this new 35 is really drumming up some conversations. possitive and of course the negative. I cant wait to see these boats at poker runs just kickin the sht out of the competition. I am really eondering what the 496 package will do. talk about a real afordable haulin arse machine. the 496 is probably a 90mph boat..it has to be anybody have any guestimates on that

The 496 boat is supposed to be a 93 MPH rig, set up the same way. With all I have heard I am really impressed with this new enhanced performance of these standard engines. I haven't heard of another boat running at those speeds,
93-496's and 106-525's, with anything but BIG EXPENSIVE, and sometimes very breakable engines and drives. The 496's and the 525's are almost bullet prooff.

93 with a 496....cool!!!! lets think ahead and see who gets the first 600 or 700.......

I have to ask but where did you hear that a set of 496's will get above 90+?

I heard that from the people at the factory. I also heard it from people that attended the Fountain Dealer Meeting in the fall, when the new 35 Lightening was introduced. I couldn't believe it myself. Think about it? Twin 496's was an 80 plus MPH boat, now it's above 90 MPH, with staggered, Sportmaster Shorty, and I guess Herrings. I think that's the set up. That's a terrific rig!!

it sounds like the speed info is from very good sources but there's a thread in the General Boating section that is about the 496's going away.

What is the going price of this boat?

I see it still weights 8600lbs and that is the same as the older 35 Lightning....they must have changed something on the hull and did some balancing of the boat.

I can't wait to see it at the Miami show. If I fit behind the helm (I do not fit the 35 Ex...to shallow and close) then my wife will be wanting to work a trade of our 38TE for this boat.

I had the opportunity to crawl around the new 38 at the Lake Cumberland Poker run in Sept. Those new cockpits are tight. I guess they are a compromise between the sit down boats like the 42 PR and donzi Zr comps, and the user friendly but slower fountains with larger cockpits.

At the poker run some guys best buddy had just bought a new 38 with 600's and the new herring props. The sheets said the boat did 106 when tested at the factory but the best they saw that day on Lake Cumberland (700 ft above sea level) was around 96-97.
That was the first weekend they had it but their first impression was that the boat was great on the straightaways but it felt very unsecure in the turns compared to their older small stepped 38. Right after the poker run the guy wasn't real thrilled with the new 38 in a turn but to be fair they hadn't had hardly any seat time in it at that point.

I can't wait to test drive one myself

I rode in the new 38 Ligthening with Merc 700's when I went to the factory, and David Ganey took it up the 96, and it had much more. It wasn't WOT, and it wasn't even trimmed out to max the speed, it was like a ball bearing on the water. I have had 2 high performance boats, and I have done a lot of testing with props, trim tabs etc. to gain speed. Additionally, I spent 500 hours hanging around the Velocity factory watching the boats being built and tested and learned a little about what the process is. One thing I learned is that every boat, at high speeds has to be driven, it's par for the high performance boat, when owning one you have to know how to drive it. Some do drive better than others, but I know this 35 Lightening is going to be a fabulous boat, but no one can plan to get in the boat with 20 gallons of fuel and one person and take it up to over 100 and not expect to drive it. That just doesn't happen.

Oh, I felt the 38 had enough room in the cockpit. I was also told that the 35 Lightening has the same interior room. Hell, it's not supposed to be a cruiser-LOL. I was told when I 1st got into high performance boats, the common denominator of every person who owns one and is able to drive it, wants it 1st to be faster than it is, and I have learned that is true. So even if the boats might be a little tight, the fact that it is a 100 MPH plus boat fit the bill completely.