Beam: 8’6″
Dry Weight: 2,100 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: 12/1,650 lb.
Fuel Capacity: 30 gal.
More Information: sunchaserboats.com
The LR in SunChaser’s 8522 LR stands for lounger, and it’s an apt description. Nearly every inch of the craft’s inside perimeter is filled with seating. Forward, a 4-foot lounge to port is complemented by a 5-foot lounge to starboard. Add the optional gate-filler jump seat, and you’ve got nearly 12 feet of wraparound seating. It’s a similar theme aft. To port, a nearly 8-foot-long lounge occupies the side; to starboard, another 4-foot lounge resides behind the helm chair. All of that furniture features comfortable under-thigh bolsters, and seat bases are on two-part hinges so they pivot completely out of the way when accessing the roto-molded storage below. Molded-in gutters and drains keep the contents dry and maintenance to a minimum. Pedestal table mounts both fore and aft promise to keep all the drinks and munchies within easy reach of the crew.
Upgrade to the touring package, like our test boat had, and you’ll add cushy pillow tops to that furniture, as well as a list of other items, including a 2-inch-raised executive helm, enhanced gauge package, high-back helm chair, upgraded wheel, tilt steering, Infinity stereo, platform lighting and four-step boarding ladder. Our test boat also included an attractive sea-grass-weave carpet on the aft platform and a 3-foot-6-inch-tall, stainless-steel ski tow arch. Standard amenities include the aluminum-framed Bimini and a pop-up changing room that opens from under the port lounge. Bonus points are reserved for the changing room door’s handy netted pocket, which holds the normally floppy curtains.
The 8522 LR was powered by an Evinrude 150 E-TEC. Combined with a unique, shorter 25-inch center tube, it displayed agile reflexes and just a hint of outside lean as well as a nearly instantaneous plane. Zero to 30 mph time was 7.4 seconds, with peak speed clocking in at 36.3 mph.
Buyer’s Spotlight
*It carries up to 12 passengers between twin bow lounges and has matching captain’s chairs and luxurious aft couches.
*Revolutionary Planing Technology eschews round tubes in favor of shapes welded to include actual keel and chines.
*Want to stand out from the crowd? Extreme package blacks out rails, fencing and even pontoons while adding bold contrast highlights.
*Powered by Evinrude’s spirited E-TEC 150 hp outboard, our tester topped 36 mph and raced to 30 mph in just 7.4 seconds.
*We were impressed by the attention to small details, such as the netting incorporated into the changing room door to secure the curtains.
How We Tested
Engine: Evinrude 150 E-TEC
Prop: Viper 14¾” x 16″ 3-blade stainless steel
Gear Ratio: 1.86:1
Fuel Load: 27 gal.
Crew Weight: 150 lb.
Price
$31,730 (with test power)
Contact
SunChaser New Paris, Indiana; 866-766-9698; sunchaserboats.com
