Europe Marine from Budenheim has been building Viper motorboats by hand and with a love of detail for decades. It is therefore not surprising that everything is just right with the new 225 Toxxic. But let's start at the beginning: Europe Marine presented the new Viper 225 Toxxic at the Interboot 2022 in Friedrichshafen. For the first time, the boat designation had a 5 at the end instead of the usual 3. The first two digits indicate how long the boat is. The last digit, on the other hand, indicates what type of boat it is. The 3 stands for a cabin boat, the first 5 for a bowrider.
Arriving at the slip ramp, the first thing that catches our eye is the colour: aqua mint. "We wanted to bring the Miami flair to cold Germany," Yanick Nürnberger tells us with a laugh. He must have noticed our astonished looks straight away. The colour is not standard, but Viper doesn't want to build ordinary boats either.
But now to the boat. We enter it from the stern and stand on the spacious bathing platform. It is covered with grey deck decking from SeaDek and looks very inviting. A three-step bathing ladder is installed here, as is a hook for waterskiing or wakeboarding. If you want to go into the cockpit, you should take off your shoes.
Measurement results
The route leads over the large reclining area in the rear (1.24 m long and 1.95 m wide), which is finished in white with applications in the Aquamint colour. The cushions are pleasantly firm and well made. Once you have negotiated the sunbathing area, you will find yourself in the large cockpit. There is a large U-shaped sofa towards the stern. The steering position is well organised and the instruments are easy to read. The mechanical gearstick and power steering work perfectly. The large windscreen, made of safety glass, extends right up to the rear seat bench. This means that you can sit on the U-shaped sofa even when travelling at speed without being exposed to the full force of the wind. There is no windscreen wiper.
In the bow area - typical for bowriders - there is a U-shaped sofa that can be converted into a sunbathing area. This is then 1.60 m long and 1.20 m wide at its widest point. Here too, as everywhere else in the boat, the cushions are two-coloured and have a pleasant firmness. The entire floor is covered with SeaDek, as is the bathing platform. It is easy to walk barefoot here, as the material is soft and therefore feels good on the feet.
The inner values are convincing
Now to the centrepiece of the Toxxic, the engine. A Mercruiser Alpha 1 with 250 hp is installed on the 6.80 metre long boat. The V-6 with a displacement of 4500 cc accelerates the boat to a maximum speed of 42.6 knots. The economical planing speed is reached at around 3000 rpm. The Toxxic has a speed of around 21.4 knots and a calculated range of 153 nautical miles (plus 15 per cent reserve).
The overall handling characteristics are impressive. The Toxxic does what you would expect from a boat with a "snake logo". It is snappy, but not uncontrolled. In fast manoeuvres such as slalom or tight circles, it behaves excellently. If the ride trim is all the way down, it takes very tight turns. You should reduce the speed a little here, as high lateral forces occur.
Our test judgement
DRIVING & MANOEUVRING
- + Sporty driving characteristics
- + true to track
PROCESSING & TECHNOLOGY
- + Very good processing quality + Easy-to-read control stand SAFETY
- + Well-dimensioned grab handles
- - No windscreen wiper
COMFORT ON BOARD
- + cosy cushions
- + Large sun lounger at the rear
Conclusion
The new Viper 225 Toxxic is a real poison dwarf. The build quality is good and the handling characteristics were impressive in our test. With the built-in Mercruiser Alpha 1 and 250 hp, the boat is sportily motorised. If required, the boatyard also offers a more powerful version with a 350 hp Inboarder.
Technical data of the Viper 225 Toxxic
The boat
- Shipyard: Viper/D
- Type: 225 Toxxic
- CE category: C/7
- Hull and deck: Plastic
- Length over everything: 6,80 m
- Width: 2,55 m
- Depth: 0,91 m
- Unladen weight (small M.): 1700 kg
- Fuel tank: 185 l
- Freeboard: 0,85 m
- Cockpit side height inside: 0,87 m
- Railing height: 0,06 m
- Sunbed foredeck: 1.20 x 1.60 m
- Max. motorisation: 257 kW (350 hp)
- Price (with test engine): 78.900 €
- Distribution: Europe Marine, Budenheimer Parkallee 2, 55257 Budenheim, www.europe-marine.com
The motor
- Manufacturer: Mercruiser
- Type: Alpha 1
- Performance: 183 kW (250 hp)
- Full load speed: 4800-5200 rpm
- Cylinder: 6, V
- cubic capacity: 4500 cc
- Alternator: 12 V/70 A
- Fuel: Petrol
- Test propeller: 3x 14 1/2" x 19"
