Malibu Sunscape 247 LSV: How to Spend Your Year-End Bonus
Looking to buy something extravagant for your family this year? The Sunscape 247 LSV is as decadent a tow boat as you’ll ever find.
December 30, 2009
Wall Street-types end their year with a bang, usually in the form of inordinately large bonus checks. Just in case you're in a position to treat yourself, too, let’s end the year in this column with something equally opulent: Malibu’s Sunscape 247 LSV.
Malibu literature says the 247 LSV seats 16 people, but like most capacity ratings, that's probably a slight exaggeration.
It’s big. It’s spacious. It’s spectacular. One thing it is not is cheap. Base price is $76,995, which does not include a trailer, tax, freight or dealer prep.
“Boaters who demanded big luxury, prior to the 247 LSV, were confined to runabout offerings that are typically lacking in performance,” says Paul Singer, vice president of sales and marketing for Malibu Boats. “The 16-person luxury accommodations of the Sunscape 247 LSV rival any runabout in its class, but this Malibu also offers the 450 horsepower LS3 engine, pro-level water sports performance and a head-turning look. Add quality construction and Malibu’s limited lifetime warranty and the Sunscape 247 LSV will be the last boat many discerning boaters will own. In other words, it’s a Lexus on the water.”
The 247 LSV features a cab-forward design, which provides a lot of seating area behind the windshield. Malibu literature says it seats 16 people, but like most capacity ratings, it seems as though half of those people would have to be young children to fit onboard.
The bow can convert to a playpen setup with a filler cushion.
Forward of the windshield area, the bow can convert to a playpen setup with a filler cushion. To preserve the sleek profile lines, Malibu designers mounted the grab rails inside the bow area, which like the rest of the interior, features LED lighting. No more chasing burned out bulbs.
A built-in cooler provides 120 quarts of stowage for food and drink.
In standard trim, the 247 makes a great inboard runabout. The J-shape seating area features stowage underneath and on the starboard side, there is a built-in cooler. In fact, there is a total of 120 quarts of stowage for food and drink. According to Malibu literature, the 247 offers 30 percent more space than its in-class competitors.
The driver seat features a flip up bolster, the helm station, with its LCD-embedded switch panels, is a feast for the eyes, and the entire cockpit is covered in thick pile marine-grade carpeting. If you haven’t set foot in a Malibu in a while, you’ll be impressed with how their manufacturing technologies have fostered remarkable fit and finish.
Of course, there are a few options that would be almost required, particularly if you plan to use it for water sports. For example, you’ll need a tower and board racks. The optional three-vent heater and hot-water shower go a long way toward making early morning wakeboard runs more comfortable.The boat also would be best equipped with a removable ski pylon, The Wedge wake tuning hydrofoil and a ballast system, which give the 247 LSV genuine multisport capabilities. One thing you won’t need is a more powerful optional engine. The standard engine packs a whopping 450 horsepower in GM’s buttery-smooth LS3 V-8.
Malibu’s Sunscape 247 LSV does not come cheaply. Such extravagance seldom does. But it is one decadent reward for yourself and your family.
For more information, visit Malibu's website.
