last i heard late fall or winter maybe at the Ultimate Challenge
last i heard late fall or winter maybe at the Ultimate Challenge
2 weeks up yet?
May ask Ulrich?
Waiting impatiently. Going to have to hold out on a new one till I see this.
Are we still progressing on the new boat or playing catchup on boat orders?
Like Tablerock 196 said, they are still on pace for this fall. They already have several orders!
These posts are becoming comical to me....here on the boards, Facebook, etc. I follow along very closely with any boat that has anything to do with reviving the Champion hulls, whether it be an exact clone (splash) or a complex melding of hull characteristics. Why people feel the need to badmouth either design/build technique is beyond me.
If you understand what made Champions special, you can clearly see the Champion's patented "wedge hull" underneath the new Bass Cat hybrids. The ride & handling characteristics will be much more like a Champion than a Bass Cat. However, it will be much more stable at rest, and likely better built than any 203 Champion ever was.
Now, the Charger Elites are possibly my favorite new boats on the market today. Why? Well, because they ARE Champion hulls. Not just hulls, but nearly identical clones of the wide body Champions, which I always loved. I certainly hope the 203 is the next model that Charger splashes because the 203 is one of the finest bass boats ever built. To be perfectly honest....the ultimate boat would be the 202 hull with the 203 cap. The consoles & rear deck storage are much better on the 203, but it is well known in Champion circles that the 202 was "holy grail" hull....smoothest, fastest, and best turning 20' Champ ever.
Either way, I commend BOTH Charger and Bass Cat for offering these options to run new boats that ride & handle like Champions, because let's face it....no other hull will do what the Champions did. I don't care if you want to call it splashing, copy-catting, knocking off, etc. I call it a damn fine job of keeping the best bass boat hulls ever in production today. Thank you Charger and Bass Cat for giving us these options.
Well said !!
Also, I'd like to add my vote for keeping the fuel tank in the stern of the new 203. The narrow hulls need all the weight on the ass end to perform at their best.
And....I'm sure I'm in the minority, but I hope they keep the original 203 console/dash. I love that angular fiberglass dash with anodized bezels around the gauges. Most people prefer to use some type of mounting bracket for their electronics anyway. With all the options from BBT, Precision Sonar, Ballzout, Deck-it, etc., there's no real need for flush mount options anymore. Just my opinion, though.
I'm sure they will sell a few, but a 90" beam 20' boat the way the industry is moving doesn't seem a good fit for the 203. Even a Basscat Puma or Cougar seem very narrow by industry standards and they broke their own mold with the wider beam Lynx and Caracal. Wasn't it around 2008 the 203 was reintroduced on a limited production run? Don't remember that going too well.
Again, i know there are some die hard loyal 203 fans who might buy one. I'm sure Charger will do an excellent job recreating the legend
2018 LEGEND 211R | 250 MERC PROXS
They may not have to with the heavier 4 stroke outboards, poles, etc. I am sure they would re-design the drivers console some to accommodate a larger 10-12" flush mount graph. I agree the narrower beam 203 will be a niche market with less sales compared to the wide bodies.Originally Posted by Hoosier Hawg
Joel, the 203 Limited Edition was top of my list when I found the 210 I have. I figured I was going to give up a little bit of the ride in the 198, 200, 206 or 210 since I was coming out of a 201. The 203 had 4" more beam than the 201. The 210 has 9" more than the 201 plus runs it to the consoles. Always loved that photo of the 210 and 202 (90") sitting next to each other. Looks like you could set the 202 inside the 210....Again, i know there are some die hard loyal 203 fans who might buy one. I'm sure Charger will do an excellent job recreating the legend
210 vs 202.jpg
It's amazing how much difference a few inches in beam can impact a boat. That 210 is a beast! When I came out of the 193, I had pretty much made up my mind I was going wide beam.
2018 LEGEND 211R | 250 MERC PROXS
What's wild is the 201 is 4" narrower than the 202 in the picture
I saw a picture of a basscat puma in between two ranger 520's and the basscat looked a lot like that 202... very very narrow in comparison. It was a basscat owner that posted the picture and was taken back at the difference.
The market has spoken and the market wants wider!
2018 LEGEND 211R | 250 MERC PROXS
Puma really isn't a wide body like the Caracal, Lynx or Jag. Here's a Puma hull inside of a Jag hull for comparison. e2715148af88710e269900aaec64b48e2e75c71.jpg
Dang!
Puma hull is a skinny design compared to today’s standards.
Narrow yes, but I love mine!
I am considering the 203 FTD Puma for my next one.
Cant believe this thread fell off the page.
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