Pics of the 2014 ProStar

[ForrestGump]

@oldjeep True. Dealers are allowed to set their own price. Only suckers pay MSRP. But to infer that MC pricing is not honest in their pricing is irresponsible. For one thing, Gekko isn't making a boat 50% cheaper. Sure Gekko will be cheaper. But Gekko hasn't spent millions over 3 years developing a new boat. Gekko will be coming back out with a hull they R&D'd 16 years ago. They don't have 500+ employees. They essentially have no advertising right now. And they don't sponsor or give back to the 3 event community at this time. When you don't have the R&D costs, labor and overhead you can be a lot cheaper. At some point, Gekko might have all those things and I'll retract my statement. But until they do, you can't compare their pricing(which no one knows right now because as far as I know they haven't produced a customer GTR or GTS) to the Big 3.

 

And if you think that I'm off on the amount invested, go shop around for a company to splash a prototype hull, machine a plug, and then create multiple seperate sets of molds and tooling. Mold and tooling sets cost a company hundreds of thousands of dollars and MC had 3 initially, had contracted for another set, and were considering a 5th and 6th set.

 

I wish the new ProStar was cheaper. Along the same lines, I wish an Aston Martin was cheaper. But if you want to play, you gotsta pay.

 

Don't take this as me down'ing Gekko. I am absolutely thrilled Mark O is bringing them back. I loved the GTO/GTX/GTR. But you're comparing an apple to a tennis ball.

[oldjeep]

By honest I mean - the price is the price.

[Ed_Obermeier]

One of the reasons I've only ever purchased two vehicles and one boat brand new. I absolutely loathe the phony Mid East Rug Bazaar lets-make-a-deal atmosphere and crap games you go through trying to make a reasonable deal on a new vehicle (or vessel). Don't know for sure how @oldjeep does it but myself I let the original purchaser take the depreciation hit then buy it slightly used and fully de-bugged at a discount when they're ready to take the hit on the next new one. Paid $29K for my '05 LXI in 2008, it's still worth around $25K in resale 5 years and 300 hours later. Recently picked up a 5 year old Infiniti G37S coupe with under 18K miles on it for fully half of what the car sold for new. That's how a lot of us roll who either don't have the financial where-with-all nor the desire/need/whatever to lay out the big $$$ to play in the new car/boat game.

[DooSPX]

I bought my boat for 13K including the original never used OEM cover, a custom aftermarket cover (only stored indoors), BI boom, and a bunch of other stuff back in 2004. Bought my brand new 04 GMC Sierra SLT for 26K out the door when the sticker was almost 40K and my 06 Cobalt I use for work for 12K in 06. Just have to know how to bargain and absolutely have to know what you are talking about. I knew more about my truck then the dealer did, so that helped for sure.

[Ed_Obermeier]

Got an '06 Cobalt for $12k in '06? Damn... Thought I was pretty good at the game, hell I need to get a few lessons from you Jason.

[DW]

@SkiJay: nice 911, looks like some fun circulation the old airport track of Central Florida!

 

@swc: the Boxter is the new version of the 914, which was quite the quick little autoxer in its day.

[Texas6]

This thread has taken more turns than the old airport track in central Florida, but I can't stop reading it

[swc5150]

This thread has turned quite a bit, but it's all in fun! My original point was simply Prostar/SN pricing has always been about the same as Porsche's "budget" car of time and a Vette.

 

@DW

We had a 914 when I was a kid, and it was a fun little car. It could corner so tight that I was actually ejected right out the door and onto the highway. I guess I was too small for the seatbelt to hold me in.

 

Here's another crazy thread twist, while we're talking inflation. I graduated college in '97, with a freshman to MBA cost of about $15k. My wife graduated in 2010; freshman to masters cost of $76k (all UW system degrees). Now to tie it back to the thread... If we weren't currently paying back her education, I'd be ordering a new PS or anxiously awaiting delivery of Shane's next summer. I actually had a drive last night I was test driving it.

 

 

[ForrestGump]

Exactly. Everyone should boycott the University Systems for overcharging. It's just not fair.

 

My first new nautique in 96 cost me $23,500. 18 years later, it would cost me $66k. I also bought a 1996 Z28 that year for $21k. I'm hearing rumors that the much anticipated 2014 Z28 will MSRP above $80K. Following some people's logic Chevy should be banished for overcharging. The 80s, 90s, and first decade of the 2000s are long gone. And with them went $20k boats and cars.

[Skoot1123]

So maybe all us Ballers should learn from each other on how to invest and become succesful enough to be able to buy the boats and ski's we all NEEED. That - would be pretty sweet.

[DooSPX]

yep, 4 door LT. I know the GM cars and nit picked the hell out of the car. Also, having a visible check book in my hand the whole time, they knew I was serious. I'm sure the dealer I bought my car and my truck from hated me. Now it has 90K and has never left the small county I live/work in. Strictly a work car. Good little car except for stupid crap. The seal under the dash around a AC box, known to leak on the Cobalt and HHR's. Also the blinker stalk return crapped out about 20K miles ago.

[liquid d]

Don't know about the price, but I do know I skied behind one today...The pull and the wake could get no better...and, what a gorgeous boat! They are going to sell a ton of them.

[ForrestGump]

They are going to be a tough boat to get in 2014. Only so many production slots between now and the end of June.

[ForrestGump]

Just got pics from the MC dealer meeting of the tower being offered on the Pro Star.

[gregy]

That looks lighter than the previous. My buddies 08 prostar tower is really heavy to lift from folded down position.

[Texas6]

I know there will be plenty of "who wants a tower on a ski boat" comments - yada yada. Personally, I think it looks fantastic, potentially a bit thin structurally. My ski boat pulls beginners, tubers, beginning wakeboarders, anything on the water that someone wants to learn. And the tower is very handy to have for these ventures. Well done MC

[oldjeep]

My .02 - MC makes beautiful boats and god awful looking towers. This one isn't quite as ugly as the previous transformer versions, but jeeze talk about taking an elegant looking boat and making it look bad.

[oldjeep]

@Texas6 - I hope you are not saying that you pull tubes from a tower.

[DW]

Back to price comparisons, one cost driver left out of the car to boat comparison is government regulation / forced development and components (air bags/fuel economy targets/emissions/various anti theft and safety items). Little of that has hit the boating industry yet, I worry the bureaucrats will certainly have a golden opportunity to totally ruin a great industry if not kept away.

[ForrestGump]

Enough of that has hit the boating industry to raise the prices. Mandatory automatic fire systems(on numerous craft) as well as catalytic converters raised the price of every ski boat about 5% starting in mid 2011.

[Razorskier1]

Saw one in person today at my dealer. Holy crap what an awesome boat!

[RichardDoane]

@razorskier1 and @razorross3 - you'll have to make another sticker, and come put it on the new boat come Spring College Tournament time, but the new sticker color will have to be blue

[Razorskier1]

Deer Slayer 2!

[6balls]

@razorskier1 did you take some pics?

[Razorskier1]

Took pics but couldn't get the whole boat in them. I'll email you some.