Sunseeker Portofino XPS and XPS in general

[DavidEvo]

So usually, with enough internet sleuthing and obscure article scouring, you can find the answers to most things. But today I came across something that puzzled me. The Sunseeker Portofino 48 XPS.

As far as I knew, the Portofino 48 effectively "became" the San Remo in 2013 (hull side windows and a few other points aside, it's essentially the same boat).

So, my question is, what on earth was the Portofino XPS... those listed for sale at the moment are 2014s. Which is of course after the Portofino 48 "became" the San Remo, which is the first thing that puzzles me. Did Sunseeker have both the Portofino and San Remo in production along side each other, if so, what was the thinking there?

And, what was so "XPS" about this Portofino, it seems to me like just a trim package (a colour scheme and a rather natty XPS table - pic below), no power hike, no triple engine (as I think was a rare Portofino option). If it was a Portofino run out edition, why produce it after the San Remo was launched, was the Portofino so revered? (a la Pagani Zonda)

All this rather got me wondering what XPS actually stands for too, I do rather hope it's not just a conjunction of express, would love to know if someone knows the answer there!

Anyway, thank you for indulging my rambling, super intrigued to know what the Sunseeker buffs will say about all this!

Kind regards,

David

 

[Mr Googler]

I’ll find out :encouragement:

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

The Portofino 48 was never an XPS. To find the real meaning of XPS you have to go back in time before the Hawk series in a galaxy far far away.

The XPS was the performance signature Sunseeker used from 1983 to late eighties, before the Hawk signature came along in 1988 with the 37 Tomahawk, then the 43 Thunderhawk, 29 Mohawk etc.
The 1983 Sunseeker 34 XPS Portofino comes to mind, but they also had the 25 and 28 XPS, models which followed the 34. XPS at the time stood for the more day boat performance powerboat orientated models.
The designation came disappeared with the triple engined 39 Cobra launched in 1987, and made full effect of Don Shead most celebrated Cuv 38 hull.

The 39 Cobra was an extended 34 XPS Portofino. That hull was also used for the 37 Tomahawk and 43 Thunrderhawk, this last being a 39 Cobra in modern clothing.

The Malta Sunseeker dealer of the time told me that XPS stood for Express Performance Sportboat.

 

[Den100]

I remember looking at the XPS at the Southampton show when it came out and was told it’s exactly the same as the standard portofino but with some carbon fibre styling bits such as the sink / griddle top in the photo and obviously a higher price tag

 

[Portofino]

I remember looking at the XPS at the Southampton show when it came out and was told it’s exactly the same as the standard portofino but with some carbon fibre styling bits such as the sink / griddle top in the photo and obviously a higher price tag

Yes I remember that .
I remember looking at one the Soton show too.
Probably the same show it’s launch .It did indeed have a lot of carbon effects as per pic and iirc the external sides of the B pilar on the HT , not shown in the pic .
I did question the blue blazer + cream slacked sales guy on wether it was real CF lightweight done in a autoclave or just plastic effect or simply a wrap .
He did not really know exactly what it was .It did not look real to me .
It was only IPS then and I vaguely recall talk of a triple ? This from memory added another £80 K on top ?

I twigged it was a revamp of the Porto 48 perhaps aimed at a younger sportier market or villa day boat as they had two large cabins to sleep , owners being the mid .They had resisted the temptation to squeeze 3 cabins into what is in effect a 50 .

Around 2012 I would say ?

At the time I recall it was the smallest ( Portofino 48 still is / was ) in the range and I believe back @ the boardroom they were squabbling over which direction to take the Co size wise . Usually debate go larger to 155 or cling on intro small .
At the time I thought with the revival of the XPS name , this was a market test , a cheap into as no new moulds just a bit of cosmetic tarting up on low cost existing machinery .

I did hear they actually modded the rear end underwater region to better accept , optimise IPS .
So I believe the San Remo is not exactly the same hull underneath as the Portofino 48 , which came in either twin D6 IPS or D9 shafts .

I can only assume after a boardroom wrangle they must have changed tack and quickly dropped the XPS tart up and renamed it San Remo , digging up another past glory name wise .

At the time too the “ Predator” range imho lost it way a bit the performance side lost the battle over floating apartments side .
I mean today a Pred 115 looks gross .

There were and still are rumours circulated about a fresh superhawk range ,iirc renderings of a intro 50 but nothing has materialised .

Hawk ( without the prefix “ super “ ) has surprising popped up , a recent thread on this, with the conclusion it aimed at the the S yacht market .
Bares minimal resemblance to previous Hawks of the late 80 ,s 90 ,s

I guess there’s some evolution continuing to use a 20 - 30 year old names ,but wonder why the just don’t invent a new name for a new type of boat aimed at a different demographic of buyer .

Still interesting in 20 y time to see what ever happened to Fairline s 63 GTO .
Just an evocative name for a slug that can barely pass 30 knots with a clean bottom, another misnomer.

 

[Mr Googler]

XPS doesn’t stand for anything....just sounds sporty....that’s from the horses mouth so to speak

The Maltese guy added a bit of poetic licence I reckon.

Should have gone with extreme performance special or extra petrol soon!

 

[ari]

I did hear they actually modded the rear end underwater region to better accept , optimise IPS .
So I believe the San Remo is not exactly the same hull underneath as the Portofino 48 , which came in either twin D6 IPS or D9 shafts .

Stand to be corrected, but pretty sure the Portofino 47 was shaft or IPS, but the Portofino 48 was IPS only, in order to make room for the full beam owner cabin. Portofino 48 then became the San Remo with cosmetic updates and big hull windows.

 

[Portofino]

Correct typo 47

 

[XPS]

As you might see from my name am associated with Sunseeker and can confirm that there was a limited run of 48 Portofinos at the end of its life before morphing into the San Remo. Many of you are correct that there was a specific colour scheme externally, wood and interior material upgrades, a med package of equipment and a carbon fibre package including table, wet bar top, ensign staff, illuminated XPS badging and an option of triple IPS rather than twin although none were ordered with that engine spec. These were delivered in 2014. The San Remo was then launched with hull mods at the stern, master cabin improvement, new stern mouldings, new windows etc...