2020 MasterCraft ProStar - sneak peek

[Horton]

 

“MasterCraft has spent 3 years working with Ilmor developing and refining the new Gen 5 six liter, and we couldn’t be more excited about its release as the standard motor in the 2020 ProStar. Throughout the validation process we saw performance gains that absolutely raised the bar for the slalom pull as well as an unbelievable jump and trick pull. This marriage of motor and machine has brought the ProStar to a performance level that will continue to clarify why the ProStar is the the best skiing, best performing ski boat on the market.” Freddy Krueger

 

"I've been training with the 6.0 since last year. It's led to my most successful start to year the since I started in Pro skiing. The engine is strong where you need, responsive but crucially not overly aggressive in the wrong places." Freddie Winter

[ColeGiacopuzzi]

Colors are going to be so rad! look closely...

[skimtb]

Good call. I spy orange.

[ScotChipman1]

Is this new engine next generation like the 5.3 (H5) and 6.2 (H6) or old technology like the current 6.0 that you can get in a Malibu or Nautique?

[Keith_Menard]

@ScotChipman1 I was wondering the same thing...the 6.0 I have in my 04 Denali was an AWESOME engine...but the 6.2 I have in my new Denali is head and shoulders above it.

[UWSkier]

GM L96 6.0L is sequential fuel injection and iron block. H5 and H6 are direct injected and aluminum blocks.

 

Ilmor also has 5.3 and 6.2L engines. Not sure if those are optional in the Prostar as they're lighter by a good bit.

 

Still though, 6.0L as a base engine replacing the old 5.7 is nice.

[vtmecheng]

I had the pleasure of skiing behind a 2020 Prostar last week at Peace, Love, and Waterskiing with Corey Vaughn. He has a shorter setup on one side and the engine got me up and to speed in plenty of time. Even I noticed how nice it skied and I'm a crap skier. At long line 30 mph I hardly noticed there was a wake. Also, my wife was in the boat and made a couple comments about how nice it is.

[Horton]

@ScotChipman1 GM GEN 5

[ScotChipman1]

So direct injected and aluminum blocks? If so that will be a sweet engine!

[vtjc]

Ilmor Site https://www.ilmor.com/Marine/Mastercraft-Inboard/60L-MPI

[swc5150]

The 1,000 hour warranty is nice too.

[UWSkier]

something seems off. GM Gen 5 are only 5.3L and 6.2L. There's also supposedly a 6.6L for 2020.

 

From what I can find, GM has never produced a Gen 5 6.0L engine.

 

LINK

[Roger]

@Horton - Does this engine idle instantly like the other two boats (MB and CC)? The one thing that sometimes annoys me with my ProStar is waiting for the engine to idle down on initial start-up. Still love my (16) ProStar!

 

Edited to add: Okay, watched the video, idles down faster than my current boat at least...

[ThomasAlive]

Hmmm

https://mastercrafttrader.com/boats/2020_Mastercraft_PROSTAR_140504/

;)

[Horton]

Gentleman the engine was officially announced today. I read lots of questions I don't know how to answer. At this point you guys know as much as I do.

[SkiSam]

@Horton The boat definitely looks nice, can't wait to see what you think of it.

@Roger I think the quick idle is just because it was warmed up already from running it around the lake. Still idles pretty quickly from cold though in my somewhat limited experience.

[markchilcutt]

2020 is sounding like a really nice year for a new boat.

[jayski]

Be interesting to see where the price falls now with the 6L in it, has to create a fair bump.

[SkiSam]

As long as it's well clear of a Nautique :lol:

[RAWSki]

Nice -- 2 years of rumors finally materialized. That's a beautiful looking engine. So different than the PCM unit. Welcome to the 6L standard MC!

[JackQ]

How differently from PCM? Still a GM long block, electronics and fuel system.

 

[Horton]

 

[RAWSki]

@JackQ sorry I am not an engineer. Perhaps it's just the color. Or Shape of the manifolds-down pipes and lack of plastic branded covers?? @Horton Is there a published HP yet?

[markchilcutt]

So nice to see the raw water impeller moved to an easy change out spot!

@RAWSki HP= 373 Torque FT-LB= 407

[markchilcutt]

https://www.ilmor.com/Marine/Mastercraft-Inboard/60L-MPI

[Dirt]

Is the hull the same? I am wondering what the suface area is on it, especially compared to the other boats.

Why a 6.0? It was the best engine in the 200.

[JackQ]

I realize that the ancillaries (alternator, raw water pump, exhaust manifolds, etc) are different but typically at the end of the day the differences between marinizers or is it marinizors, beyond ancillaries is minimal.

[Gar]

Looks like a great design easy to access a lot of things but is that a brace on the raw water pump if so looks like it needs some more meat.

[Horton]

@dirt the hull unchanged. I know of no other changes besides under the engine box.

[Dacon62]

Hull is great as is...no change necessary.

[DangerBoy]

@UWSkier Is it possible they may be using one of those other blocks like the 6.2 and just stroking it a little differently to get the 6.0 displacement rating? Have a look at the bore dimensions on the 6.2:L Gen 5 engine and on the Ilmor 6.0 L and see how they compare. It would cost way too much to build a different block for this application so methinks they're probably using an existing block and stroking it a little differently to get the different displacement number. 0.2 L is only about 12 cu in so spread out over 8 cylinders you don't have to decrease the stroke distance all that much to get a 6.2 L down to 6.0. Maybe others could chime in here. Does that sound plausible?

[ScotChipman1]

The only thing I don't like is the extra blower that can be a little annoying. If the air intake was lower in the engine compartment and/or more fresh air was forced into the engine compartment you likely would not need the extra blower to keep the air intake temperature down.

[jjackkrash]

It is nice to see an upgraded base engine over the 5.7l (even if its not a direct injected engine like the 5.3 or the 6.2).

 

https://www.ilmor.com/Marine/Mastercraft-Inboard/60L-MPI

[theboardingschool]

The engine is amazing! We’ve had the first production one in our boat at The Boarding School since October. 400 hours on it now. No issues. Very strong and smooth. The Zero Off is really dialed in as well. @FWinter can attest. Y’all are going to be very happy with this one. I’m just happy I don’t have to go in to panic mode when a student opens our engine box anymore.

[WaterSkier12]

I think you called it “testing out some things” when we were there for the Yeah Buddy Cup?

[LLUSA]

Somebody is definitely listening water pump impeller back in front where it belongs!!!!

[BraceMaker]

@ScotChipman1 would be nice to see a real pulse width modulated fan that could run based on actual ventilation needs of the engine.

 

The current one is on off.

 

PWM fans are basically standard in all cars now.

[bishop8950]

@Horton when does yours arrive? I can’t wait to ski it. I have always felt the ProStar would be better (already great) with a bit more power.

[UWSkier]

@DangerBoy this one is a Gen IV block. It's iron and it's MPI, not DI. Very nice upgrade from the 5.7 as the base engine and should be bulletproof. Would be interesting to ski it back to back with a Gen V and see if the weight makes a difference. Gen V engine should be about 100 lbs lighter.

[Cnewbert]

@jayski, the MSR base price of the 2019 Prostar was $80,950. Action Water Sports priced me out a new 2020 and its base price was $84,280. So, a $3,330 bump. Part inflation I suppose. But the greater part of the price hike is likely the new engine.

[LoopSki]

wow 21k more than i paid for my 2017. so glad i bought when i did!

[Cnewbert]

@LoopSki, remember, those are the MSRP. Nobody pays that, or anything close to it. My quote from Action for a new boat/trailer with options came out to about 24% off the MSRP. That would make the base price for the 2020 with the new 6.0L 373HP engine $64,052 at that discount rate, or about $2,530 more than the 2019 at that same discount. That seems pretty reasonable for the bigger engine.

[rico]

Can't wait to ski the new baby!

[addkerr]

Anyone know if you can get the 6L base with closed cooling, or is it on the DI engines you can get closed cooled?

[markchilcutt]

I was told the top jumpers are loving the new power plant and hitting 230 foot jumps behind it. No more option for the 5.3 or the 5.7. You get a 6.0 or 6.2. Could be a long winter waiting on a 2020!

[Jaypro]

@theboardingschool Travis, we almost sank that boat! I did lift that massive motor box, I just didn't know what the hell I was looking at!!

[Greg Banish]

@Horton "MPI" = Multi Port Injection (NOT a GenV DI engine). You can see the fuel rail crossover above the middle of the intake manifold in the pictures, confirming that it's based on the older (GenIV) engine. Still, not a bad engine though. They have proven super durable in their OEM truck applications over the years.

[BraceMaker]

DI is heart break when your intake valves carbon up

[SkiSam]

@Cnewbert The difference between MSRP and actual price chops a good bit off, plus the inflation from '18 to '19 is ~2.5% so it's really a negligible bump in price.

[Cnewbert]

@SkiSam, If you read my follow up post you’ll see I actually said essentially the same thing.