The 400 horsepower PWC cometh

Given the conversion rates to US dollars, the HCS-Benelli Series-R range is likely to be very expensive in comparison to its contemporaries in the United States, though given the level of specification, many consider that the race machinery is indeed still a bargain.

There’s one other issue still to be resolved before the Series-R range makes an appearance in the lucrative U.S. market and that’s that the machinery has yet to gain U.S. Coast Guard approval – something which might be problematic given that the V6-engined machinery is likely to easily contravene the agreement between the manufacturers and the Coast Guard that no standard PWC will exceed 65 mph.

Where it all goes from here will be interesting. The aftermarket accessory market for PWCs is booming and an unlimited budget for go-fast goodies can build you a 90 mph PWC from the current crop of machinery.

Both the Benelli 1100 and MV Agusta F4 bike engines are capable of producing incredible performance with off-the-shelf parts. For example, the more expensive motorcycle variants of the MV Agusta F4 1078cc engine (such as the 2008 “312” model) produce in excess of 200 bhp. Benelli is rumored to be close to announcing a turbocharged version of its TRE with more than 200 bhp on tap.

Accordingly, 400 bhp is achievable from both the Italian V8 and Austrian/Italian V6 using readily available parts. 400 horses in a jet ski is a tantalizing prospect to be sure … and this is just the start.