Caravelle 232 Interceptor Sport Cabin
With the
throttle and exhaust wide open, the all new 232 Interceptor Sport Cabin
resuscitates memories of an empty highway at the wheel of a Chevelle Super
Sport 454.
By:
Robert Stephens, April 2005 Boating Life Magazine
The mingling
of memorable thrills and 2K5 technology came to a boil at the end of our
test lake. Throttling down to 45mph to turn around, the big V-8 engine
sent a deep rumble through the “flat end” of the arrowhead-shaped hull.
The sound already had this tester’s belly quickening, but it was a quick
turn of the small-race inspired wheel that did the heaviest number on the
pulse. Without losing power, the 232 pivoted like a stunt vehicle and
headed back in the opposite direction. All that was missing were
squealing tires and the smell of melting rubber.
There are no
hidden agendas with this new Caravelle model. The red and black trim, the
scoops forward of the windshield, the arched backrests in the stern seat
and the sharp bow tell you right away what to expect. The bow rail runs
directly down the centerline instead of around the deck, and the nav
lights are on the sides rather than bubbled up on the nose – all to keep
it streamlined.
The flat deck
across the bow exudes a street-race personality. But inside the cuddy is
six feet of padded sleeping room. The two courtesy lights and twin vents
make it legit for a couple to nap.
Be honest,
would you turn down a 59-mph torpedo ride, especially if it felt like
70…and safe at all times? Unlike most performance boats we’ve tested, the
232 showed only negligible bow rise and hit a nice plane in a little more
than three seconds. It is one of a handful of stern-drive boats that turn
with the precision and limited arc of an inboard ski boat. And highlight
this: There is no wood in the 232, so nothing in it should ever rot.
With an
8.1-liter engine you can expect the 232 to run easily into the mid-60s.
Yet the Caravelle builders don’t want to alienate family boaters, so they
incorporated a running surface that will not squirrel around. The boat
rides on what the company calls an XPV hull. The running surface is 23
feet, same as the length overall, which enables the transom and outdrive
to be inside a bell-like housing. When the outdrive is fully trimmed on
the dead run, the boat lifts onto a modified pad, similar to that found on
bass boats and race boats, but with more surface. All of that plays to
the flat-out performance and bam-bam turning. It’s the V-hull, with a
sharp 20 degree deadrise, that keeps the 232 under control at all times.
Most unusual
for a boat with a 350 Mag engine, wood-free construction, snap-in carpet
and the go to match the show is this: It retails for less than $39,000.
That’s the first rush from the 232 Interceptor Sport Cabin, but just wait
‘til it touches the water.. |
