upsized, 65-foot LY 650, along with elements of the “L-Finesse” design language used on Lexus’ cars. Lexus did not discuss any technical details, but the original Sport Yacht concept used a pair of V8 racing engines producing a combined 885 horsepower, giving it a top speed of 43 knots (49 mph).

Lexus is just one of many automakers to apply its branding to a yacht. Aston Martin and Bugatti have collaborated with boat builders in order to make the transition from road to water, and Mercedes-Benz has a long-standing relationship with Cigarette Racing that has led to a series of boats styled to reference the German automaker’s AMG performance cars. But Lexus has more yachting credibility than most.

Lexus parent Toyota has a substantial back catalog of boats. The Japanese automaker launched its Marine Business Department in 1997, and currently sells sport fishing boats and cabin cruisers in its home country under the Ponam name. Some of these boats use turbodiesel engines from Japanese-market versions of Lexus SUVs, including the 3.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the GX 300d and the 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8 from the LX 450d. The GX and LX are sold in in the U.S., but with gasoline engines only.

From 1998 to 2002, Toyota also sold the Epic line of fiberglass tournament ski boats and wakeboard boats in the U.S. These vessels used the 4.0-liter gasoline V8 from the Lexus LS 400 luxury sedan.

The company views the LY 650 as its “fourth flagship,” alongside the current-generation LS sedan, LC coupe, and LX SUV. But unlike those vehicles, Lexus won’t build the LY 650 itself. The automaker will contract with Wisconsin-based Marquis-Larson Boat Group for construction of the yachts. Lexus expects the first LY 650 to be finished by the second half of 2019, with a public debut scheduled for sometime later that year.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Tesla introduces ‘congestion fee’ for Supercharger stations
Tesla Supercharger

Tesla has been charging an idle fee for years in a bid to free up its Superchargers and prevent traffic jams at charging stations. But now it’s introducing a new congestion fee, which in some places will replace the idle fee.

To recap, idle fees kick in when a Supercharger station is at 50% capacity. It means that if a car is left plugged in after it is fully charged, the owner has to pay 50 cents a minute until they leave. If the station is 100% occupied, the fee doubles to $1 a minute.

Read more
This popular car jump starter is 86% off for Black Friday
AVAPOW 6000A Car Jump Starter

There's nothing worse than needing to go somewhere and having to deal with a dead car battery. Fixing that issue can also be a problem since you'll need to call for help from a friend or neighbor or something like AAA. Luckily, car starters have become pretty powerful in recent years, so even if you have a truck or an RV, you can start a dead battery relatively easily. One great example is the Avapow 6000A car jump starter, which has an excellent Black Friday deal from Walmart, knocking it down to $86 from $144.

Why you should buy the AVAPOW 6000A Car Jump Starter
As the name might suggest, the Avapow 6000A has a massive 6000A peak current, which means it's suitable for everything from trucks to tractors, so it's a very versatile tool, and it's even had upgraded jumper cable to handle those currents. It's also a pretty smart system since it has eight layers of safety protocols to ensure you don't accidentally fry a battery or yourself trying to jump-start, and even the jumper cables have safety indicators on them, which is a great design choice.

Read more
This Graco car seat lasts for ten years, and it’s 25% off for Black Friday
Graco 4EVER 4-in-1 baby car seat black friday deal

A good car seat will adjust as your child grows, reducing the amount of times you have to buy a newer, bigger model. How, you ask? Well, Graco's 4EVER DLX 4-in-1 car seat is the ideal example. It offers up to ten years of use, with seamless transformations between rear-facing harness, forward-facing harness, high back belt positioned, and backless belt positioned booster modes.

For Black Friday -- and really, this should be featured in the best Black Friday deals -- this exact car seat is on sale for 25% off, which is a discount of $82. Normally $330, it's yours today for just $248. Considering you'll never have to buy another seat for ten years, and by then, they can use a seatbelt, it's a fantastic investment.

Read more