2004 Porsche
911
 By  Mitch McCullough
 $73,750 to
$86,000

MasterCraft MariStar 280 VLD

There is no substitute
The Porsche 911 is the quintessential high-performance sports car and has been for as long as we can remember. A lot of driving enthusiasts grew up wanting one. This iconic machine celebrates it 40th anniversary in 2004, and it remains the standard by which other sports cars are judged.

The legend of the Porsche 911 is no myth. The current version delivers the latest engine and chassis technology and better performance than all but a few exotic cars available in North America. What's really impressive, though, is how easy it is to drive a 911. It's more user-friendly than a Ferrari, a Chevrolet Corvette or a Dodge Viper, and it's easier to live with as a daily driver. The 911 makes a better daily driver than the Porsche Boxster, as well. Porsche rightfully prides itself on the 911's wash-and-wear quality. As true high-performance sports cars go, the 911 has a reputation for being nearly bullet-proof, and there's very little about it that's finicky.

The wide array of 911s available might create some confusion among buyers beginning to explore the world of Porsche. Yet each of the 11 models is really a variation on, or a grade of, one primary theme, and any of them is an outstanding performer.

MasterCraft gets it
This boat company understands that emotion is a big part of a successful design. It’s not enough to build a solid boat, you have to put some passion into it, too, and few builders are as passionate about its boats, its sports, and its owners as MasterCraft.

The latest expression of the MasterCraft fervor—and our 2003 Boat of the Year—is the MariStar 280 VLD. This boat lets MasterCraft take its inboard runabout experience into a new market. The 280 VLD is not a skiboat. It’s more than 28' long, with a beam of 9'6", and it redefines the concept of a big-water dayboat. With its outstanding construction and V-drive inboard power, it’s ideally suited for intracoastal salt water. It offers the elbowroom and amenities (such as a head compartment) that make deckboats so popular with families. And it presents a stylish profile that’s equal parts American swagger and European chic, new school and retro, practical and outrageous.

The pickle-fork bow is its signature. The boat’s designer, Peter Granata of Granata Designs in Hilton Head, South Carolina, says the shape of the bow was originally drawn for the MasterCraft X-Star wakeboard boat.

“MasterCraft wanted to increase the room in the X-Star and wanted a look that I would describe as sinister—to appeal to the youthful wakeboarding market,” says Granata. “I call it a cat on a V-hull, because it’s not a tri-hull shape as you’d find in a deckboat. The broad bow gives you more space forward and a boarding platform at the peak. And the look is great.” The bow seating area is as big and as deep as a hot tub.