R8 OB Reveal

[AJStudios63]

It looks like Cobalt is going to reveal the new Cobalt R8 OB. They already have a few details out about it at https://cobaltboats.com/outboards/sc-se ... -outboard/. Looks like those twin 300HP engines are going to cost an arm and a leg.

[BobRae99]

Wait for it ... Big Block wants to know why he can't get twin 350 Mercury outboards. Twin 300s are the max!

[dustinm]

VERADO 600

[Big Block Power]

VERADO 600

I know it's lame!
At least mount some 400r's on her.

[AJStudios63]

It looks like a dealer testing out the boat has accidently leaked the new R8 OB on Facebook...



Also, it looks like Cobalt taken down the R8 website for now.

[tgrace98]

So before they took it down I saw the specs. 600hp and a 6800lb dry weight sounds pretty promising. I saw an r8 outboard at TRL last summer with a single 425 yamaha. It seemed to long for a single egg beater.

[Big Block Power]

I got to it from the link on here.

[ajcampen]

I would rather have the single 600hp outboard bs twin 300s...but that’s just me

[Big Block Power]

I would rather have the single 600hp outboard bs twin 300s...but that’s just me

Of course that's you I rather have twin 600s
Really twin 300 will dock so much easier. I don't know the diff Between the single 600 and the twin 300. I'm sure someone will post it. Lol

[BobRae99]

I would rather have the single 600hp outboard bs twin 300s...but that’s just me

Of course that's you I rather have twin 600s
Really twin 300 will dock so much easier. I don't know the diff Between the single 600 and the twin 300. I'm sure someone will post it. Lol

It seems to me twin outboards really kill the swim platform feature of the boat, an area used by our kids to hang out on, enter/exit the water, etc. At least with a single you get a flip down boarding step. But a 600 hp single is $70,000 which I’m betting is more expensive than twin 300s. And, as pointed out twins add redundancy and help with maneuvering close to the dock. I’m glad I boat in freshwater and can opt for an I/O setup.

[tgrace98]

I would rather have the single 600hp outboard bs twin 300s...but that’s just me

Of course that's you I rather have twin 600s
Really twin 300 will dock so much easier. I don't know the diff Between the single 600 and the twin 300. I'm sure someone will post it. Lol

It seems to me twin outboards really kill the swim platform feature of the boat, an area used by our kids to hang out on, enter/exit the water, etc. At least with a single you get a flip down boarding step. But a 600 hp single is $70,000 which I’m betting is more expensive than twin 300s. And, as pointed out twins add redundancy and help with maneuvering close to the dock. I’m glad I boat in freshwater and can opt for an I/O setup.

judging by how the market is going. I am going to guess in the next 5-10 years you will see more outboards than I/O's. I/O's are already pretty non existent in the salt water market and it is only a matter of time before they make their way to the inland boat buyers. As much as it would suck to give up all the swim platform space if I was looking at a new cobalt today(which I am not). I would have to give this one a hard look as from a drivability aspect it probably solves the couple things I dislike about my R7

[stifflkd]

Not sure about I/O's being non-existent in salt water. How is an outboard any better than I/O's in SW. Particularly now with the new gen VP's' come standard FW cooled. Owned a 2002 Cobalt Alpha1 submerged for 4 months in SW. Annual replacement of anodes and anti fouling paint is a small price to pay for clear access to the transom. Invaluable to me when wakeboarding, tubing or throwing out an anchor and hanging out.

[Table Rockin]

Meh outboards do nothing for me unless you are in SW. There is no reason for a freshwater pleasure boat to have an outboard engine (or two) taking up your platform. For us it THE area where people congregate when anchored. SW yes I get it......or if your looking to stack as many engines on your boat as possible. They make alot of sense on larger CC style boats, not a 28' inland boat. Maybe these will be popular on the coasts. I believe these new models are self bailing which is nice in that environment.

[mdadgar]

Meh outboards do nothing for me unless you are in SW. There is no reason for a freshwater pleasure boat to have an outboard engine (or two) taking up your platform. For us it THE area where people congregate when anchored.

Agree. Just would not work for what we want to do with our boat.

- Mark

[Snowman8]

Meh outboards do nothing for me unless you are in SW. There is no reason for a freshwater pleasure boat to have an outboard engine (or two) taking up your platform. For us it THE area where people congregate when anchored. SW yes I get it......or if your looking to stack as many engines on your boat as possible. They make alot of sense on larger CC style boats, not a 28' inland boat. Maybe these will be popular on the coasts. I believe these new models are self bailing which is nice in that environment.

I agree! Our R5 becomes the center of our tie ups in the summer. Many times there will be a half dozen people or more on the back seat & swim platform with many more floating in the water behind our boat. In MN we obviously don’t have salt water so I don’t know why I would ever want to give up the space we have on the back of the R5.

I’ve seen some large open bow boats with OB engines in our area and I just don’t get. Coastal areas yes, central MN NO!