Tristram 851 Winner of 7 Boat Of The Year Awards now with 265hp V6 CMD TDi

Undercover Trial ‚ Tristram installs first CMD TDI sterndrive in NZ

The newly released Cummins MerCruiser Diesel (CMD) TDI engines have received some rousing support as they continue to draw plenty of positive attention following their debut at the Auckland International Boat Show.

Lance Fink, owner of Tristram Boats in Hamilton NZ, was one of the first to realise the potential of these engines.
Lance was no stranger to TDI technology, driving an Audi Q7 with a 4.2 V8 TDI, so when the opportunity came up to trial one on the water he jumped at it. 

A 265hp V6 CMD TDI was installed in a Tristram 851 Grandeur‚ the 9.1 metre trailerable cruiser that has won seven Boat of the Year Awards ‚ which was then run through its paces.

We were very, very impressed by the performance ‚ good things do come in small packages, Lance said.

We’re talking about a three tonne boat. To have a top speed of 40.4 knots (75 km/h) with a V6 3-litre engine is quite outstanding.

At 1600 revs if you weren’t holding on you were thrown out the back of the boat ‚ the pick up was that good.

The official figures from the test show the Grandeur hit 15mph (24 km/h) in three seconds and 30mph (48 km/h) in just eight.

Lance has already sold one 851 Grandeur with the V6 CMD TDI as part of the package, and he’s sure more will follow.

It’s a lightweight, compact engine so it’s easy to install and because it’s a common rail diesel there was no fuming and no smell, he said.

The CMD TDI engines, created with Volkswagen’s engineering excellence, deliver high performance from a compact and lightweight platform.

Not only is there plenty of power and acceleration, they’re also quiet and frugal.

During the test we were using 25 litres an hour at 50 kilometres an hour, Lance said.

So why would you bother with a V8 petrol engine ? You wouldn’t, because that would be using 48 litres an hour.

MerCruiser’s David Meehan was very pleased with the test, but not surprised. It’s further proof of what we’ve been saying ‚ these are simply fantastic diesel engines.

They have certainly been the centre of attention at all the recent boat shows because, quite rightly, people can see they are the new standard in diesel performance.

The TDI range available throughout Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific covers three engine platforms. 

1.9L 4 cyl in-line ‚ 40 to 75hp, only weighs 200kg, available in inboard or stern-drive configuration

3.0L V6 ‚ 225 to 265hp, high power density and outstanding running quality, 325kgs base engine

4.2 L V8 ‚ twin variable geometry turbo engine based on the Audi Q7 heritage. 350hp and 700Nm, 368kg base engine

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

Top Speed (MPH@RPM)    46.5 @ 4400 RPM

Acceleration 0 – 15 mph Plane 3 sec

Acceleration 0 – 30 mph 8 sec