Malibu Corvette Boat Reaches Limit

The name Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Corvette Limited Sport-V always suggested that this Malibu boat wouldn’t be available forever. That time has come. The last Corvette boat has motored off the assembly line and this storied production run is officially over. Nearly two years and 50 boats later, the Malibu Corvette Limited Sport-V has earned the awards and World-renown recognition befitting a cultural icon. And while a few production Corvette boats are available at select Malibu Boats dealerships, most of these boats have found homes. Those owners have their rare piece of Americana as well as the satisfaction that comes with obtaining a true collectors item.

Check out the Malibu Corvette Photos the Malibu Boats Flickr Channel.

Produced from December 2007 through November 2009, the Corvette Limited Sport-V was the fastest production towboat ever created. The Corvette truly embodied Malibu Boats “Pushing Limits” mantra. The 505hp Corvette LS7 came standard in the Z06 Edition Malibu Corvette pushed the success of this Malibu boat even further. But this innovative performance machine is more than power and speed.

Dubbed, “the Corvette that runs on water,” this Malibu boat is truly a Corvette. It was not just styled after the C6 Corvette. Every part of this vessel screams Corvette. The Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V was the epitome of Corvette Americana with a long list of powerfully innovative features. A Patented Power Wing Windshield, authentic Corvette high-back seats, an 8-speaker Malibu-Rockford Fosgate Stereo System, rear vents styled after the Corvette taillights and designed for through-hull ventilation, the signature Corvette “Cove” and a hood modeled after the car, which opened to reveal a specific storage center and the core of the stereo system.

While in production the Corvette Limited Sport-V earned Trailer Boats Magazine’s Excellence in Design Award as well as the attention of automotive and marine media around the world. This boat was not some hokey adaptation, the Malibu Corvette Boat was a real Corvette and the amazing reaction it received befitted such a boat.

While the acclaimed Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V is no longer being built, there are a small number of Malibu Boats Dealerships who have a Malibu Vet on display. If you never experienced the Malibu Corvette Boat in person stop by and take a look at this performance water sports machine up close and personal. Or drop by one of the Malibu Boats Factories to witness the Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V each plant has. You’ve got to see it to believe it. For more information on locating a Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V near you email Chris Crysdale (chrisc@malibuboats.com).

Tags: Malibu Boats | Trailer Boats Magazine | design excellence | Corvette Boat | industry awards | boating | ski boat | limited edition | GM | collector's item | international acclaim | rare boat | Z06 | LS7 | Vet | C6

Holman Fam Chooses Malibu Boats Over Corvette Factory

David and Kelly Holman from Clarksville, TN called the Malibu Boats Factory (@MalibuBoats)in TN while traveling to see about a tour. The Holmans planned to stop in Kentucky at the Corvette Factory, but then realized the Malibu Factory was not far and decided a Malibu tour would be their first choice. Kerri Johns, who works in Customer Service and Warranty for Malibu Boats, took the call and encouraged David and Kelly to stop by the plant.

David, Kelly and their five children have always had a love for boats. They are between boats right now, but have thought for a long time that their next boat would be a Malibu. David explained to us how choosing the Malibu Factory tour over the Corvette Factory came about. "When we realized that the Malibu plant was only two hours further than the Corvette Factory, we thought we would call and see if a tour was possible." David continued, "Kerri was so pleasant and willing when I spoke to her. We knew then that the Malibu plant was the best choice and we were right."

Kerri met David and Kelly in the front office at the Malibu Boats Factory in Loudon, TN and they were off. One of the first things they did was check out the Malibu Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V at the factory. The Holmans told Kerri about their love for Corvettes and since they wouldn't have a chance to visit the museum she thought seeing the Corvette that runs on water would be fun for them. And as Kerri put it, "They killed two bird with one stone and got their Corvette fix."

Then Kerri and Dennis Kelley, Quality Assurance Manager for Malibu Boats, gave them the detailed Malibu Boats tour. They started with mold-prep and worked their way through gel coat, lamination, assembly, rigging, upholstery install, lake test, QC and detail, explaining each step thoroughly along the way.

We asked David what he enjoyed most about the Malibu Boats tour and he immediately replied, "The amount of detail and effort taken to make each boat and grasping the concept of how the gel coat goes on first and the shell of the boat is made from the outside in." David went on to say, "We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves more than we could have imagined. The staff at the plant was so kind and treated us as the most important people in the world. Everyone was so willing to answer our never-ending list of questions."

The last question we asked David was what he thought of Malibu Boats now that he and Kelly had a chance to take the tour. "The level of customer service and patience for explaining details exceeded our expectations and the tour affirmed that craftsmanship, detail and innovations have placed Malibu Boats at the top of our list." David answered.

Kerri told us, "Dennis and I had the best visit with the Holmans! Kelly even hugged me on her way out. This type of personal contact with customers is the absolute best part of my job!"

If you are interested in taking a tour at Malibu Boats Factory in Loudon, TN like the Holmans please call (865) 458-5478 or fill out the Malibu Boats Contact Us form online. Make sure to include your desired tour date and time in the comments section. We would love to see you at the Malibu Boats Factory.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Malibu Factory | factory tour | Tennessee | Loudon TN | Corvette Factory | David Holman | Kerri Johns | Dennis Kelley | Corvette Boat

Matching Corvette Pulling Matt Minor's Malibu Wakesetter

We received this e-mail and photo from Matt Minor last week. It is a great shot!

My name is Matt Minor and I am the proud owner of a 2003 Malibu Wakesetter. While hitching the boat up for a weekend on the lake, my friends & I decided to get a little creative. Inspired by Malibu's recent 'Corvette Edition', we were able to round one up of matching color & year to pose as an unlikely, but very catchy tow vehicle. We were amazed how well the shot turned out. It seemed fitting that we share this photo with you so that others could enjoy.

The photo was taken in our small hometown of Fort Recovery, nestled between the rows of corn & soybeans of western Ohio. The Corvette belongs to Dan Timmerman of Ft. Recovery. We roll with a crew of die-hard boating fanatics who truly believe in the quality of boats Malibu puts on the water.

Thanks so much for sharing, Matt. Your photo is definitely in the running for our Fav Pic of September. The shot was a great idea! Nice looking Wakesetter and beautiful Vet too! Also thank you for the kinds words about Malibu Boats. At Malibu we all work hard to "Build the best boat.." and we pursue that goal with owners like you in mind. Thank you for believing in the Malibu Difference. We are proud to have you as a part of our family.

If you capture or come across a cool Malibu Boats-related photo let us know. We would love to post it here on the Malibu Boats Blog and Flickr Channel. We will even Tweet about it on Twitter. E-mail blog@malibuboats.com with links and/or images. Also make sure to include the name of the person who took the shot and give us a short description of the photo's contents. If you do not know this information and you are only forwarding a link, we can track it down. Thanks!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Matt Minor | Wakesetter | Corvette | Ohio | Fort Recovery | wakeboard boat | towing | Malibu Difference | boat owner

Malibu Boats & PRWeb 2009 Search Engine Watch Award Finalists

Malibu Boats and PRWeb have been announced as finalists for the 2009 Search Engine Watch Awards. Malibu Boats and PRWeb were cited as a finalist in the "Best Integration of Search with Other Media" category based largely on the results Malibu Boats achieved when introducing the Malibu Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V.

Malibu Boats and PRWeb are finalists in the Best Integration of Search with Other Media category for the 2009 Search Engine Watch Awards. They are joined in this category by Embarq/iCrossing and Intel -- "Sponsors of Tomorrow". Finalists are judged on four key areas of consideration including, innovation in methodology and execution, achieving success goals, excellence in tactical execution as well as overall approach and category relevance.

Malibu Boats partners with PRWeb, a leader in online news release distribution, to publicize the many ground-breaking innovations the world’s #1 water sports boat manufacturer introduces. Malibu Boats chooses PRWeb's for its penetration and multimedia features. It was the perfect service to use as a tool for the introduction of the Malibu Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V. Within three days of the first PRWeb release, Malibu Boats saw its Web site traffic increase 30 percent with page views up 25 percent. In less than six months, the company had earned 30 news articles, and today, more than a year after the release was made live, Malibu is still receiving sales leads and media inquiries from the news release.

“Just like the innovation that we build into the world’s best selling wakeboard and water ski boats, our PR efforts are unique and we constantly push limits,” commented Amy Mauzy, Malibu Boats Marketing Manager. Mauzy continued, “We are so excited that Malibu Boats is the a driving force behind the SEW Award finalist position. We’d like to thank PRWeb for providing us the tools to get the word out about Malibu innovations like the Corvette boat. PRWeb gives us the opportunity to integrate our extensive social media efforts and video content with our news releases to engage a broader audience.”

"Market research demonstrates that customers sometimes prefer information in one format over another - and PRWeb enables its customers to package and distribute their news in any format including text, audio and visual - and often all three," said Jiyan Wei, director of product management for PRWeb. "Malibu Boats consistently taps new PRWeb features, such as video, and integrates these into their news announcements to build awareness, drive Web site traffic and enhance their search engine visibility."

Winners will be announced at Search Engine Strategies San Jose, August 10-14. Finalists will receive 1-day passes (limit 3) to the SES San Jose sessions and Orion panels on the day the winner in their category is announced.

Tags: Malibu Boats | PRWeb | Search Engine Watch | Search Engine Strategies | Corvette | Corvette Boat | wakeboard boat | ski boat | SEW Award | award | finalist | PR | social media