$79,995 - The Official 2017 21VLX Thread

[IXFE]

Just finished my round... Played lights out too!!

i feel kinda bad I left you guys spinning like this. The 22 VLX ain't going anywhere, fellas. It's Malibus #2 selling boat!!

The announcement has nothing to do with a new or cancelled boat. And frankly, this isn't the sort of thing Malibu is going to announce to the public. But they did in fact send the dealers a memo today. And it will make everybody here go, "WTF...?"

I'd post it but I can't burn my source. Sorry. 

[saxton15]

IXFE, you are a jedi of knowledge

[DarkSide]

So the sky isn't falling?

Edited August 12, 2016 by DarkSide

[85 Barefoot]

51 minutes ago, DarkSide said:

Yes but 21 VLX is a NEW boat and in the manual.  Existing boats are in the manual except 22VLX,  20MXZ (Dead), and the response series.  So it's different an unreleased boat missing vs. An established boat missing....

Obviously Malibu has been developing the 21 VLX for a long time so I'm not surprised its in the manual.  However, not all boats get released upon the factory changeover; T23 and M235 come to mind, so was a new model name intentionally excluded at print time?  Certainly plausible.  My guess is that there is a new "value" MXZ now coming out, may even be a 21.5 now that they've had some time to maximize space around the new Ford.  Same bow cockpit size as the old 22 MXZ in a smaller package with "gamechanging" wake...at $10-20,000 less.  That's my vote.

As to the responses, if they're gone, then I'd REALLY like to be a fly on Bob's wall!

[teamerickson]

6 minutes ago, IXFE said:

Just finished my round... Played lights out too!!

i feel kinda bad I left you guys spinning like this. The 22 VLX ain't going anywhere, fellas. It's Malibus #2 selling boat!!

The announcement has nothing to do with a new or cancelled boat. And frankly, this isn't the sort of thing Malibu is going to announce to the public. But they did in fact send the dealers a memo today. And it will make everybody here go, "WTF...?"

I'd post it but I can't burn my source. Sorry. 

Hope you broke 90!

You're on Santa's naughty list!

[67King]

7 minutes ago, IXFE said:

I feel kinda bad I left you guys spinning like this.

Spinning like the reel on a Zebco?

[DarkSide]

I started a new thread so as not to derail this one, any further...lol.    The news of the day is Chaparral licensed SURF GATE FROM Malibu.  It will still be named surf gate on the chaps

[NWBU]

Just now, DarkSide said:

I started a new thread so as not to derail this one, any further...lol.    The news of the day is Chaparral licensed SURF GATE FROM Malibu.  It will still be named surf gate on the chaps

Ha - the sky is falling after all!

[hethj7]

Wow, that escalated quickly.  IXFE is right - 22VLX is still available. 

[Technicallyabu]

Aftermarket surf gate incoming. 

[saxton15]

Aftermarket, as in, it can applied to older malibus?  Or, a partnership with Chaparral?

[85 Barefoot]

1 minute ago, Technicallyabu said:

Aftermarket surf gate incoming. 

Sweet.  

[bamabonners]

9 hours ago, IXFE said:

I'm glad to see that somebody is reading the MBUU thread.  Do you know why I started that thread years ago???  It was to prove the very point you just reiterated above

Boat prices are high because costs are high.  These boats ain't cheap to build.  Margins aren't as fat as people assume.  It's hardware, afterall!  You want fat margins, get into the software or services industries.  Very few companies fat margins on hardware.  Why do you think IBM sold all it's hardware divisions to Lenovo (a Chinese company)?  IBM is all software and services now.  For a counterpoint, let's look at HP... instead of buying PWC Consulting in 2001, then CEO Carly Fiorini bought another PC company (Compaq).  Whoops!  That company has never recovered.  

I don't know why I just slipped into a tech industry discussion... sorry

IBM and HP were feeling the pain of hardware because of their reluctance to change and push innovation.  The competition (Dell) put them in a position where they couldn't keep up.

The boating market doesn't seem to be in the same boat (no pun intended).  All of the manufacturers seem to be doing business the same... same business model, using similar suppliers, and basically copying the same ideas...  

I see one of two scenarios happening here:  Until a manufacturer comes along that makes the others change and begin to look at ways to really bring down the cost of production, 80k will be considered the "value price".   OR  The product gets too expensive and the customer (or the banks) decide to stop buying them.

 

[Chrisjjbrown]

People always bring up the banks will crack down and stop lending for these high priced wake boats.  

While I agree the prices are high let's not forget that the banks have the same loans for all the deep sea fishing boats and ocean cruisers, and mini yachets. The prices of those boats dwarf wake boat pricing. The banks aren't going to put an end to this. 

[bamabonners]

@Chrisjjbrown Never thought about that angle on the banks...

[DarkSide]

Not only that, but have you seen the price of an Escalade recently?  a fully loaded suburban?  While not M235 Coin they are well into Really Nice wake boat money.

[NWBU]

29 minutes ago, bamabonners said:

IBM and HP were feeling the pain of hardware because of their reluctance to change and push innovation.  The competition (Dell) put them in a position where they couldn't keep up.

The boating market doesn't seem to be in the same boat (no pun intended).  All of the manufacturers seem to be doing business the same... same business model, using similar suppliers, and basically copying the same ideas...  

I see one of two scenarios happening here:  Until a manufacturer comes along that makes the others change and begin to look at ways to really bring down the cost of production, 80k will be considered the "value price".   OR  The product gets too expensive and the customer (or the banks) decide to stop buying them.

 

Well, since they're only spraying 4 days a week most months, any of these manufacturers biggest opportunity to bring down cost/unit is to run more volume through the plant to spread their fixed costs across more boats. In other words, use more than 36-40 of the 168 hours in the week and you'll see a remarkably different cost structure from that alone.

The extra shifts and volume comes with it's own challenges but isn't a new manufacturing concept - just need to get the volume up though first. Then you can move onto looking for savings on the variable cost/boat side.

[DarkSide]

I still think something is up with 22 VLX  and ski boats.  No idea what, but there HAS to be a reason they were omitted.  

Maybe 22 rebranding, maybe new ski boat coming?  

Come on guys I got one more day of net meetings.  This thread has kept me from "punching infants" as Bama would put it

[BadgerBoater55]

10 minutes ago, DarkSide said:

I still think something is up with 22 VLX  and ski boats.  No idea what, but there HAS to be a reason they were omitted.  

Maybe 22 rebranding, maybe new ski boat coming?  

Come on guys I got one more day of net meetings.  This thread has kept me from "punching infants" as Bama would put it

Maybe 22 VLX is becoming 22 LSV?

[pauley71]

2 minutes ago, BadgerBoater55 said:

Maybe 22 VLX is becoming 22 LSV?

I like that idea.  Close anyway.

[67King]

8 hours ago, BadgerBoater55 said:

Maybe 22 VLX is becoming 22 LSV?

i almost think that would be the worst thing they could to to us 2015 and 2016 owners.

[dmoreton]

I am new to the forum and have been reading like a madman on this forum the last few weeks as I am looking to buy a new boat in the next couple of months. I reached out to my dealer this morning in regards to the memo he may or may not have received yesterday as someone elluded to in an earlier post and this was his response:

 

"There is a new ski boat coming out but not really what you are looking for and it will be a mid year release. They are changing the response."

 

Not sure if that helps out?

[pauley71]

Nice first post and welcome ^^^

[River Monsters]

9 minutes ago, dmoreton said:

I am new to the forum and have been reading like a madman on this forum the last few weeks as I am looking to buy a new boat in the next couple of months. I reached out to my dealer this morning in regards to the memo he may or may not have received yesterday as someone elluded to in an earlier post and this was his response:

 

"There is a new ski boat coming out but not really what you are looking for and it will be a mid year release. They are changing the response."

 

Not sure if that helps out?

Kudos for following this crazy thread, i only read every third or fourth page.  welcome to the crew. 

 

[bamabonners]

10 hours ago, NWBU said:

10 hours ago, NWBU said:

Well, since they're only spraying 4 days a week most months, any of these manufacturers biggest opportunity to bring down cost/unit is to run more volume through the plant to spread their fixed costs across more boats. In other words, use more than 36-40 of the 168 hours in the week and you'll see a remarkably different cost structure from that alone.

The extra shifts and volume comes with it's own challenges but isn't a new manufacturing concept - just need to get the volume up though first. Then you can move onto looking for savings on the variable cost/boat side.

Well, since they're only spraying 4 days a week most months, any of these manufacturers biggest opportunity to bring down cost/unit is to run more volume through the plant to spread their fixed costs across more boats. In other words, use more than 36-40 of the 168 hours in the week and you'll see a remarkably different cost structure from that alone.

The extra shifts and volume comes with it's own challenges but isn't a new manufacturing concept - just need to get the volume up though first. Then you can move onto looking for savings on the variable cost/boat side.

I understand what you are saying, but I don't think this applies in this particular market (but I am not a boat manufacturing guru).  They can't just make more boats and have them sitting around.  If it costs 70k each to build 3500 boats, then it will still cost 70k each to produce 3700 boats.  I would imagine that the biggest driver of costs is the amount of touch labor involved.  So, to reduce costs, they would need to reduce the amount of touch labor involved.  Things like reducing the amount of vinyl are the easiest way to reduce it.  

 

Edited August 12, 2016 by bamabonners