25 Years of Power: From BMB to BMW and the BAVARIA SR-LINE
By the late 1990s, BAVARIA YACHTS' production in Giebelstadt, near Würzburg, had expanded into the most modern series production shipyard in the yacht industry.
On a 200,000-square-meter site, the production halls, covering over 70,000 square meters, were equipped with the most advanced manufacturing machines. CMC milling machines for processing decks and hulls, four production lines to equip the yachts, and a painting line for refining the in-house furniture production were just a few of the manufacturing techniques that Winfried Herrmann introduced, earning him the respectful title of "the Henry Ford of the yacht industry." This laid the foundation for expanding production to include motorboats.
To give the new motorboat line its own identity, the MBM, short for BAVARIA MOTORBOATS, label was developed, complete with its own logo and presence at trade fairs. The first model was the BMB 27 SPORT, designed by Japec and Jernej Jakopin. J&J Design, who had already designed many successful BAVARIA sailboats, also had a keen eye for the perfect balance of good driving characteristics and generous space in the first BMB motorboats. Many more BMB models followed from J&J, and in 2009, the BMB 30 SPORT was awarded Powerboat of the Year.
During this time, the second generation of the SPORT‐LINE and the legendary BAVARIA DEEP BLUE 46 were developed in collaboration with BMW Design in San Francisco, a true revolution for the boat market and BAVARIA YACHTS itself. The press praised not only the extremely modern design but also the unusually large space below deck with three cabins. BMW Design remained a partner of BAVARIA YACHTS’ development team until 2013, when a new face took over the design of BAVARIA MOTORBOATS. Marco Casali and his team from Too Design in Rome shaped the third generation of the SPORT‐LINE and fundamentally changed the appearance of BAVARIA MOTORBOATS with innovations like the BAVARIA VIRTESS 420. That same year, the VIRTESS was named Powerboat of the Year and also won the title of best motor yacht of the year in the UK.
Then things progressed quickly. In 2016, the BAVARIA SPORT 360 secured the Best of Boats (BOB) Award, laying the foundation for the success of the new sport line. The core principles of the BAVARIA S29, S30, and S45 originate from this period and are therefore among the most built motorboats in BAVARIA YACHTS’ history. The BAVARIA R40 followed in 2017, completing the model range with its unique and luxurious concept.
Since 2020, the new BAVARIA SR‐LINE has set a new standard for motorboats from Giebelstadt. The BAVARIA SR41 marked the start of this new line. Just a year later, the BAVARIA SR36 not only won important awards but was also highly praised by the international press. „The best BAVARIA ever built,“ was one of the quotes in industry magazines, showing that in terms of design, layout, and quality, BAVARIA YACHTS had taken another important step forward with the SR‐LINE. This sentiment was echoed by 30 readers of the french motorboat magazine Le Moteurboat, who personally tested the BAVARIA SR33 and subsequently voted it the best motorboat in France in 2023. The safe yet sporty handling, the many clever details both above and below deck, and the excellent build quality convinced these critical readers.
And what will the future hold for BAVARIA YACHTS’ motorboats after 25 years? „First and foremost, we are very proud of what the BAVARIA YACHTS team, together with the worldwide BAVARIA YACHTS dealer network, has achieved over the last 25 years. Today, we are a reliable player in the market for motorboats between 29 to 50 feet. I have personally been deeply involved in every new development for many years, and I am already looking forward to the next projects,“ explains Norbert Leifeld, who has been with BAVARIA YACHTS for more than 15 years and has been responsible for production and construction as COO since 2023.