Prince 30 Sport and Mazda MX 5 . Open air driving for the two queens of pleasure

Comparative test : Mazda MX 5 and Nuova Jolly Prince 30 Sport

If we wanted to interpret the meaning of the word “pleasure” literally, we would realize that its meaning refers to entertainment and fun. Emotions that, when we drive a vehicle designed for open air driving, are enhanced at the highest level.

If the object of our desire is also beautiful and definitively sporty, then other factors come into play, amplify the pleasure of driving and maximize our gratification, like the light satisfaction we feels when, in front the solemn gait of the sinuous silhouette of our vehicle, looks are inevitably magnetized in our direction.

It is therefore no surprise if we have decided to carry out a comparative test between these two queens of open air driving, two roadsters that, despite acting withing different fields, share the same principles of use and relegate very similar sensations when we drive them.

A day with the wind in our hair

It’s the morning of a sunny day when, shortly after sunrise, we leave from Milan to Lake Maggiore. With a little bit of difficulty, we arrange our camera equipment, filming drone and camcorder in the small boot of the Mazda MX5 that can accommodate luggage for just one weekend and two people.

Out of the garage, the cold air of the morning would recommend us not to uncover the car but a test is a test so, after pushing the dedicated button, we witness the small masterpiece of engineering that, within just 13 seconds, transforms the vehicle from a small sporty coupé into a pure roadster.

On board, we are very comfortable, the driving position is perfect and everything is within reach. The gearbox is short and sexy, like the rest of the car after all.

In one bit, I connect the audio system to my smartphone, I play ” Sultans of Swing”, engage gear and run on the deserted road. I run at full throttle and the sound of the MX 5 rises to go wild just as Mark Knopfler sings ” You feel all right when you hear that music ring”;  a shiver of pleasure goes down my spine, I engage the second gear and, at that moment, I understand why this car is the world’s best-selling roadster.

Reluctantly, I slow down and get on the freeway. I run at 90 km/h, the maximum speed allowed in that stretch of road. Under these conditions, air protection is almost total and it is not cold.

I can even hear all the notes of the second song of my playlist without turning the volume up. ” This could be heaven or this could be hell”, the verse says, and I smile because these words perfectly express the charm of driving this car.

On the motorway, it’s a little cold. I turn the heating system on, direct the nozzles and gooseflesh disappears. I turn up the volume and enjoy both music and the magic light of the bout 14 km/l.

After getting off the highway, I finally find some bends, I turn down the volume and get on with my test. In the twisties, the Mazda is a go-kart, flat and on track. Weighing less than 10 quintals, her 131 horsepower give extraordinary emotions.

I slow down and I enjoy the final kilometers of my travel; at 60-70 km/h, I enjoy breath-taking landscapes within unrestricted visual field.

While crossing residential areas, the MX 5 doesn’t go unnoticed and it is objectively hard not hesitate in lower gears, engine sound is extraordinary and significantly contributes to this effect.

Then, I turn left and enter the Marina di Verbella, I drive my final meters, approach the piers and, immediately, I recognize the Prince 30 from a distance.

In her white and red livery, she stands out clearly against the background offered by the waters of the lake that, contrasted by the intense green of vegetation, make the general overview wonderful.

To the pertinent strains of ” Shine on your crazy diamond”, I close the rigid hood of the MX 5, get out of the car and walk to the nautical version of this lifestyle that, with no barriers, has already revolutionized my personal concept of travel, transforming it from “transfer time” into “pure pleasure”.

So, I climb on board the Prince 30, the latest sporty creation by Nuova Jolly Marine, the Milanese shipyard that has already become famous all around the world.

With a length of over 9 meters and a power of 600hp, this new version is offered in a guise that combines traditional white livery with bright red interiors and finishing touches that immediately suggest the spirit of the boat.

The characteristics of the hull that have made Nuova Jolly boats so famous are immediately recognizable. The bow is pronounced and the astern dead rise angle quite generous. In addition to enhance her seaworthiness, all these features give the Prince 30 an even gutsier look.

I climb on board effortlessly, using the large boarding platform that flanks the two Mercury Verado V8 4.6-liter 300 hp engines which the boat is equipped of. I get the helm station, I seat and start to study the position of all tools. Equipment is high-level and, like in the MX 5, everything is within reach, designed and arranged in every detail in order to be used without effort and as quickly as possible.

I start the engines and activate the Mercury Active Trim system. I’ve already tested it and I can say that it is great. I release mooring lines and, using the Joystick Piloting System, I slowly leave the port while the bow cuts through the steady water in total silence.

I put the electronic throttles in single-lever mode and I push them down. The two Mercury engines evolve from a silent mumbling to an exciting sound that, if it was the title of a song, it would certainly be “Losing my religion” because the acceleration of the Prince 30 has no parallel in any other boat tested until now.

We run on the water from 0 to 50 knots within 9 seconds. It’s pure adrenaline. But the Prince 30 goes on accelerating and touches the “space” speed of 56.7 knots. We’re navigating at 105 km/h and all the rest seems to be slow when you move so fast.

I slow down to 30 knots and start to perform some tight turns. If it wasn’t for the landscape that has changed, I could think that we’re still on the Mazda, given the centrifugal force which I’m subject to. Nuova Jolly has built an extraordinary hull and it is a pleasure to play looking for a limit that, despite all my efforts, never comes.

Once again, I slow down and, once again, the Prince 30 astonishes me. I sail at 30-32 knots, without using trim, in perfect horizontal balance while a look at the device makes me understand that we’re traveling with a fuel consumption of just 1.67 liters per nautical mile.

The day goes fast while the Prince 30 leads me to the discovery of the beauties of Lake Maggiore.

Speed, acceleration and adrenaline alternate with emotions that only slow navigation can give.

It’s time to come back. I sail slowly and play “Calling You”, Jevetta Steel sings the first words of this wonderful lyric and, again, I’m moved in front of the beauty that, driving in the open air, comes to me amplified.

In the fading twilight, I get the dock. This is a good chance to portray the Prince 30 and the Mazda MX5 together. Two worlds, apparently so different, meet in a scenario that, better than any word, immediately explains the reason why they are so close.

I get back in the car, open the hood and leave. It’s getting dark, I play ” Nothing Else Matters” while I think that there is no better way to explain why these two vehicles are so appreciated by their owners.

With the contribution of Edoardo Bay Macario

Nuova Jolly Prince 30  Vs  Mazda MX5

Nuova Jolly Marine Srl

Via Bologna 3/5 – Bussero – MI

NUOVAJOLLYMARINE.COM

infojolly@nuovajolly.it