R8 Spyder vs. Hunton powerboat

If you haven’t got a head for heights, there are other high-octane ways of making a splash with your cash. With our budget of £111,995, you could take to the ocean waves in a glamorous powerboat.

However, you’ll need a more hardcore vessel than the shiny gin palaces that bob around in the harbour at Monte Carlo. Instead, you’ll want to climb aboard the aquatic equivalent of a dedicated sports car.

There’s no doubt about the performance credentials of the powerboat in our pictures. With its aggressive wedge profile and racing numbers, the British-built 39-ft Hunton looks like a supercar for the waves.

Competition heritage comes as standard, too, because this example has raced in the famous Round Britain event.

As with the plane, the Hunton has been designed to perform. The distinctive V-section hull cuts through the water with minimal resistance, while the ribbed lines help lift the boat out of the water and ‘plane’ at high speed. It’s not often the sleek R8 is upstaged for visual appeal, but it struggles here.

Under the large engine cover at the back of the deck are a pair of Chief V8 petrol engines. Their combined output of 1,150bhp dwarfs the Audi’s V10, but even in ideal conditions the mammoth motors can only power the Hunton to a top speed of 80mph.

Cabin

Hop on board, and you’ll find a spacious cabin that’s packed with hi-tech navigation kit. The driver sits centrally, with a seat on either side and two more behind. In contrast, the R8 is a strict two-seater.

As with its four-wheeled rival, the Hunton delivers wind-in-the-hair thrills. However, when the weather closes in – as it often does in the English Channel – you have to grin and bear it, because there’s no roof. In
the Spyder you simply hit a button on the centre console and the fabric top rises in only 19 seconds. Once in place it delivers impressive protection from the elements and excellent noise insulation, even at speed.

Dress-up in warm, waterproof gear and the fun of being in the boat will soon outweigh any discomfort from the weather. Piloting the Hunton is relatively simple, too. The three-spoke wheel is connected to the two rear props that power and steer the boat. Push the throttle levers forward, and the engines deliver strong acceleration. And despite its length, the large vessel is surprisingly agile.

The R8 performs well in wet conditions, too. Thanks to the firm’s trademark quattro four-wheel drive, the Spyder benefits from excellent grip in slippery conditions. It also has brilliant brakes – something the Hunton does without. Our test car had the powerful and progressive standard cast-iron set-up, but the race-bred carbon ceramic system will set you back an eye-watering £7,145.

Buying the boat is only the start , though, as you also need to pay for mooring and storage. Even a simple fill-up is expensive, as the fuel tank holds a whopping 1,000 litres! So, if crashing through the open waves gets your pulse racing, you’ll need deep pockets.

Thanks to Anna Lee at Steam Productions, Iain May and Hamble Point Marina, Southampton, Hampshire.