Forward-facing Volvo Penta stern drive
 

It appears to be aimed primarily at competing with inboard shaft drives on wakeboarding boats, but you have to give these guys points for creative thinking.

New Volvo Penta sterndrive

Apparently, the IPS-style lower unit bolts on to existing Volvo Penta midsections.

Safer swimming around the back of a boat, thats for sure.

Great for channel dredging...

Even if it's a 100mph faster or what have you, it may be a bad idea with all the rocks we have here in Lake Winni.
LOL.

Will be interesting how it works out.

Had an interview with Volvo Penta about it and their direct injected V-6. Volvo had 3 FWD facing drives boats in the water at the Miami show. They had a Four Winns, a Regal and a Bryant. We test drove the Four Winns and Volvo filmed all of it during our runs for their Marketing center.

backing the boat up is such a breeze and planning times were cut to a blink of an eye. The huge benefit for wakesports is you can fine tune the wake to either side by trimming the drive and waketrim tabs.

Volvo had IPS for 10 years on their diesel side and now want to bring the gas sterndrive back in numbers snce it is hugely lacking for them and Mercruiser but a lot more so for Volvo Penta in the US. Volvo does not own any boat lines like Merc does to hang their product on

Volvo is marketing all of this as a rec boat that do all and compete against the true wakeboard boats. I will post info later.

Is there anyone in the r&d department @ Fond Du Lac ?....seems like they let Volvo come out with something
and a couple years later, or after patents expire, they come out with their version.

The last truly unique thing that I can remember them coming out with is the Blackhawk....and that's been 20 years ago.

Apparently designed for use in front wheel drive boats. :drink:

ive seen that concept on ships and yachts, called pods. Might need a skeg foreward along the keel to push logs under the props. Would be cool if it rotated 360.

Interesting evolution of their IPS unit, or so it appears. Missed you at the show, C_Spray!