front view of a family of four enjoying a lime green Godfrey XP series pontoon on the water
Well Beyond
Luxurious

Godfrey releases its 2024 XP Series

By Brady L. Kay
Already known for its impressive lineup of quality pontoon boats, Godfrey is creating excitement in the industry once again with the release of its XP Series for the upcoming model year. I got my first sneak peek at the 2024 Godfrey XP at the Minneapolis Boat Show earlier this year when it was on display. During the January show it stopped people in the aisles and created a positive buzz throughout the convention center with its modern look and luxurious vibe.

The XP made a solid first impression as attendees were drawn to the Godfrey booth for a closer look and in some cases show goers probably heard the boat before they actually saw it, thanks to one of the best production sound systems you’ll find on a pontoon.

As impressed as I was with the Godfrey XP on the boat show floor, being surrounded by Minnesota’s frozen lakes that time of year, I knew I wouldn’t have a chance to run this model that January weekend. However, the wait wasn’t very long. In April the manufacturer offered select members of the media an opportunity to run the boat on Lake Havasu, a desert oasis that is split between Arizona and California.

Havasu Retreat
Even on this popular western lake where all the high-end and colorful boats come to play, the vibrant Verde lime green XP stood out in the sea of sameness. We first saw this model docked at a slip in the shadow of the famous London Bridge, a historic landmark that was relocated to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., in 1968 in an attempt to create a tourist attraction in the desert. Like the bridge that lures people in, the new XP drew members of the media off the beaten path for a chance to run the boat on the water of this secluded city located a couple hours south of Las Vegas.
a lime green Godfrey XP series pontoon docked among other pontoons on a Lake Havasu pier with a large bridge in the background
back view over the shoulder of a man operating the touch screen navigation while sitting in the captain's chair of a Godfrey XP series pontoon
3/4ths back view of a woman steering a Godfrey XP series pontoon while in the captain's chair
Luxurious
What makes the release of the XP so special is that it’s packed with the most advanced technology available, offering modern boaters a whole new level of high-end comfort on the water. As the latest addition to the award-winning Godfrey line, the XP boasts a suite of high-tech features, combining a sleek, modern look with industry-leading performance. Worth noting, the modern-looking helm console is hand-wrapped for an extremely high-end look and feel.

The fully digital helm includes an intuitive custom user interface and accent back lighting. The display controls everything from the XP’s best-in-class JL Audio sound system to the RGB LED accent lighting.

Loud & Clear
If you’re not familiar with Lake Havasu, after the London Bridge the area is probably best known for attracting spring break crowds of college students and is as a great place for boating parties year round. Music is of course part of the fun and the sound system is just one of the XP’s many highlights. The impressiveness of the standard top-of-the-line JL Audio sound system on this pontoon cannot be overstated.
Well Beyond Luxurious typography
3/4ths back view of a lime green Godfrey XP series pontoon on water
3/4ths back view of a lime green Godfrey XP series pontoon darting on water
“We worked directly with JL Audio to create a sound system just for this boat,” explained Godfrey Product Manager Andrea Malleck. “The sound on this boat is next level.”

The JL Audio Sound System (2100 Watts RMS standard or 2350 Watts RMS with the optional tower speakers) delivered crystal clear sound from the well-positioned speakers throughout the boat and again, it’s all controlled through the display at the helm.

Light It Up
The co-captain’s seat also is equipped with a 7-inch display. The accent lighting built into the XP is the industry’s first application of Digitally Addressable Lighting and it is capable of unmatched customization with the RGB lights.

The individually controlled LED lights are integrated and work seamlessly with the JL Audio sound system for the ultimate in on-the-water entertainment.

Performance
Powered by twin 400 horsepower outboards, the new Mercury Marine 5.7L V10 Verados met the maximum horsepower rating of 800hp, yet exceeded all expectations—even on a pontoon with this kind of power.

Consistent with the award-winning Verado brand, the new V10 engines are extremely quiet as well as smooth and I was pleasantly surprised by the torque and the quick hole shot on the new Mercury engines compared to its 2.6 L inline 6 cylinder 400hp Verado version that this new outboard is replacing. With a 29-inch diameter center pontoon with 27-inch diameter pontoons on each side, the XP dove into tight turns and handled remarkably well during our test and is capable of speeds in the 60mph range at full throttle.

Added Touches
For added comfort, the XP is appointed with a folding, action-powered Bimini that allows for 11 feet of shade coverage, a custom windshield, cool-touch seating and lockable storage compartments.
two young boys wearing life jackets, caps and sunglasses smile while sitting on the back ledge of a lime green Godfrey XP series pontoon, a man crouches behind them smiling and a woman leans in middle seating on the pontoon, also smiling
“When it comes to our customers’ experience, we are always unwilling to compromise, and the XP is perhaps the most emblematic of our desire to push the envelope,” added Malleck. “One of our primary goals for this series was to put forward the best-in-class technology, with everything that can be loaded onto a pontoon to enhance the experience for our customers. We are confident that from the second you step aboard you’ll agree it provides a true paradise out on the water.”
Cool-Touch
Designed to fit the individual needs of each customer, the XP’s exterior and interior are completely customizable, including a variety of color selections for the exterior, vinyl, vinyl accents and flooring. At first glance we loved the black vinyl seats but wondered if they would attract the sun’s rays and become too hot to actually sit on, especially in a place such as Arizona where triple-digit heat is common during the summer. To our surprise, the cool-touch onyx black seats – even during our 90 plus degree day in Havasu – in fact held up well and didn’t radiate heat like you would expect a darker color vinyl to do. It remained comfortable throughout the day, even when the sun was at its brightest.
Final Thoughts
The 2024 Godfrey XP is available in three lengths ranging from 25 to 28 feet, in either a single engine or twin configuration. The starting price for the Godfrey XP is $223,300 with a single F250XB engine. After a morning of testing, we opted for some “endurance runs” by exploring Lake Havasu and its unique coves on the XP to experience this latest model from Godfrey the way it was intended, surrounded by people looking for a fun time on the water.
Godfrey XP 2700 W Twin Specifications
  • LOA:27’ 4”
  • Pontoon Length:26’ 11”
  • Beam:8’ 6”
  • Pontoon Diameter:29” iMPACT+
  • Passenger Capacity:9
  • Dry Weight:5,542 lbs.
  • Fuel Capacity:121 gals.
  • Max Horsepower:800hp
Godfrey Pontoons
www.godfreypontoonboats.com
Mighty G – Gas vs. Electric typography
angled view of the Godfrey Mighty G series' Yamaha 50 gas motor
a passenger seat on the Godfrey Mighty G series pontoon
close up of the throttle on the Godfrey Mighty G series pontoon
On a day not nearly as warm in northern Indiana just a week later, we had the opportunity to test another release that Godfrey has been working on: its Mighty G. The Mighty G is the brand’s first pontoon designed from the ground up to be powered by electric or gas-powered engines. It was also on display at the Minneapolis Boat Show and that’s where I got my first peek at it and discovered the inspiration behind the new model.

“With electric motors gaining traction with current boaters and those looking for their first pontoon, our product team designed the Mighty G with electric propulsion in mind right from the start – it wasn’t an afterthought or an add-on,” said Ben Duke, president of Marine, Polaris. “The teams incorporated design elements to support maximizing the efficiency of the platform, such as using full-sized tubes to enable ideal flotation levels and minimize drag in the water, making Mighty G optimal for customers looking for an electric pontoon.”

Power Options
The Mighty G is rated for up to 50hp for the gas-powered version or a Cruise 3.0, Cruise 6.0 or Cruise 12.0 from Torqeedo for the electric offering. While in Indiana we did a comparison between the two, using a Yamaha 50hp four-stroke for the test with the Torqeedo Cruise 12.0 for the other.

We met on Heaton Lake, which is not far from Godfrey headquarters in Elkhart, Ind. While one boat was being launched, the other was already in the slip with the cover on it. It was my first look at the Nightshade Cover that is not only easy to use, but towable! Having a cover that you can keep on while trailering is a huge advantage and just one more indication of the innovation advances this manufacturer is making these days. The efficient and easy-to-use cover is trailerable up to 70 mph and provides convenient access to the boat when deployed.

First Impression
Technically my first impression came at the boat show, but actually driving the Mighty G I quickly learned to appreciate how compact and highly maneuverable the Mighty G really is, making it the ideal entry into pontooning and boating.

It is built on a true pontoon foundation for a familiar and comfortable ride and purpose-built with either electric or gas propulsion. With a length of 15 feet, 7 inches and a 7-foot, 6-inch beam, the Mighty G offers plenty of room for up to seven passengers. The shortened deck height off the tubes creates a stiffer chassis that lowers the pontoon’s center of gravity and helps contribute to efficiency and added performance to both electric and gas versions.

3/4ths rear view of a woman operating a Godfrey Mighty G series electric powered pontoon from the captains chair as a young boy relaxes on a bench seat
angled view of the Godfrey Mighty G series' Torqueedo electric motor
the helm of the Godfrey Mighty G series electric powered pontoon
close up of the Torqueedo throttle on the Godfrey Mighty G series electric pontoon
Electric-Powered
I was impressed with the torque of the Torqeedo Cruise 12.0; she was extremely responsive. Clearly designed for smaller lakes, the quiet outboard reached a top speed of 8.2 mph at full throttle on this specific day. With electric outboards you can increase your run time between charges by easing off the throttle a little and we found that at 33 percent of the input power we could cruise for an estimated time of 2.5 hours or 14.8 miles if we kept the boat at just under 6 mph.

Gas-Powered

On the second Mighty G with the Yamaha 50hp there was a jump in top speed numbers, with the same responsiveness that we liked about the Torqeedo version. With the gas engine we just missed the 20 mph mark at full throttle with a top speed of 19.7 mph, which is enough power for tow sports and not just tubing. Yamaha’s recommended cruising RPM of 5000 puts the Mighty G at 15.8 mph at a rate of 5.10 miles per gallon or 3.1 gallons per hour.
Standards & Options
Standard features include durable yet comfortable bench-style seating, a telescoping EZ Climb Ladder, and a robust Clarion sound system. Full 360-degree RGB underdeck lighting is available, as well as an optional sunshade for protection from the sun and a cell phone mount at the helm station. The suggested retail price with the Yamaha 50hp is $24,925 and with the Torqeedo 12.0 with battery and chargers is $39,845.
Mighty G Specifications
  • LOA:15’7”
  • Pontoon Diameter:23”
  • Beam:7’6”
  • Boat Weight Dry:1,250 lbs.
  • Passenger Rating:7
  • Fuel Capacity:6 gals.
  • Max Horsepower:50hp
Godfrey Pontoons
www.godfreypontoonboats.com

For More Information

Godfrey Pontoons
www.godfreypontoonboats.com

JL Audio
www.jlaudio.com

Mercury Marine
www.mercurymarine.com

Torqueedo
www.torqeedo.com

Yamaha Marine
www.yamahaoutboards.com
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