Toyota 28 to feature composite construction

The world’s largest car manufacturer has revealed its plans for the upcoming Toyota 28, including a composite aluminium/fibreglass hull

Toyota is best known across the world for building affordable and reliable cars, but in its native Japan the firm also has a strong foothold in the marine industry, one it hopes to reinforce with the launch of the Toyota 28.

Unveiled last week at the Japan International Boat Show (March 4-6), this 26ft sportscruiser model is the first to be built under Toyota’s new partnership with Yanmar.

The Toyota brand is currently used on a range of aluminium-hulled boats, including the Ponam 31, but the Toyota 28 will be the first to feature a composite fibreglass/aluminium construction.

This new method will use vacuum infusion for the moulding, with aluminium stringers attached to a fibreglass hull with a foam core.

Toyota claims that the resultant vessel will be 10% lighter than its previous aluminium hulls and seven times more rigid than using fibreglass alone.

Also, with no need for welding it should further speed up production processes, a slightly scary thought for European boatbuilders when you consider the sheer financial heft and vast economies of scale behind Toyota Motor Corporation.

Interior styling is a mix of white upholstery and black surfaces, as the rendering above shows. A portside dinette sits just abaft of the starboard helm position, while a double cabin is situated up in the bows.

Engine options and prices have not yet been disclosed, but with the testing phase drawing to a close, Toyota and Yanmar hope to have the Toyota 28 on the water by October 2016.