CREATING THE FULL EFFECT

In the wake of our christening of the first ever outboard-powered 257 Effect sport boat, which also happens to be among the first built of Carrera's new bowrider interpretation of the hull, the questions begs to be asked: What took so long?

Carerra's 25-foot seven inch step-spononsed tunnel hull has, until now, been monopolized by the stern-drive-powered performance enthusiast with designs on big inches and numbers to match. We're here to tell you, in the wake of a very fateful experience with the outboard version, those days are over.

We know because we experienced a new plateau in our heavily armed 257 test machine, which sported a menacing matched set of Mercury's robust 300-hp, three-liter Pro Max motors. Say what you will about the prowess of your badass blown big block, but the plain and simple truth is that even the nastiest I/O setup won't hold up against a matched rack of killer outboards, measured in terms of reliable, long-term, low-maintenance performance in the extreme. That is particularly true when they're pushing a hull that suddenly seemed built specifically for that application- and that's the way the Carrera felt as we pushed the 3,500-pound lake rod into the blissful zone of a 95-mph ride.



THE PACKAGE

Carrera's stand-up rigging and finish work have become company signature traits, and this Effect accentuated those qualities to the extreme. Every conceivable trick piece and process was called upon during this installation, which emerged as a floating ambassador for the creative artistry of custom boat building. From the gleaming sheen of its stainless tie bar to the tips of its sponsons, this Carrera tunnel was a first-class piece.

The twin outboard setup was tamed nicely through WPM's fully hydraulic steering system, a worthy investment at $3,620. The three-liter cans spun matched 30-inch, four-blade Bravo props. A stainless tie bar solidified the package.

Carrera's tooling is among the cleanest in the business, and it follows that the 257's fiberglass work drew nothing but raves from our inspectors. The hull's lines were neatly exploited via a bold, beautiful mix of gelcoated lightning bolts and checkers, and the dramatic colors spilled seamlessly onto he vinyl of the rear deck, across he transom and over the engine hatches. Veteran painter Jimmy Sullivan gets credit for the cool in-mold color work, and Louie Chino followed up with a seamless accompaniment on the motor cowlings. The extra color work tagged on an additional $1,800, money that we found to be very well spent.



The hull was finished off with an array of trick Dana Marine hardware. Four stainless pop-up cleats were ideally positioned, and running lights were frenched into the hull's glass. All hardware was color matched, including trim pieces, dash panel and so on. Stepped pads were strategically tooled into the sides of the gunnels, making boarding easier.

The 300s commanded an $11,865 upgrade over the base twin 225 Pro-Max setup, and they were mated to the hull with a beautifully crafted bracket by Dana Marine (Product Welding). The bracket worked in functional concert with the standard-issue stainless tie rod and also didn't hurt the boat's look a bit. In fact, this entire installation was a pure looker from every angle, and the appeal held up under the scrutiny of the closest eye.

The craftsmen at Stratton Marine executed the interior, and it was tightly done and full on gorgeous. The forward seating section is cut specifically to best fit one lounging passenger per side, a modification that makes great use of the hull's long deck while breaking from the oft-used crawl-through configuration. The elimination of the cabin height gives the Effect an altogether sleeker look.

All of the seating is integrally tooled into the Effect's full liner cockpit, which was neatly finished in nonskid and dressed with snap-out carpeting. Both the rear bench, which was suitable for three passengers, and the buckets were exceptionally comfortable and beautifully finished. Offshore-styled bolster seating wrapped the front passengers, and it did a superb job of instilling passenger confidence as the speedometer began to veer right and the hull took on lift. Rear seat cushions pulled outward for hidden storage. Beneath the rear bench, a large gelcoated ice chest drained directly into the bilge.



A top-of-the-line, dual-lever Morse shifter control is integrated into a large, padded control panel that's tooled into the gunnel. It's positioned perfectly, creating maximum driver comfort and control. Given the dynamics of the extra gauges that are called for in a twin setup and the walk-through configuration of the hull (and corresponding reduction of dash displacement), Carrera was faced with a logistical challenge in arranging the gauges and controls, particularly in such a high-speed application, and they used the gunnel area very effectively in answering it. Seven of the standard-issue Gaffrig gauges are plotted squarely in front of the driver, and four more dials are worked into the gunnel area, along with the optional Bluewater mechanical trim indicator. Although there is a lot of hardware concentrated in two small areas, the installation works. Like nearly everything else on the boat, the setup is different, sanitary and sensible.

A trick In-Control foot pedal assembly split functions between throttle and button-prompted engine trim. With a little practice, it was easy to maintain maximum driver control without pulling one's hands from the wheel. Individual trim buttons were also located behind the shift levers for fine tuning and proper sync. Seven oversized cup holders were stylishly mixed into the interior design, and grab handles were anchored within convenient reach of all passengers. A custom Kenwood stereo installation ($3,000) by audio artist Russ Joslin (Joslin Audio) rocked the boat in direct proportion with the raucous twin outboards.

A rapid-action Dana lift system granted access to a beautifully detailed, canyon-sized storage hatch, a $2,000 upgrade. Ours was loaded with goodies straight from the shelves of Mike Murphy's Ski Shop. The hatch easily stowed an air chair, wake-board, three slalom skis, life jackets, tow line and a pile of related gear-with room to spare. Racks were installed to carry towables. A microswitch offers insurance against an unexpected hatch uprising once the custom pylon ski tow ($1,035) is inserted, The extra storage created by the outboard rigging was a huge bonus in this boat, which also had excellent sectioned stash space carved into the sponsons. Off the transom, Carrera's stock-issue swim platform was upgraded to a center-mounted billet swim step from Dana ($580).

We noted a few minor glitches in some of the unexposed areas, including some unfinished areas beneath the seat cushions and a set of bolts that protruded far enough into the bow locker to be a potential nuisance. Also, there were some rough edges remaining at the bottom of both dash faces and some exposed, unfinished edges on the straps used to lift the seat cushions.



PERFORMANCE

How did the outboard version fare compared to its blown stern-drive counterpart? First of all, the ride was actually better, if you judge it from idle through top end. It showed the same level of responsive, high-speed stability as the inboard version, but the outboard rendition was immune to the periodic proposing common to it in this size class. Beyond 40 miles per hour, the dual Pro-Max version was nothing short of stunning from the view behind the wheel.

Not only was the Effect an awesome, big-league, big-end driving experience-at 95 miles per hour, one of our drivers described the ride as "supremely stable and as close to worry free as you can be at that speed"- but it was also exceptionally efficient in the cruise mode. At an effortless 4,000 rpm (we maxed out much later at 6,400), we occupied a smooth, cool, elevated 60-mph zone.

The big Mercurys fired easily and consistently, and they were remarkably smoke free, even at low rpm. It took some time for us to hook up off the line, and there was no getting around our temporary loss of the horizon as we moved into the zone-a downside when compared to the Bravo version. Once you find a 40-mph pace, the hull transforms into a highly responsive and reactive rocket and becomes a blast to drive. Between this boat's flat, responsive attitude and its reaction to foot commands, the Carrera establishes itself as a hard-core driver's boat early on.

Low-speed maneuvering and docking required a bit more savvy than the stern-drive setup in the early going, but a little seat time spent playing with the boat remedied that. It performed well under the rigors of real-world boating: under slow cruise, at ski speeds and while executing low-speed sweeper turns, for instance. In the low-speed turn mode, it assumed a slight outside roll that took some getting used to, but the ride remained stable and dry, as it did at all speeds.

Through the midrange, the handling tightened markedly, and the design seemed immune to hunting and bow-steering tendencies. It responded instantly and positively to trim tuning, and the ride retained its smooth, steady feel all the way up the ladder. At 90-plus, it emerged as one of our team's favorite high-speed drives. It was also impressive under rough lake conditions and breezed across wakes and swells like they were invisible.



THE BOTTOM LINE

Carrera has opened up an entirely new dimension in high-speed, high-thrill powerboating with the introduction of the outboard version of their designated sport machine. The surplus room created by the outboard installation, along with the newly tooled deck seating, really opens up the Effect experience and builds a lot more practical value into a proven high-speed lake rocket. When the spray had settled, our team's thumbs were sprung way up.

SPECIFICATIONS

Centerline length: 25'7"
Beam: 100"
Bottom: Stepped tunnel
Engine/drive: Twin Mercury 300
Pro-Max outboards
Horsepower @ prop: 300 each
Props: Bravo 30" four-blades
Base retail price: $76,000
Standard features:
Twin 225 Mercury Pro-Max outboards, custom fiberglass rear storage hatch w/Dana scissors lift, five gelcoat colors, 76-gallon fuel capacity, removable cockpit carpet, nonskid cockpit liner, anodized bezels, custom switch panels, three bilge pumps, fiberglass swim step, lighting package, ice box, four stainless pop-up cleats, ski tow, seven drink holders, twin motor bracket, dual rack steering, motor tie bar. Options on test boat: Twin 300 Pro-Max upgrade ($11,865), custom paint and motors ($1,800), prop upgrade ($965), WPM full hydraulic steering ($3,620), Gaff rig gauge upgrade ($345), control upgrade ($620), Bluewater trim indicators ($1,100), custom ski pylon ($1,035), rear hatch upholstery ($415), custom stereo ($3,000), battery boxes and battery upgrade ($600), billet swim step upgrade ($580), custom ski and board storage ($2,000).
Price as tested: $103,945
Top speed, radar: 92.5 mph
Builder's estimated top speed in optimum conditions: 95 mph
Maximum rpm: 6,450
0-30 mph: 13.87seconds
0-40 mph: 18.03seconds
0-50 mph: 21.07seconds
0-60 mph: 23.79 seconds
Speed at 2,000 rpm: 25.5 mph
Speed at 3,000 rpm: 36.6 mph
Speed at 4,000 rpm: 60.6 mph