www.iFourWinns.com

Visited the Detroit boat show yesterday. Unfortunately, they did not have a 458 there (apparently it as in Miami). There was a lot interest in the 318, 338 and 358 being displayed.

Spoke to a FW rep and the new 408 should be out this fall and will replace the 378. The hull is designed for IPS drives and there will be hard glass from deck to hardtop, similar to the 458. Can't wait to see some photos.

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Lime Cutter
'06 378 Vista
Lake St Clair, MI
Mac Ray Harbor

Interesting...when I spoke with my local dealer at the Hartford show, he thought that there would be one more year of the 378. Told me that the 358 would be available with IPS for 08.

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Joe B.
Ruff'N It 4
2011 Regal 42 SC

Previous
2008 FW V358
2006 FW V318
2004 FW V288

Anyone know any more about the 408? I mostly really like what FW did with the 458 but I think as their first bigger boat it's still got some issues to be worked out. If the 358 -> 338 trickle down is any indication they frequently get things a little more right on the second go round of the design than the first.

Ben

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2001 Cruisers 4450
Volvo TAMD-74P 480hp Diesels

Not sure what you mean. Other than the 338 is a smaller version of the 358?

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2004 Sea Ray 420DB
Formerly: 2005 348 Vista

No official "releasable" news on the 408 yet. It's in process, but the plant is also very busy building Wellcrafts as well as FW boats. Should know more in a month or so.

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One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I mean that after spending a summer on the 358 and then looking at 338 I could see where several little annoyances on the 358 had been engineered out of the 338. This made sense as it was designed after the 348/358 was already on the market and the designers had the opportunity to incorporate things they realized after running the 358 as well as customer suggestions. A couple of the little things I noticed (some of which may now have been incorporated back into the 358) are the availability of the bow thruster on the 338 but not the 358, the larger television on the 338, a transom locker that is hinged at the top rather than the bottom (avoids water leakage from any gap at the closing point), and the heavier use of LED lighting throughout.

None of these things would have changed the overall decision I made and teh extra two feet of length does afford some things that are very important to me like the separate shower stall / toilet area, but I do wish that a few of the improvements from the 338 were on my boat.

Ben

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2001 Cruisers 4450
Volvo TAMD-74P 480hp Diesels

On boattest.com, new 40 footer and new 28' coming in the next six to nine months... Video clip here.

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Previously:
2008 V358/Volvo 5.7 GXi Inboards

I wonder if that means a redesigned V288 or a V260 (including swim platform)?

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2001 Sundowner 235

Just an FYI from the beginning of this post...I was talking to my dealer again this morning...as he told me at the Hartford Boat show, the new 40 is not specifically replaceing the 378...he's saying the 378 will be around next year, it's last year. So, 2009 will have both in the line up.

Also told me that they may not add IPS to the 358...mostly because Volvo will be coming out with a joystick operated drive similar to Merc's Axius drive...will work with independantly articulating outdrives.

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Joe B.
Ruff'N It 4
2011 Regal 42 SC

Previous
2008 FW V358
2006 FW V318
2004 FW V288