The Red 280 Venom from Cobra Boats is one of the sexiest boats I have ever seen. In a world of cats where at a distance it can sometimes be hard to tell what brand of boat it is, the Cobra stands out on its own.

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The front details between the sponsons are not only unique but extremely pleasing to the eye. The detail in the hood mimicking oversized louvres fits right in with the theme of the solid windshield and the high body lines through the cockpit area and transom area. The whole thing from bow to stern just screams "Muscle Boat" and it's very appropriate that the first one ended up getting a Merc 860 and a 6 drive. Then you add in the solid red with a single black racing stripe, and the black bottom! Good Lord... There's a few boats that make my top 10 sexy list, but this thing is not only in it, it's all up in it and nudging a few of the top ones around.

I really enjoyed the reversed "hood louvres" they put on this! It's subtle and non intrusive but adds a ton of character to the bow. You can start to see the flake in the red in this pic as well.

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If you want to know how to make a dash look like an exotic car I'd say they nailed it. It's not overstated, but yet somehow screams $$$.

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It's not hard to see why I felt this was the sexiest boat at the show. Look at the edge details in the stitching, the edge details on the lower part of the dash itself. The billet windshield bracket normally reserved for boats that aren't in this category or normally double the price. They really went all out on every aesthetic detail, and it shows.

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The overall shape is simple yet at the same time purpose built. The screens add all the technology you'd ever need and keep things clean and tight. The only thing I'd change if I was part of the industrial design team would be to put the screens vertically and slightly recessed instead of layed back like they are, and I'd probably add a little overhang over them. (You watch now that I said that in the boat show report you will see a boat with that at some point in the future.. It will help to keep the sun out of the screens so you can see them. The recessed part)

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The interior design of the back matches the rest of the boat perfectly. Being that this isn't exactly what I'd call a normal "family" boat, I think I would have added some side bolster to the seats to make them a little more individual instead of a traditional flat bench. Either way it still looks great.

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Right down to the metal emblems.. Can this thing scream muscle boat anymore than it does?

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I know we are supposed to talk about the functionality and the ifs ands or buts.. But I'm never going down there.. This isn't a day boat guys, it's the Corvette you get out on Sunday's and cruise Highway 101.. Blow a couple people off at a stop light on the way home and then put it back on the garage. (Button head is missing on the top right screw BTW.).

That said for actual functionality there's more room than most to get in there if you had too. I just wouldn't use this boat like that.

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Passenger foot well.

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Sea Zone switching, and in case you missed it the boat has a pretty big stereo in it with Speakers tucked away everywhere.

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You almost expect to see a 442 Badge on the hood or something, but in this case it would be "QC4 860"

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Loved the rear vents / Rear gas cap.

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If you have to have these POS fuel fills this is a good solution to hiding them. This particular oversized flap with the bolt ring etc.. Looks the part and adds to the aesthetics fo the boat. For most applications though I think just a gas flap to hide it would work better. We are on a theme here with this cobra though, and this one is working..

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Deck lid is just as sexy as the dash pad, and again screams $$$.

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And the stern of the boat is just as sexy as the front! (Is there anyway to push those ladders back more under the swim step?)

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Then to finish it off..



Of course it has a remote with 4 functions on it. I don't remember what they all are, to be honest I was pretty enamored with the looks of this thing. I know one of them turns on and off the interior lights, and I believe another one turns on and off the underwater lights. I couldn't tell you what 3 / 4 do.. but if it was mine one of them would be opening the engine hatch and the other one would be starting the boat. :D.

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Contrary to the X Flight before this thing is all Form and a little less function. Is it possible to use this as a family boat? Sure it is, if you don't mind the cleaver propeller, lack of storage, and any flat areas anywhere topside. I can tell you from experience it's also possible to haul Lumber in a Ferrari. "Just because ya can, doesn't mean ya should."

To paraphrase a line from Reservoir dogs "If my kids even dreamed about doing half the shit they do in my 270 in this thing, they better wake up and apologize."

This is a young mans boat, and it's designed to give you the look and feel of an exotic in a package that is capable of running on the river. It's for a select clientele with discerning tastes that understand to get something you have to give up something. You aren't parking your Lambo next to the shopping cart return, and you probably aren't tying this thing off on the gritty buoys that can be found along the bars on the Parker Strip.

That said I'd imagine part of the cleaning process of the boat would be throwing out all the bikinis that get left on it.