The 65ft Lexus LY650 will be built by the Marquis-Larson Boat Group

The “fourth flagship product” from luxury automaker Lexus isn’t a car, it’s a 65ft sport yacht that will be built by the Marquis-Larson Boat Group.

This is not the first pairing for the two companies. In 2014, the Wisconsin-based yacht yard was selected from 20 builders to deliver the ‘Lexus Sport Yacht Concept’, a promotional vessel driven by the vision of Lexus International president Yoshihiro Sawa for a brand that “explores new ways to deliver innovative and amazing experiences for our guests,” according to a company news release. It launched in 2017.

Lexus says the public reaction to the concept boat was so strong, that when the LY650 debuts at the 2019 Ft Lauderdale International Boat Show it will be as a production model available for sale.

According to the release, “Marquis-Larson was selected to build, sell and service the next Lexus yacht based largely on their extensive experience with bespoke boat building and their proven capability, confirmed by their work bringing the Lexus Sport Yacht Concept to life.”

But the project was no sure thing; the builder still had to interview against a handful of others, according to Matthew Vetzner, vice president of marketing. “We’re honoured that Lexus sees us as having the ability to deliver on their level of quality, luxury and craftsmanship,” Vetzner told IBI on Sunday. “[Our companies] share a similar ethos in philosophy and craftsmanship,” he said. “It’s a credit to our 500 employees and their ability to build a beautifully crafted luxury vessel.”

Like the Lexus “takumi” workforce building its cars, many Marquis-Larson production employees have been with the company 30 years or longer.

The Lexus release further cites Marquis-Larson’s “thorough blend of artisanal craftsmanship, modern technology and inspired design” as factors leading to its selectio