What Do You Call a 1,000-HP Skyline on Water: a Jet Boat!

But today was one of those moments when I had to take a break so that my mind could process what I had just seen. Now, I used to watch water speed records when I was growing up. And I came close to seeing a Formula 1 Powerboat World Championship event when I was on vacation. Also, my addiction to rotary engines has led me to discover some insane jet boats in New Zealand. And today I've come across something along those lines.

But instead of a rotary engine, this jet boat makes use of a Nissan Skyline unit. And of course, it's located in New Zealand. Kiwis have a fascinating motorsport culture. And I wasn't surprised to see that the owner also has a 4-door Skyline R32 in his collection. That seems fitting! Towing your Skyline-powered jet boat by using your Skyline is something to brag about, no question there.

The boat is 15.51 feet (4.73 meters) long and by the looks of it, it can only accommodate one passenger beside the skipper. In the quest for speed, I guess some sacrifices need to be made. While the boat has had the same owner for the past decade or so, the engine was rebuilt in 2019. Since that moment, the owner claims it's only been used for 20 hours, so there should be plenty of play-time left in it.

The engine has been extensively built. It's now a stroked 3.4-liter unit, that started as an RB30 block with an RB26 head. It runs with a massive Borg Warner EFR 9180 turbo and a long list of upgrades. We're looking at a 1,000 horsepower setup, or 914 rear-wheel horsepower if you'd prefer things that way. Torque figures are insane as well, as this RB unit will churn out 791 lb-ft (1,073 Nm) when running on E85. If you've only got pump gas to spare, you can expect around 750 horsepower, which is still beyond decent for a boat this size.

The trailer is also provided in the deal. If you're not happy with the paint job, the seller seems happy to assist for an extra fee. But you do have to keep in mind this jet boat is located in Whangarei, New Zealand. A video of it in action has been provided by the owner. The only thing I can say is that there are probably a lot of sports cars that are slower on land than this jet boat is on the water!

I'm not sure if it's feasible to cross the Pacific Ocean in this thing. But if you've got the nerve and the resources to fuel up along the route, that would make for an interesting challenge indeed! You just need to come with about $56,000 to purchase this jet boat first.