The first time I took the wheel of a Pershing, I remember sitting in the helm seat and feeling more like a plane’s pilot than a yacht’s captain. My 90-foot ride shot across the sea at 40-plus knots. The experience provided all the exhilaration of running a center-console combined with the uber luxury you’d expect of a mega-yacht, and it was all wrapped up in Italian styling.
These notable attributes carry over into the builder’s latest launch, the Pershing 8x. But there are some twists too.
The first twist is the use of carbon fiber. Like its larger sister the 9x, the 8x is constructed with this material, which is often found in high-performance race cars, and is known for strength and relative light weight. At full load, this 83-footer has a 147,710-pound displacement.
The 8x should have all the “Speed Racer” characteristics of her fiberglass siblings. Power is a pair of MTU’s 16V 2000 diesels, either 2,435 hp M96s or 2,638 hp M96Ls. Projected cruise speeds are 38 knots and 41 knots, respectively. Top-end speeds are reportedly 45 and 48 knots. The engines are matched to Top System surface drives to help create Pershing’s trademark, rainbow-creating, high-flying rooster tail.
At first glance, the 8x’s low profile makes her look like an express cruiser. Look closer: She has a flybridge. The teak steps leading to it blend into the curve of the portside wing, so in profile they are hidden from view. Those wings also stretch the yacht’s profile, seeming to add motion as the wings flow down and aft, looking windblown. The yacht’s sinuous design was a collaborative effort among designer Fulvio De Simoni, Ferretti’s Product Committee led by Piero Ferrari, and the builder’s engineering department.
Another twist in the 8x is that her hull serves as an underwater speaker, so divers and swimmers can listen to tunes under the water.
Accommodations include three or four staterooms, with an amidships full-beam master, a forepeak VIP and guest staterooms with double berths. There are also quarters for two crew.
For yachtsmen looking for a vessel awash with clever flourishes, and who want to have a little hair-raising, high-performance fun, the Pershing 8x is ready to take flight.
Take the next step: pershing-yacht.com
