Coupe 905 V12: The story behind the beast

Nordkapp HQ, near Oslo

I met with Truls in the Nordkapp HQ near Oslo. It was a cold November day, so we welcomed the warmth of our steaming cups of coffee as we sat down for a chat. As the marketing manager at Nordkapp, I have a broad understanding of the company's ins and outs. But I cherish moments like these when I get the opportunity to learn the specifics of how our boats are made. And to tell the story of the Coupe 905 V12, we need to start at the beginning.

In 2020, we launched our flagship model, The Coupe 905. A 9-meter vessel that would push the limits of what a wheelhouse boat can be. Everything about the Coupe calls for adventure; it is a sporty, driver-friendly boat with a steep V-shaped hull. It is the type of boat that whispers in your ear to go and uncover what lies beyond the horizon as soon as you sit down at the helm. And it already packed a punch when it came to power, carrying twin 250 hk engines. So, when Mercury unveiled their new Verado 600 engine, the world's first V12 outboard, delivering a 7.6-litre displacement and 600 horsepower, we knew we had the perfect starting point to create the next evolution of wheelhouse boats.

The birth of the beast

The result was the Coupe 905 V12, a modified version of the Coupe 905, primed to handle the torque of the world's most potent outboard engine. When asked who this boat is for, Truls answered: "The boat is well-suited for the quality-conscious people looking for that little extra; it is a powerful tool that gives you access to year-round boating in all weather conditions." This is an accurate description, as I have seen the Coupe 905 as the pinnacle of wheelhouse boats. Still, with Truls and so many others at Nordkapp, the mentality always seems that boundaries are made to be broken.

Usually, re-designing a boat to accommodate a more powerful engine comes with a fair amount of complications. But during the build, Truls and his team were pleasantly surprised, "To ensure the new construction could handle the forces from the massive V12 Verado engine, which uses a counter propeller system that produces a vast amount of torque, we had to make some adjustments to the original design of the Coupe 905. We modified the boat's structure and added muscle. We also had to recalculate the hull strength, bearing and performance to ensure the best balance of power and drivability," he said. Truls explains that the Coupe 905 worked well as a canvas for what they were trying to paint, so the construction process encountered less significant challenges than expected.

Initial trials

Truls and his team were thrilled at how well the boat performed during the initial trials, given the large V12 engine on the stern. The 905 V12 gained some weight compared to the regular Coupe 905 (due to the strengthening), but it turned out to be a good match with the engine. Another thing that came as a welcomed surprise was how highly stable the V12 engine was. "It performed equally well with an entire crew on board or completely empty. Our speed tests also showed that the boat was virtually unaffected by headwinds; it just continued to go. The two-speed gearbox also worked great, providing stable torque and momentum at any speed," Truls said.

Innovation always comes with a certain level of risk. Thanks to the right team behind the project and a little luck, the conception of the 905 V12 was a resounding success. Truls smiled when asked what aspect of the boat he is proudest of: "The driving characteristics, surely. Building a boat of this size does not always translate to a powerful driving experience. But with the 905 V12, I felt we had an incredible driving machine. This has also been a reflection of several of the boat testing magazines," he said. Truls also mentions that he is proud that Nordkapp were one of the first European producers to add the V12 engine to one of our vessels.

Preparing the 905 V12 for the Arctic

The powerful 905 V12 was the obvious choice for our adventure to the Arctic. We needed a boat that could handle a heavy toll. It would have to transport up to nine people and carry loads of equipment, all while battling snowstorms, the rugged Barents Sea and down to -25 degrees Celsius weather. Since we would transport a lot of gear and people, we first needed to adjust the boat for the trip. The team started by removing unnecessary weight, such as sunbeds, cushions, a table and things of that nature. We also needed a tender to get ashore in tricky terrain, so we added fittings for the tender boat on the aft deck. On the roof, we added a rack and a roof box to carry ski equipment for our team of nine people. This resulted in a slightly different weight distribution, but the vessel still handled the challenging Barents Sea with ease. Watch the 905 V12 tackle the Arctic in our latest feature film.

A suiting nickname

Speaking with Truls about creating the 905 V12 had been a thrill. As we looked down at our now empty cups of coffee, I only had one final question: Considering the immense power, I often refer to this boat as "The Beast" - is that a compliment or an insult to you?

With a slight laugh, Truls answered, "The boat is a beast in many ways, but at the same time, it is a very gentle one. It's a boat you can trust at all times. It delivers a massive amount of power but does this very elegantly and smoothly. But yes, when you push the throttle and feel how it handles the waves and sea, the beast is a suitable name."

Explore the Coupe 905 V12 here

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