New Toyota Ski Boats Start at $29,975

Toyota’s new U.S. boat-building unit, Toyota Marine Sports, has firmed up pricing for its first two offerings, bringing both high-performance ski boats in at what industry watchers say is the high side of the competitive price range for tournament-class boats. The Torrance-based marine unit also named the first 11 dealers who will handle the V-8-powered Epic ski boats when they are introduced later this month. Only one, Rice Honda Sea Doo, of landlocked La Puente, is in Southern California. Toyota said the 21-foot, open-bow Epic will retail for $29,975, including a custom trailer, and the closed-bow, 22-foot Epic-and-trailer combination will sell for $31,795. The boats, aimed at the professional competition water ski market, use the same aluminum V-8 engine that powers some of Toyota’s luxury Lexus cars.