racinfast002

And you wonder why people are buying up anything with outboards at an alarming rate? These new 4 stroke outboards are pretty much bulletproof.

Redneckcustoms13

Dont wonder at all. I have 4 stroke outboards. I love the fuel efficiency and reliability. Take the styling of a go fast, combined with 4 400r mercs on the back and you would have yourself a fine machine that is easy to work on.

COOPS

iTrader: (2)

Just sold mine last week because it is just not fun being the only performance boat it seems on the water. We used it less and less and I heard that they where going to stop production soon. To me that drops the value of that model. If it isn't available as a new model people will be concerned about parts.

We will miss it but it was the perfect time to let it go. It sold in 24hrs!....

Splitdecision271

Congrats on the sale. I've tossed the idea around myself lately, but I just don't know what I would get to replace her. Formula's hold their value pretty well. They haven't make SR1s in over 20 years they still pull a pretty penny. I do love my 292, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't want to be in anything smaller in the waters I boat. I can overnight on her if needed. Whether in Atlantic City for the weekend or island hopping in Florida during the winter, just what we need for the 2 of us. She's trailerable without needing a semi to haul her around and she'll be paid off in a year or two. Looking forward to boating without a payment, just means I can afford more fuel.

Mentalpause

Around 2010 or so, 2 years after buying a 350SS, I talked to Scott Porter at the St Louis boat show, inquiring if they are considering using the 350SS, 370SS or 400SS hulls to come out with a CC. The SS hulls would be more practical as a starting point for a CC since you have the beam needed for a 35-40 foot CC. The 8'3" beam of the fastek would present some issues with width. The answer was just a laugh and "we will never do that". The fastek market was already in deep decline by then, and their bread and butter was the SS line. I'm sure nobody foresaw the explosion in the Verado market that was coming at that point. About that same time we all know what NorTech did, followed a couple years later by Sunsation and others.

The SS line is still pretty popular, at least at LOTO, but I don't see their approach to entering the outboard market as a wildly successful one. We certainly don't see a lot of SS boats running around with 4 Verados hanging off the back, so I'm not sure that market approach is going to be a home run for them. It always makes me think back to that discussion with Scott, and how he so decisively dismissed the idea. It makes me wonder what Formula output would be now had they considered a CC. We all know their quality. IMO they could have been a, or THE prime player in that market. I still wish they would do it. Although I can attest to one thing, my 34 NorTech totally smokes the rough water ride of a 350 or 370SS. And does it without one creak or grown, which I cannot say for the 350SS.

rak rua

Keith

Formula has great vision, and they build a top quality product, so what they're doing makes sense. There's no doubt in my mind they will continue to thrive. We'll see a whole lot more design changes; some subtle, some bold, some technology driven, some comfort driven, but many lifestyle driven. The boating and outdoor activity lifestyle continues to evolve, and they are simply adapting, designing and building to meet demand. Think about the vehicles we drive today vs years ago. In April, Ford announced they are dropping sedan production to focus on SUV's, trucks, and the Mustang.

I loved my go fasts, but I love the 370 SS we own today. And in a few more years, I'll probably want a hardtop CC with outboards. The days of crawling around in a bilge where everything is installed with a shoehorn, and requires Cirque de Soleil type acrobatic skills to reach things will come to an end for me one day.

Personally, I'd like to see Formula build a 370 CC with top and outboards, but the CC market is already saturated with builders. That said, if center consoles are as profitable to build as I think they might be (think trucks vs cars), I would not be surprised to see Formula building CC's at some point. Whatever the case, Formula is a great company with a loyal following, so I'm not counting them out just yet.

Franks292

Am I the only one that hates engines hanging off the back of a transom? Not a fan of outboards... I could care less that I'm the only go fast boat. I honestly find other boats boring and everything is a cookie-cutter design. Jmo.

BUP

iTrader: (9)

the catalyst systems have been in marine gas side since 2006 and in 2008 California with CARB was mandated for 500 hp and below engines and then in 2010 the rest of the USA EPA mandated catalyst for all 500 below inboards and I/O and Jet power non outboard apps. Its federal law. This is nothing new.

Yamaha outboards have a cat outboard made way back in 2001 Have no idea where it went or what happened to it.

BUP

iTrader: (9)

and for the record outboards break everyday. The verado itself has so many SB 's thru out the years for issues and updates plus currently the 400 r breaks propshafts all the time.

One can not over come the fuel issues that all marine engines experience overtime at some point in their life span regardless. I/O or outboard..

The cost of a 400 hp outboard is about 1.25 to 1.5 times higher than a 400 I/O with catalyst system - ..

And the big one --- owners of outboards do not have the vast experience nor the tools to fix them nor can one run down to the auto parts store to buy parts. No Jegs buying for those. The boat dealers and manu of outboards are loving that end of it by leaps and bounds taking the do it yourselfer out of the mix completely..

Also Once an outboard powerhead lets go - one can not take it down to their local hot rod shop and have that machine work done either,

Very limited for outboards what one can do with them for anything. 10 years from now these current outboards will have issues that everyone will be talking about and then *****ing they can not fix them or get them fixed. Mark my words.

When outboards require cats when that day ever comes, --- that will be a game changer for their sales. IMO outboards are way over priced and too many systems that will fail down the road especially if a catalyst is mandated.