Yamaha's WaveRunner VXR: High-Speed Performance at a Surprisingly Affordable Price

​Yamaha WaveRunner VXR: A High-Performance PWC Without the High Cost and Complexity

In the high-performance personal watercraft (PWC) market, achieving 65 mph is considered a benchmark, but it typically comes with a steep price tag and requires a supercharged engine. Yamaha's WaveRunner VXR breaks the mold by hitting that magic number and beyond for just over $11,000 without the complexity and expense of a turbo.

Yamaha focused on distilling the VXR down to the bare essentials of a PWC, borrowing the hull from its popular VX line and tweaking it with a new sponson placement for sharper cornering. The company also used a lightweight, nano-engineered compound to shed 40 pounds. The VXR boasts the PWC industry's largest displacement engine, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder pinched from the FX High Output, resulting in a 728-pound boat with an approximately 180 hp engine for blistering performance.
​
The VXR also stands out for its handling ability, thanks to increased thrust, revised sponson placement, and greater pump suction that puts more hull surface in the water. Though cornering may require some old-school techniques, the effort is well worth the reward. The VXR lacks the bells and whistles of most new PWCs, but this simplicity allows the driver to focus solely on riding the machine fast.