The Highs: Highest-tech construction in the game makes the boat stronger and lighter than competition. Impeccable rigging. Check out the limber holes. Slip-in third bolster is smart. Glovebox between the bolsters is great for cell phones and car keys.
The Lows: Swap the positions for the fuel gauge and one of the oil pressure instruments so these monitors are grouped together. Galley cooler hatch should open on a kickstand. Not much stowage in the cabin.
Toughest Competitor: You’ll find a similar bottom-design approach on Douglas Marine’s Skater 399 Race/Pleasure V-bottom, which retails for $661,291 with the same power as our test boat, and the manufacturer says the boat should be a little faster than the OuterLimits. The Skater is built with epoxy resins but isn’t post-cured and weighs a little more. Cigarette vacuum bags its 39 Top Gun Unlimited, which weighs 9,700 pounds, and its twin-step design should run in the 96-to-98-mph range with twin staggered 600SCis and Bravo XR drives. It retails for $528,000.
On a 38′ go-fast, most builders use a twin-step approach with 2″-tall steps. Although this sufficiently aerates the bottom, it can make handling a little tricky due to more air being forced under the boat at fewer spots. With the Quad-Step design on its 39 Quattro, OuterLimits uses several shorter steps, which it claims will better distribute air across the bottom. The first and third steps are about 1½” tall, and the second and fourth are only about ½”. You still need to engage positive trim to run the 39 Quattro, which keeps the bow up and makes it less likely that you’ll stick it into a wave when starting a turn. I turned at speeds up to 80 mph and always felt as if I could correct the boat if it tried to dig in too hard. Top speed was 101.8 mph. One reason was the high-tech construction method used throughout the boat, which features epoxy resins, pre-impregnated fiberglass, and post-cured hulls, decks, and liners. All high-stress areas in the boat are reinforced with carbon fiber that sandwiches the core material. Details get the proper attention in the engine compartment where the walking surfaces are flawlessly finished in gel coat. The staggered engines are mounted on aluminum L-angles through-bolted to the stringers. Batteries are in polished aluminum boxes, and the trim pumps are on the ring bulkheads. The driver and copilot travel in bolsters with power drop-out bottoms. All the Livorsi instruments are grouped by function, and I liked having the twin trim switches – one for both drives, one for both tabs – on the throttle. Belowdecks, you’ll find a small galley to port with a drop-in cooler. To starboard, the head has excellent seated and standing headroom. Forward, the facing lounges are finished in leather. Top-shelf performance, construction, and accommodations make the 39 Quattro a step above.
| rpm | knots | mph | gph | naut. mpg. | stat mpg. | n. mi. range | s. mi. range | run angle | sound level |
| 1000 | 8.3 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 371 | 427 | 1 | 76 |
| 1500 | 12.2 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 322 | 371 | 1 | 77 |
| 2000 | 16.1 | 18.5 | 19.5 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 319 | 367 | 0 | 75 |
| 2500 | 34.2 | 39.4 | 25.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 516 | 593 | 1 | 85 |
| 3000 | 44.3 | 51.0 | 32.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 531 | 611 | 1 | 86 |
| 3500 | 53.5 | 61.6 | 45.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 460 | 530 | 1 | 89 |
| 4000 | 62.1 | 71.5 | 58.9 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 408 | 470 | 0 | 92 |
| 4500 | 71.6 | 82.4 | 75.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 369 | 424 | 0 | 93 |
| 5000 | 80.8 | 93.0 | 93.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 333 | 383 | 0 | 96 |
| 5350 | 88.5 | 101.8 | 99.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 343 | 394 | 0 | 99 |
LOA: 39’11” ** **
Beam: 9’2″
Draft (max.): 3’0″
Displacement (lbs., approx.): 8,500
Transom deadrise: 24°
Bridge clearance: 5’0″
Max. cabin headroom: 5’9″
Fuel capacity (gal.): 430
Water capacity (gal.): 18
Price (w/standard power): $546,938
Price (w/test power): $572,833
STANDARD POWER: Twin 500-hp Mercury Racing HP525EFI Bravo One XR V-8 gasoline stern drives.
OPTIONAL POWER: Twin gasoline stern drives to 2,150 hp total.
Test boat power: Twin 600-hp Mercury Racing HP600SCi V-8 gasoline stern drives with 502 cid, swinging 155/8″ x 34″ Hering six-bladed ss props through 1.5:1 reductions. Standard Equipment (major items) Awlgrip-finished bilge; 30a shorepower; electronic battery switching system; Livorsi GPS/speedometer; Garmin GPS/chartplotter; mechanical trim indicators; head w/porcelain pump-out commode; AM/FM/CD stereo w/6 speakers; 2 batteries; 2 bilge blowers; 3 auto. bilge pumps; external hydraulic steering; fuel filter/shutoff valves; hydraulic engine hatch.
