Toyota will not be latest to the boating industry, because the Toyota Marine division has been supplying aquatic products to the sea since 1997 under the Ponam brand. In 2019, Lexus took to shore with the LY 650 luxury yacht, a “new embodiment of Lexus’ challenge to go beyond the car and deliver innovative and incredible experiences.” Built by Wisconsin-based Marquis Yachts, the LY 650 had similar lines to the Marquis 630 Sport Yacht or 65, and the stylized lines and interior of the Lexus yacht were designed by the Italian company Nuvolari Lenard. A refresh for this primary effort resulted within the LY 680, which adds 55 inches of flybridge length, creating more room for the sofa and grill, and 27.6 inches for the swim platform on the rear. Overall length increases to 67.8 feet.
Other vital specifications are common to each vessels, including an 18-foot-11-inch beam, three decks, interior design with three cabins for six, the flexibility to comfortably accommodate 15 people, 226 gallons of fresh water stowed underneath, and a fuel tank with a capability of 1060 gallons.
Unlike the LY 650, which debuted in Boca Raton, Florida and was inbuilt Wisconsin, the LY 680 is meant for the Japanese market; Lexus is alleged to have sold 4 examples of the LY 650 before production ended. The construction of LY 680 was commissioned to Taiwanese yacht manufacturers Horizon Group.
The LY 680 is offered in two engine options: 12.8-liter Volvo Penta IPS inline-twin engines, with six inboard engines producing 789 hp or 986 hp each, eliminating the 887 hp middle option offered by the LY 650. With efficiency Volvo Pentas’ rate of fifty gallons per hour, running each engines at full throttle would still give the captain about 10 hours to reach the subsequent port.
Toyota Marine is currently accepting orders for the LY 680, but only in Japan, and other markets “will be considered in the future depending on customer demand.” It costs 770 million yen, or $5.1 million. The first deliveries are scheduled for 2026.
Credit : www.autoblog.com
