The enthusiasm of those behind the second generation of High Torque Marine—HTM2—shows in the new SR-24.

Orignally published in the October/November 2008 issue

By Jason Johnson

Rod and Renee Devries admit they weren't experts in the boat business before they decided to buy High Torque Marine 2 about a year ago. But the husband and wife understood that HTM had loyal customers and a strong lineup of boats to expand upon.

What they didn't know was how quickly they'd be engulfed in the company and the industry. Their original business partner walked away and the Devries acted quickly to get the ball rolling. With the molds, patents and copyrights from the Agua Dulce, Calif., company in hand, Rod and Renee began building the boats in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., with a focus on improving the overall quality.

"We're just trying to upgrade as much as we can and make our boats a better product overall," Renee said.

Renee said they changed the name to HTM2 after former owner Lia Colombe asked them to alter the name because HTM was the company moniker under her late husband Steve's guidance.

Since completing the changeover, the new owners have been busy. They've hosted a regatta at Lake Havasu, built up a respectable service shop and have been trying to get out on the water as much as possible to promote the product. The principals even delivered one of their new SR-24 models to a Powerboat event in Parker, Ariz.

From the moment the open-bow catamaran arrived at the launch ramp, our Test Team noticed some refinements in the 24-footer. The upholstery work was strong, the gelcoat was well done and the rigging was sanitary. There were even some hardware improvements from the hydraulic hinges for the engine hatch to the billet swim platforms on the transom.

At $119,000 (base price with a MerCruiser 496 Mag is $77,500), the SR-24 looked like one cool ride, and it was.

The propulsion package included an 800-horsepower, naturally aspirated motor from Paul Pfaff Engines tied to an IMCO Marine Xtreme Advantage SC drive with a 2-inch-short IMCO lower unit and a 30"-pitch Bravo One propeller.

The 24-footer reached a 105 mph top speed with the engine turning 6,250 rpm. From a standing start, the boat was running 85 mph in 20 seconds, and in the midrange, the boat shot from 30 to 50 mph in 3.8 seconds and took 7.8 seconds in the 40-to-70-mph drill. It was fairly quick on plane, too, needing just 4.3 seconds.

But as swift as the SR-24 was, it was just as strong in the handling department. The boat tracked great at all speeds and had good visibility on or off plane.

Our test driver said a little protection from the wind and deeper bucket seats would have made the ride more enjoyable.

Along with the bucket seats, which were mounted on billet bases, the team at HTM2 included a four-person rear bench with individual headrests in the cockpit. An IMCO tilt helm with a Dino wheel on it was to starboard. Monster gauges from Livorsi Marine for the speed and rpm were installed on each side of the wheel, and to the right, on an extension from the gunwale, were the controls from Dana Marine.

In the crawl-through space between the cockpit and open bow, the builder included a pair of facing lounges upholstered to match the rest of the boat. The cozy and well-padded open bow included cutouts in each gunwale with a pair of grab handles and cupholders.

While the Devries are focused on moving forward with HTM2, they understand that taking care of current HTM customers is equally important.

"The name HTM has a lot of meaning behind it, and a lot of followers behind it," Renee said. "We want to make all of the HTM owners proud."

CONTACT INFORMATION High Torque Marine 2, 1609 Acoma Blvd. W., Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403, 928-855-8155, http://www.htmperformanceboats.com.

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