Four Winns Outboards are coming back!

Borchik · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:29 am

My Four Winns rep just left here and informed me that they will once again be building an outboard boat. Starting in Sept, 18 foot model only to start but its something, available with 90 or 115 of your choice.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:42 am

Yep, heard that several months ago. Anything more definative ?

Roch Lambert's quote from 7/6/10.

Quote:

The alternative is to switch to outboard power on these smaller family boats. With an outboard, you can get the same performance with less power. We need to convince the customer that’s OK, and to design new runabouts that handle and perform well with a smaller outboard

Borchik · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:46 am

Thats all for now, the biggest reason they are coming back is because of cost, it will be considerable cheaper than a comperable sterndrive. Since no one can build a boat for the US market anymore that isnt equipped with converters the cost has gone way up, so now the outboard is the cheaper alternative. They are going to see how this one sells the first year, get some feedback and decide what to do from there.

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:55 am

As usual, Four Winns is a little late to the party. Brunswick brands have had outboard models for years, and have
recently brought back some 16 ft. and 17 ft. OB powered boats, dealers can't get them fast enough.

I hope they don't wait too long to "decide what to do from there". You know..... snooze you lose.

RotaryRacer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 11:04 am

I started a topic just a couple of days ago about this.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6287

The lastest word I have is that they are launching a prototype in the next few days.

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 2:34 pm

I've been saying that for a long time on this board...that they were losing sales in coastal regions and in areas where you have to winterize and outboards make both issues a lot easier to deal with...
I'd like to see them offer a 20-22 foot boat with a dual console design (please not a plain bowrider for salt water, give us a self bailing deck and simple seating that is not going to take a beating in the sun...no stupid graphics that peel off either) and a choice of engines 150-200 hp....that would make it competitive with other salt water makers and broaden their market appeal....
As far as cat converters on I/Os well I don't want to even see the numbers on how much a manifold change will cost on those models...sooner or later the after market will get into it too as with cars but still having something that gets that hot in the bilge is just a BAD BAD idea...

Graham R · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:23 pm

Do new boats in the US have to have CATs if they have diesel engines?

Graham

The Kid · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 4:28 pm

Since you mentioned it..... it's a $3000 price increase on the intial motor sales in a new Four Winns for Catalyst.... and having looked up the parts...... $7000 if you changed the manifolds, risers, catalyst, and O2 sensors.... thank you EPA.....

As far as the outboard goes.. FW was selling the majority of the OB boats to canada and not at a rate that would suffice the demands of BRP, Yamaha, Mercury, etc.. in what they wanted FW to stock in motors.. so bye bye OB Boats... but now that a 3.0L fuel injected catalyst motor has taken my 16,999 180LE to 19,999 for the same boat... an outboard will be a much needed price reduction... but dont get your hopes up for anything over 19 feet to have one for a while. The initial drawings are pretty neat... but nothing like the new 20' and 30' that are coming.....

LouC · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:40 pm

That's just insane...

I knew these cats were a BAD idea for boats but no the EPA will not listen to the safety concerns just like they ignored the safety issues caused by ethanol in boats....
This will probably make the last few model years of I/Os without Cats worth a bit more than they would have been and may depress the sales of new boats further...

230 Mike · **Posted:** Wed Aug 04, 2010 10:28 pm

LouC wrote:

That's just insane...

Insane... EPA... I believe they're synonymous and have been since about 1970.

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Four Winns Outboards are coming back!

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