| Motion Marine GT 430 | | Print | |
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Behind the leadership of Manny Roman, Motion Marine is hoping for a resurgence within the performance-boating world. Originally published in the July 2009 issue By Jason Johnson When it came to the extraordinary fleet of boats that lined the docks of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the first Poker Runs America event of the year, one boat in particular stood out. Not only was the new GT 430 from Motion Marine an impressive spectacle with its canopy-style wraparound windshield, automotive styling and vibrant blue paint job, but the fact there was a new model from the Opa-locka, Fla., boatbuilder was interesting in its own right. For Manny Roman—owner of Motion Marine, aka Motion Powerboats—the on-water debut of his new 43-foot catamaran was gratifying. After receiving many compliments at the Miami International Boat Show in February, he couldn’t wait to showcase the offshore cat, which is one of four new models he is introducing from Motion. “It was very rough out there in St. Petersburg,” said Roman, who has owned the company since 2003. “We averaged 105 mph and it was amazing how stable it was in the rough seas. And you know what? The canopy worked. We were completely dry after the run unlike some other people back at the docks.” Roman said the catamaran is capable of speeds near 140 mph with the 2,150 horsepower supplied by a pair of Mercury Racing HP1075SCi engines. With that power package, the 43-footer runs around $695,000. “We didn’t go out there to build the fastest boat in the world,” he said. “We want it to run fast, but we also want it to be a luxury boat. My goal was to build a cool, fast, good-looking boat that was comfortable and had a lot of room. Hopefully, I’ve succeeded.” If nothing else, Roman’s efforts are helping put Motion back on the map. And if the name didn’t give it away, it was clear by looking at the GT 430 that Roman drew inspiration from the classic Shelby Cobra GT.
Roman didn’t just paint thick stripes down the hullsides and the center of the deck and call it a day. He tracked down aftermarket Shelby parts including gas caps, emblems and a steering wheel—he even had Latham Marine build custom controls with classic shifter-ball knobs. From the low-profile scoops with coiled cobras painted on each one to the tinted wraparound windshield and small rear window, the GT 430 had an obvious automotive flair. In the cockpit, there were five bucket seats and tons of stowage space, including lockers behind the front two buckets and a large luggage compartment between the engine hatches. Step plates for exiting the cockpit were installed behind the rear seats.
Along with the GT 430, Motion has two more new catamarans—the 40 LX and 39 SS—and a new 42-foot center-console, the 42 SF. Roman said the company is just about finished with all three models. In fact, he planned to race the 42 SF with four 300-hp outboards from Miami to Bimini and back in the Bimini Memorial Race in June. “I don’t want to build a whole lot of boats, I just want to build highly customized boats how the customers want them,” said Roman, adding that the next 43-footer will be styled after his Shelby SuperCar, which is the world’s fastest production car. “I want every boat to be different.” Contact Information If you like what you're reading, get more by subscribing to Powerboat magazine here. |
“I’m a Shelby fanatic,” Roman acknowledged. “Design-wise, the boat started with a Team Shelby theme. I also combined some of the aspects of old Vettes like the ’71 Stingray. I really wanted the boat to have a race car look to it.”
To the outside of the front bucket seats were steps down into the cabin that included a head compartment, a rectangular berth and bench seats. Set into the gunwales next to the steps were coolers covered by a lift-up panel.