"We're very excited about the future of Cigarette Racing. There's lots more to come." - CEO Alex Ruiz
The almighty Cigarette Racing has upped the ante.
After being purchased by billionaire entrepreneur John H. Ruiz and Lionheart Capital in 2021, the renowned brand immediately went on the offensive.
Shortly after the acquisition, the company made several bold moves including announcing plans for a 130-foot superyacht and a line of electric PWC's. New CEO Alex Ruiz also took the helm with bold plans to embark the legendary brand on a journey towards a broader cultural appeal.
The latest announcement marks the arrival of the all-new 52' Thunder Center Console. The new model will slot in between the existing 42' Auroris and the flagship 59' Tirranna.
The new model features a modernized approach to Cigarette's design philosophy which includes a greater focus on amenities and layout. The 52' Thunder features a full chef's kitchen at the stern with an adjustable and removable social table. With the table up, there is seating for six in a dinner setting, but when removed creates a wide-open social lounge from the helm to the transom. A new focus on hydraulic storage can be found throughout, including large button-activated storage lockers in the stern for water toys and multiple button-activated storage lockers around the helm and bow.
The helm station offers massive layout with hydraulic racing-style seating for seven passengers. Each seat is fully adjustable with button-activated adjustments to reach the ideal height. Oversized Garmin dual screens make for an expansive array of technology- all of which is touchscreen activated.
Up front is a large bow lounge with seating for 8-10 and includes a second adjustable and removable social table. A control station also gives passengers control to the stereo and lights. A massive forward-facing sunbed also offers additional relaxation space for up to three passengers.
Below deck is a full size cuddy cabin with 6'6" of headspace and adjustable windows on either side. Each window is button-activated and can switch between a dark tint for nighttime privacy and clear glass for daytime views. Other features include 4K televisions, a complete head with shower and sink, and a full-size mirror. A 16,000 BTU air conditioning unit and 15kW generator add additional comfort.
From Cigarette CEO Alex Ruiz, "We're very excited about the 52' Thunder. It will fill the gap between the 42' and the 59', and we had a lot of customers asking about that. It's a great fit and it has all of the performance that we want as Cigarette Racing. It's a completely new hull, and we did lots of new things with the layout. Everything is new all the way down, and we did a lot of work to get it the way we want it. We did lots of new things with the interior, and the finishes are exactly what we wanted. We're very excited about the future of Cigarette Racing. There's lots more to come.'
The 52' Thunder boasts an LOA of 52'1" (15.85 m) without outboards, and a 14' beam (4.26 m). It carries a 36" draft at full load, a dry weight of 29,000 lbs (13,150 kg), and 24 degrees of deadrise at the transom reminiscent of Cigarette's premium 515 model.
The 52' Thunder will carry an 880 gallon fuel tank (3330 L) and a top speed of 80 knots (92 mph).
The high-end performance will come courtesy of a six-engine setup with 3000 horsepower using Mercury Racing's all-new V8 supercharged 500R performance outboard.
According to Ruiz, "we've had customers asking for everything- some wanted six 500R's, some wanted five 500R's. We had a customer ask for five 600R's. We've had guys working with us that have so much experience. With all the design work and getting everything ready to go, we have Erik (Christiansen- President), and Kurt Bender (Vice President), who know so much about high performance. It's all about Cigarette being the leader. We work with great guys who can do so much with designing and building."
The new 500R platform was just released by Mercury and features a 4.6-liter 64-degree V8 FourStroke powerhead boosted by an exclusive Mercury Racing supercharger.
Cigarette has also confirmed the upcoming launch of a line of PWC's and more center console models for late 2023 or early 2024.
Stay tuned.
You can get a walkthrough of the new 52' Thunder from Performance Boats in the video below:
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