2002 Honda Aquatrax F 12x Turbo Top Speed
The recent history of personal watercraft reads much like the evolution of the automobile over the past 50 years, only condensed into a decade or so. EPA and CARB regulations have caused a 90-percent reduction in watercraft emissions, with fuel-injected four-stroke engines replacing two-stroke carbureted units. In the process, exhaust noise has been drastically reduced, and refinement is way up. Meanwhile, instead of offering room for just one rider to stand up, ever-increasing size and weight have resulted in enough space for two passengers to sit down.
The best part of all this, as with cars, is the phenomenal spike in horsepower that has occurred. In 1998, a three-seat Sea-Doo made 85 horsepower. But many of today's personal watercraft are turbo- or supercharged and make 200—or even 250—horsepower. Indeed, in 2000, the Coast Guard's concern that performance was getting out of hand prompted a gentlemen's agreement among watercraft builders to limit top speeds to 65 mph.
In 2002, just as tougher emissions standards were taking effect, Honda introduced its squeaky-clean four-cycle, four-cylinder AquaTrax line. The naturally aspirated 135-hp F-12 and turbocharged 165-hp F-12X models have given way to the overhauled-for-2008 Honda AquaTrax F-15X you see here, which features a longer hull and a bump in displacement from 1.2 to 1.5 liters.
Making 197 horses, the fuel-injected, dry-sump DOHC four-cylinder revs to 7100 rpm, and an IHI turbocharger adds 10 psi of intercooled boost. This Honda still lacks an electronic throttle, but otherwise it's nearly as modern as current car engines. (Honda, how about plugging this engine into a Fit to create an Si version?)
We put the 11-foot-long, $13,299 F-15X to work in Lake Michigan, and it definitely delivers on broad appeal. It's quiet at speed, comfortably seats three adults, deftly cuts through choppy water, and possesses convenience items such as three storage cubbies, smart-looking digital gauges, and a $1000 GPS place-marker option. And what a gratifying engine: immediate throttle response, almost no perceptible turbo lag, and in an instant, it hurls the 950-pound craft on plane from rest.
We couldn't resist strapping on our test gear for a few acceleration blasts, and 0 to 60 mph takes just 6.2 seconds. The F-15X isn't the quickest craft out there, and its acceleration tapers off sharply as it approaches the 65-mph top speed. In fact, there's so much drag at that speed that simply releasing the throttle slows the watercraft at 0.5 g, or about half the force of a full-on panic stop in a car. That's why its 0-to-30-mph time is even more impressive—a 1.9-second sprint that nearly matches a Corvette off the line. Without scaring us too much, the F-15X pulled more than 0.8 g in a 300-foot arc.
These toys aren't cheap, but with the step change in power, performance, and convenience compared with 10 years ago, these are outstanding times in the personal-watercraft segment. ($13,299; www.powersports.honda.com/watercraft)
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2002 Honda Aquatrax F 12x Turbo Top Speed
Source: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15150122/2008-honda-aquatrax-f-15x/
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