Pershing Yachts, Italian Speed Built Around Carbon and Surface Drives

From a Mondolfo shed to Ferretti's performance flagship

Pershing was founded in 1985 on Italy's Adriatic coast and built its name on a simple promise: big open yachts that run like offshore racers. Ferretti Group bought the brand in 1998, and Pershing has been the group's speed specialist ever since, sitting beside Riva for style, Ferretti Yachts for flybridge cruising and Custom Line for larger semi-custom builds.

Ferretti itself has changed hands. China's Weichai Group took control in 2012, the group listed in Hong Kong in 2022 and relisted in Milan in 2023, and Weichai remains the largest shareholder. For a US buyer the practical takeaway is that Pershing is backed by one of the largest yacht groups in the world, with a dedicated American subsidiary in Fort Lauderdale.

From the Pershing 80 to the X series

Every Pershing since 1985 has carried exterior lines by Fulvio De Simoni, and the five models we cover show how his formula has evolved. The Pershing 80 represents the glass-and-length era before the X boats. Built in Mondolfo from 2007 until the 82 took over around 2012, it is an 80-foot fiberglass open with a roof and glass that retract, two crew cabins and twin MTU 16V 2000 engines on surface drives good for the mid to high 40s. Used examples now sit around $1.4 million to $2.3 million, which makes it the cheapest way into a big Pershing, as long as the machinery has been cared for.

The X Generation began with the 5X in 2016 and brought extensive carbon fiber into the structure on its larger models to save weight high in the boat, which lets a given engine package push a boat faster and keeps it flatter in turns. Dark glass, long foredecks and opening hardtops stayed. The Pershing 6X, launched at Cannes in 2021 to replace the Pershing 62, is the smallest Pershing we cover and the one an experienced owner can run alone, a 62-footer on twin MAN V12s with a top end near 48 knots. Its larger sister, the Pershing 7X of 2020, replaced the 70 with a hull and superstructure that are roughly 90 percent carbon, and it gets close to 50 knots on a pair of 1,800 hp MAN engines.

Higher up, the Pershing 8X of 2019 is the sweet spot of the range for many US buyers: 84 feet of carbon, a full-beam master amidships, two crew cabins and twin MTU 16V 2000 diesels on surface drives, with the optional M96L package rated for 48 knots. The 92-foot Pershing 9X, which appeared in 2017 on a hull developed from the Pershing 92, adds volume, fuel and a bigger tender while keeping a low-40s top end. Both are toys for owners who value the run to Bimini or Cat Cay as much as the anchorage.

The GTX models, such as the GTX80 and the 116-foot GTX116, soften the formula with more volume, larger tenders and longer range. They are a sign that Pershing buyers increasingly want to cruise, not only sprint.

Owning a used Pershing in the US

Pershings lose value faster than flybridge yachts of similar size because their buyer pool is narrower and their running costs are higher. That makes a three to six year old X model a strong value relative to new, provided the drivetrain history is complete; a 6X with a few hundred hours already trades near $3 million. Fuel burn is serious on every model, and at the 8X's top cruise it approaches five gallons for every nautical mile, so many owners slow to the low 30s for range, comfort and quiet.

Service is concentrated in South Florida through Ferretti Group America, with MTU and drive specialists in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Northeast and Gulf owners should budget for transit or traveling technicians.

• Get full engine survey with oil analysis and hour logs on both MTUs.
• Ask for surface drive or jet service records, including seals, struts and propeller condition.
• Inspect carbon superstructure areas for crazing and paint repairs.
• Check hardtop mechanisms and cockpit hydraulics, which see heavy use.
• Confirm the boat's HVAC sizing has been adequate for Florida use.