Pirelli 44 I Ducati Edition: It certainly didn’t come cheap

The Pirelli 44 | Ducati Edition is a Maxi-RIB, powered by three Mercury Racing engines, each delivering 500 PS. The term ‘Maxi-RIB’ may not be familiar to some SPEEDWEEK readers. RIB stands for Rigid Inflatable Boat. These are luxury rigid-hull inflatable boats with a hull length of 10 metres or more. The hull consists of circumferential air tubes and a deep V-hull, usually made of plastic or carbon fibre.

Another key feature is the powerful outboard engines, which enable these boats to reach top speeds of over 100 km/h. The Italian company SACS Marine is one of the leading manufacturers of such Maxi-RIBs.

SACS Marine and Pirelli have been collaborating since 2005; however, Pirelli does not supply the air tubes, but rather contributes to the design and the sporty image; in some cases, the boats are also marketed under the Pirelli brand name.

Sportiness and luxury – another Italian brand, Ducati, is a perfect fit here. The base model is the 13.5-metre-long Pirelli 44 Maxi-RIB. The two-stage hull draws air beneath the boat, reducing drag and enabling a top speed of over 90 km/h whilst maintaining extremely stable cornering. It can carry up to 18 passengers. As a tribute to the brand it is named after, the profile of the Cinturato Blue Full Wet tyre is embossed on the air tubes.

Drei Kompressor-V8 mit insgesamt 1500 PS: Topspeed 120 km/h

Foto: Ducati

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To mark Ducati’s company anniversary, 26 units of the Pirelli 44 are being built as a Ducati Edition. Its livery is inspired by that of the Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario. As speed freaks, we are delighted to note that the Ducati Edition of the boat – which is normally fitted with two Mercury outboard engines – is actually powered by three engines. These are supercharged V8 engines with a displacement of 4.6 litres, each delivering 500 PS. With a combined output of 1,500 PS, speeds of up to 120 km/h are said to be possible. It certainly doesn’t hold back.

As an added bonus, the tread pattern on the tyres for the Ducati Edition has been modified to match that of the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP motorbike tyre.

The price has not yet been announced. A fully equipped Pirelli 44 is expected to cost around €900,000. The three V8 supercharged engines in the Ducati Edition alone, including control systems and installation, are estimated to cost around €300,000; on top of this, the special paint finish, the Supercorsa-inspired design of the air hoses and other Ducati design elements push the price up further. The Pirelli 44 I Ducati Edition will certainly not be available for less than one million euros.