Deep Abyss Blue paintwork that shifts with the light. Navy and black finishes, a suede-like Alcantara steering wheel, a carbon-shell helm seat, and ambient lighting that changes the mood after dark. It reads like the specification sheet of a sports car.
Instead, it belongs to a boat. The Gran Turismo 50 Alpine Edition is a limited-edition collaboration between Beneteau and French sports car maker Alpine, giving the company’s flagship express cruiser a distinctive identity inside and out, setting it apart from the standard Gran Turismo 50.
Although unveiled internationally at the Venice show earlier this year, the first New Zealand example is now being offered through 36° Brokers.
A layout built around Kiwi habits
36° Brokers describe this as a boat for relaxed days with family and friends that roll into a comfortable night or two away. The open cockpit, wide swim platform and unbroken flow into the saloon are what make that possible.
Picture the GT50 Alpine Edition at anchor in the Bay of Islands, settled in for a long weekend off Waiheke or Great Barrier Island, cruising the Marlborough Sounds, or hopping between beaches down the Coromandel. At just under 16 metres, there’s enough boat here to make all of that comfortable rather than aspirational.
From GT40 to a clean-sheet flagship
Beneteau didn’t stretch the GT40 to get here. The Gran Turismo 50 is a fresh design brief from the keel up, with a lower roofline, a tidier profile, and an interior laid out around a Japanese-influenced sense of openness that treats cockpit, saloon and galley as one space rather than three.
The hull itself is new too, drawn by British designer Bill Dixon specifically around IPS pod drives rather than retrofitted onto an older shape. It sits alongside new 35 and 40 models as part of a full reset of the Gran Turismo range, with the 50 taking the flagship spot.
What’s actually different to live with
Twin Volvo Penta IPS650 pod drives, producing 353kW (480hp) each, push the GT50 Alpine Edition to around 32 knots. Joystick docking comes standard, making life considerably easier when manoeuvring a 16-metre boat into a tight marina berth.
On deck, the galley runs the full beam and works as a servery as much as a kitchen, the table extends, and folding side terraces drop away to turn the whole aft end into a low lounge at the waterline, more villa than cockpit. Below, the three-cabin, two-head layout puts the owner’s suite forward rather than amidships, which frees up a full-beam VIP cabin aft. Draught sits at 1.18 metres, displacement at 14,751kg, air draught at 4.6 metres, and the boat carries CE certification of B10/C12.
We’re looking forward to taking the GT50 Alpine Edition out for a drive in the future. Early international reviews have consistently praised the GT50’s helm, deck layout and entertaining spaces, with the folding side terraces regularly singled out as one of the boat’s defining features.
Getting a look
The GT50 Alpine Edition is likely to draw attention around New Zealand marinas once it’s here. If you’d like to learn more about the Beneteau range or register your interest in the Gran Turismo 50 Alpine Edition, get in touch with the team at 36° Brokers.
