Alex Smith reports from the 2022 British Motor Yacht Show, taking us on a full tour of the Twisted T-450 RIB, which was designed to be the Land Rover Defender of the seas...
Unlike most boats, the Twisted T-450 name doesn’t refer to its length (it’s actually 28ft). Instead it refers to the twin 225hp outboards on the transom, which combine to give 450hp on tap.
Twisted has a great heritage of taking beautiful iconic vehicles like Land Rover Defenders and turning them into wonderful desirable pieces of automotive artwork that retail for hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Having bought a marine engineering firm in Salcombe back in 2020, Twisted has been biding its time before entering the marine market and this Twisted T-450 is their opening gambit.
If you’re a serious RIB fan this boat might look quite familiar to you, and that’s because it’s based on the Cobra Nautique 8.7. Twisted has taken that bare hull and fitted it out entirely in house.
They also enlisted the help of powerboat racing champion Tom Montgomery-Swan to upgrade the performance, balance and aesthetics.
Article continues below…
Cobra Nautique 9.2m review: £185k British RIB vs big offshore waves
Nimbus T8 review: Is this trailable pocket rocket an Axopar killer?
The idea here is not prodigious power to bludgeon the boat into going as fast as possible. Instead Twisted are aiming for excellent balance, user-friendly performance and user-friendly speed, to get the most they can out of a lightweight, balanced hull.
It looks like Twisted Marine is going to be another very welcome brand name on the power boating market.
Enjoy the tour…
Twisted T-450 specifications
LOA: 28ft 7in / 8.7m
Beam: 8ft 5in / 2.56m
Engines: Twin 225hp Mercury V6 Verado outboards
Top speed: 58 knots
Range: 200nm
Starting price: £179,950 (ex. VAT)
