Baja Marine is showcasing an outboard-powered Islander and moving inside the Miami Boat Show this year, http://speedonthewater.com/new-boats...ander-in-miami

I get economics of scale but this is mind boggling. They're taking a great entry level boat, dropping an outboard in it, and hope to capture an audience with 40-50mph performance and 50-55mph with an upgrade. I understand that the 300hp performance brings speeds to middle of the road Crownline, Cobalt, and Sea Ray performance with the efficiency of an outboard but it still doesn't seem like the brand awareness will carry enough weight in our current times to drive sales growth.

I wonder if it will be as awesome as the Baja they at last years show! Whoever is styling these things probably also worked on the Ronald McDonald ski-doo from last year.

I love the awful Photoshop jobs all their promotional pictures have. C'mon guys, if you gotta fake it...please do a halfway decent job.

I agree - A Baja with a SUZUKI outboard, is , well, hmmmmmm. Wacked.

Just keeps getting better..

Sea Ray started making outboards available on every thing, (SPX, Sundeck, Venture) and they have been selling so why not try and get some of that business? better than outboard closed bow wakeboard boat. I think it's aimed more at people that might buy SPX, or Sundeck outboard.

True story but I want to say I am not throwing this out in a bad way but if you are paying to be in a boatshow - Know your product and act like you want to sell the boats that you are repping.

Last year at Miami boatshow Baja had 2 boats on display and IMO way over priced. The model with a wakeboard tower and the engine hatch interior looked like some novice put it together.

Anyways the salesmen asked us how we liked them ? I said hope they sell in todays market to him in a very nice way. Next the salemen said they are trying something different to spark a lot interest. Then started to tell us about the package including - the mercruiser 496 - I said no way your boats has 496's install being new plus if the engines are 500 hp and under it will be a CAT engine most likely 8.2 or 6.2 L for the a more entry level price install to sell.

He said nope they are 496's and what is a CAT. I told him lets bet on it - I bet its a CAT engine with possible 8.2 new version 502's and I am 100 % you and anyone else in this show has NO 496's install in their new boats.

I told him to open up the engine hatch and I will prove you wrong. Well long story short - I had to open the engine hatch and then had to go over the 8.2 CAT engines for him.