Carrera's 257 Tunnel is Cover Story of Hot Boat Magazine

There is a point at which a boat becomes a project, complete with an owner in pursuit of a mission and a cast of industry specialists that harmonize to make it happen. It required only a few minutes of our afternoon with Bill and Nancy Griffin's stout,3,800-pound 257 Effect X to affirm this modified tunnel hull as a highly suitable platform for such an endeavor, particularly when big horsepower is at hand, triple digits are in the sights and its owner shows no hesitation in delving deep into the industry's collective bag of tricks.

BLOWN TO LAST

The long, rhythmic lope of the 502-incher's cam echoed through the B&M 420 Mega Blower as we idled through 100 yards of wake-free water, and the rich, impatient tone of its 750-horsepower Teague Marine motor made no secret of its constant hunger for more rpm. Even through such extended periods, the matched set of Holley 750s never loaded up or bogged on their diet of 92-octane pump gas, though shifting was easiest when timed to the down spike of the engine's healthy rumble. Even as we wallowed through the idle zone, it was plain by what was happening beneath Carrera's slick, integrated fiberglass scoop (a $575 indulgence) that something remarkable was at hand.

That sentiment was a recurring realization as we prodded the big, wide tunnel through the various stages of its performance profile. We'd engaged in three previous liaisons with the 257, but never with anything close to the 750 estimated horsepower built by the 8:1 502 derivative, which was torn down, machined and fortified to the exacting tolerances of Bob Teague's legendary engine-building facility.

Our three prior rides aboard the 257, which was introduced in late 1996 after two years in the tooling and development stages, tested its compatibility with a pair of coveted packages from MerCruiser's Hi-Performance Division - the hard-pulling 470-horse HP500 and the blown, 500-horse 525SC train - and an otherwise stock 454 Magnum, crowned with a ProCharger blower.

Laying down an additional $25,000 over the never-selected, base,7.4-liter big block that is standard in this package's $48,900 base price, we will enlist the services of Teague, who essentially begins anew a bare 502 block in its full-blown, full-dress muscle-motor metamorphosis. The resulting creation bears no resemblance to anything out of a crate, and it builds more than double the horsepower of the base motor.

Opening the power floodgates is only one function of Teague's specialized, individual attention, which keeps the shop bustling; perpetuating his supercharged motors' longstanding reputation of absolutely reliability is its counterbalance. This one had 15 hours on it when the keys were gracefully deposited to our team.

Top all of that off with the appropriate polished, stainless, chrome and anodized accent work, and you have a recipe for show potential, along with dominating lake performance. Trick Dana scissors-hatch hardware revealed an immaculate, splattercoated gelcoated well, a by-product of the fiberglass innerliner that is the foundation of the cockpit. Wiring was intricately wired, and mounting of the accessories and related hardware showed off more of Carrera's outstanding rigging.

Nearly as long (25'7") and broad (8'4") as a Winnebago, but as lean and rakish as an Indy car—and only slightly less vocal than a bracket boat—our X-boat provided an all-day pass to the unfiltered realm of undiluted big-league hot-boating. The 257 hull has extended Carrera's range beyond its popular family bowrider series, establishing its creator as a legitimate force in the serious, full-sized muscle-tunnel wars and giving its talented riggers something more than the basic family boat with which to show off their talents.

They drew upon a pool of hot-boat specialists to take full advantage of, and precautions against, the massive torque passed on by the blower motor, which gained reliability from its sensible allotment of six pounds boost and its nifty PFM Chiller intercooler. Rob Clarke's Quality Performance - which quietly proffers some of the best-engineered outdrive enhancements in serious l/O powerboating today - upgraded the stock Bravo shafts and gimbal, and added a nose cone. The setup was propped with a 28-inch four-blade Bravo, which tumed out to be the magic wheel for this boat.

CMI headers sent exhaust through IMCO tailpipes, and IMCO also produced the external steering that tempered this boat's race-level performance with a highly civilized driving feel. Custom, purpose-made brackets and mounting hardware and a bountiful smattering of powdercoated pieces - nearly all of which was created by Dana Marine - maximized further opportunity for custom expression.

The Effect is a controlled collision of extreme, sensory fare that incorporates all that is near and dear to the contemporary, go-fast lake boater: consummate style; a rich and roomy interior packed with every imaginable, floatable convenience; and raw, unadulterated speed.

These experiences, pleasant as they were, did little to prepare us for the finely dialed attributes of the Griffins' hot boat, which was 16 miles an hour faster and worlds quicker than our previously tested, 525SC factory-blower beast. When introduced with enough power to make it tango, Carrera's capacious air-trapping underside becomes home to a defining moment in the realm of high-end, high-demand performance powerboating.

In the'80s, Carrera made its name with signature custom work that included bold, dynamic gelcoat and fresh interior styling that they peppered with conveniences and features. That philosophy has evolved to embrace an expanded realm of technology, but the strengths of the 257 are clearly aligned with that heritage. Creative fiberglass work has been fused into the mix, a direction that's clearly evident in the graceful arc of the 257's strong, highly defined lines. Its bow design observes the traditional, picklefork entry endemic to the realm of the center-pod, though it's cut much shallower than the norm. Thus, the deck seems to span forever, and with its 100-inch beam, the effect was magnified.

All that fiberglass made a great canvas for this 257's distinctive, interwoven streams of color, creating an understated elegance that drew perfect accent from the powdercoated exterior hardware. Five colors are standard, and as a matter of routine, Carrera's spray men generate color work perfectly suited to the tastes and preferences of their clientele.

A button on the dash raised pneumatically controlled cleats; like the trick, matching fiberglass swim steps, they're standard. It seemed that every time we surveyed the dash, we discovered another twist on the road to a true, one-of-kind hot boat. Griffin ordered up a full array of LED lights, air and water surface sensors and gauges, and a keyless remote system that enables him to fire and warm the boat up from his hotel room on the beach. So complex was the array of handmade brackets and related hardware that it's doubtful that Carrera could duplicate it exactly, even if they encountered another owner with the intricate standards of the Griffins. Matched exterior hardware included the fuel fills, rear boarding handles, engine vents and other related hardware.

Stratton Marine integrated its outstanding, time-proven, double-stitch interior work into the cockpit's innerliner, and the resulting passenger experience fell right in line with the fast, luxurious theme of the boat. Offshorestyled buckets were built oversized, to customer specs, and a rear bench seat was capable of seating four adults in comfort. Custom foot bracing was anchored through elegant, snap-out carpeting, and an ice chest was built into the rear seat cavity. All passengers rode nice and deep in the boat, positioning we appreciated most while cutting across Havasu's ten-inch chop at better than 97 miles an hour. Legroom and stretch room were abundant from every seat in the house.

Two rear grab handles are anchored to the 257's unusually wide, beautifully finished gunnels, and one faces the front passenger. Cup holders are frenched into the gunnels, one of a number of fully finished opportunities for storage. The carpeted, cargocarrying mainstay below offered expansive stash space for skis, boards and the like, and was also home to two of the 15 speakers included in a thundering, 800-watt Kenwood sound system that set its owners back $3,200 and which turned the cockpit into a giant sound hall.

Carrera's deft design skills went a long way in positioning 15 Gaffrig gauges, a number inflated by the Griffins' insistence on every possible monitoring function. Pressure and temperature vitals became more critical with the blower setup, and they're incorporated into the 257's multiplane, multiangled layout so that all could be easily read while at speed. Custom Dana switch panels, steering hub and bezels underscored the high-tech look of the design. One of our drivers found the positioning of the dual-lever, MerCruiser throttle shifter assembly at the driver's right arm a bit cramped in relation to the edge of the seat and the wheel; overall, however, the Effect received splendid marks for its ergonomics.

IN ITS ELEMENT

In this size and class, particularly among blower boats, there is a tendency to dial a boat in for top-end speed, without regard to much else. It has become custom to accept a wobbly, labored leave, so long as the other end holds the key to the promised land of triple-digit performance.

Even in our previous thrill rides aboard the 257, the scales were tilted to push the biggest Gaffrig needle hard to the right. The HP500 (76.8 mph),525SC (81.6 mph) and 454 Magnum/Procharger (85.2 mph) all ran hard once they found stride, but none were particularly motivated out of the gate. Previous elapsed times from 0-to-40 ranged from 14.28 seconds (525SC) and 14.62 (HP500) to 15.95 seconds (ProCharger).

So what happened to the Teague-powered Carrera, which hit a high note of 97.8 mph while clicking off consistent marches from 0-to-40 in the mid-10s? Aside from the obvious answer - horsepower, and lots of it - it was a matter of setup. This boat was dialed, and with a few hours more seat time, there's no question of its 100mph-plus status. It was a good feeling to be able to hammer the blower motor off the line, without undue concern about mangling pieces.

The Carrera hit the line hard and bypassed all indications of blowout or bowrise. As it surged onto plane, we guided it into a natural, airborne attitude as the Gaffrig began to roll upward. With speed came flight, a sensation that filtered through the wheel in earnest as we clipped past 40 mph. At a mere 3,000 rpm, a point at which the big Chevy seemed locked in a warm-up jog, we were brushing 50 miles an hour. And between 3,000 and 4,000, we picked up an amazing 27 miles an hour, a testament to Teague's proven talent for maximizing the impact of the available power. We hit 60 mph in 14.66 seconds, a performance that'll carry the 257 past nearly everything on the lake in that distance.

The trade-off for such extraordinary performance was minimal, and it surfaced when we putted into close quarters, tried to ease the behemoth into a slip or attempted to back it precisely. The blower motor is a bit more temperamental and subject to surging and fast idle. It also felt heavy at low rpm.

Once unleashed, however, the Carrera's air-entrapment dynamics delivered consistent, obedient, responsive performance. We pushed it through the sweepers, eliciting just a hint of banking, and all aboard stayed dry. As it carried higher and ran harder, its handling continued to improve.

At about 45 mph, the 257 found its designated set and maintained it. It was purely awesome through the midrange, where it pinned its occupants with the slightest provocation from the MerCruiser stick. The motor pulled hard all the way through 5,000 rpm, where it settled smoothly into the 90s. Its ride at speed was soft and predictable, and after just a few minutes in the seat, it inspired nothing but comfort and confidence.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Solidly built to standards that have long defined Carrera's standing as one of custom boating's premier builders, the 257 combines great lines and cosmetics with a performance side that's seriously executed without being intimidating. This particular combination showed off the value of striking the right combination in the quest for what may well qualify for the ultimate high-performance hot boat, and it struck pay dirt with impressive response from one end of the tach to the other. It doesn't get much better than this.

SPECIFICATIONS

Centerline length: 25'7"
Beam: 100"
Hull design: Stepped modified tunnel
Engine/drive: Teague Custom Marine 502/Bravo One
Horsepower @ prop: 750 (est.)
Drive ratio: 1.36:1
Prop: 28-inch Bravo four-blade
Base retail price, incl. trailer: $49,900
Standard features: MerCruiser 7.4L/Bravo One, fiberglass innerliner, fiberglass hatch w/scissors lift, five gelcoat colors, 76-gallon fuel capacity, removable cockpit carpet, anodized bezels, Gaffrig gauges, custom switch panel, three bilge pumps, fiberglass swim steps, ice box, pneumatic deck cleats, drink holders, Gaffrig shift w/trim.
Options on test boat: Teague Custom Marine 502 ($34,000), Kenwood 800-watt stereo system w/15 speakers ($3,200), theft alarm ($700), fiberglass scoop ($575), CMI exhaust w/IMCO tips ($6,000), nose cone ($3,500), Gaffrig gauge upgrade ($2,500), IMCO steering ($3,000), Dana Marine offshore mounts ($950), Dana pneumatic cleats ($700), IMCO fuel valve ($400), trailer ($8,500).
Price as-tested: $113,925
Performance
Top speed, radar: 97.8 mph
Maximum rpm: 5,300
0-30: 8.70 seconds
0-40: 10.54 seconds
0-50: 12.41 seconds
0-60: 14.66 seconds
Speed at 3,000 rpm: 48.7 mph
Speed at 4,000 rpm: 75.1 mph

Article by Kevin Spaise
Photography by Fernando Escovar