Pershing GTX116: The 35-Meter Rocket Ship That Refuses to Slow Down

Photo Credit Pershing

There's a category of yacht that shouldn't exist — one that does 35 knots, sleeps ten guests in five staterooms, and still has room for a full-beam beach club with a tender garage underneath. The Pershing GTX116 is that yacht. And it's rewriting the rules for what a 116-footer can deliver when performance and livability share equal billing.

As the flagship of Pershing's GTX series — the brand's new "Sport Utility Yacht" lineup — the GTX116 made its world premiere at Cannes 2023 and immediately drew a line in the sand. This isn't a compromise between a sportboat and a cruiser. It's a declaration that you don't have to choose.

Who It's For

The GTX116 speaks to the owner who refuses to sacrifice speed for space. You've probably owned a fast boat before and loved the adrenaline, but you've outgrown the cramped accommodations that usually come with performance-focused hulls. You want to entertain twelve guests for a long weekend in the Med, then outrun everything in the harbor on Monday morning.

If your garage needs to hold a 5-meter tender and a Jetski, your foredeck needs a hot tub, and your cruising speed needs to start with a "2" and end with a "9" — this is your yacht. The GTX116 attracts buyers who see speed as non-negotiable and livability as the standard they've been waiting for.

Design and Layout

The collaboration between Fulvio De Simoni and Ferretti Group's engineering department produced a yacht with 165 square meters of seamlessly connected outdoor space — and that number doesn't tell the whole story.

The centerpiece is what Pershing calls the "Seascape" — a multi-level stern area that flows from the cockpit down through a full-beam beach club to an electro-hydraulic swim platform. Drop the taffrail, deploy the platform, and the entire aft section transforms into a waterfront lounge that connects you directly to the sea. Underneath, a garage holds a tender over five meters plus a Jetski and toys, so your water access isn't theoretical.

Move forward through the cockpit — deep enough for a full bar setup, grill, and aft dining for ten — and you'll find the main salon behind push-button sliding doors. When they're open, both port and starboard, you get a cross-deck connection that leads out to a fold-down balcony. The furnishings are by Poltrona Frau, and the space has the calm, deliberate feel of a yacht designed for evening entertaining as much as daytime running.

Below deck, five guest staterooms each have private bathrooms, and the full-beam master amidships offers a genuinely expansive retreat with panoramic hull windows, electric blinds, and the kind of floor space where you can walk around the bed without sidestepping. An alternative layout swaps one guest cabin for a private lower saloon — ideal for owners who want a more residential feel. Forward, crew quarters accommodate five across three cabins with a pantry and laundry.

Up top, the 40-square-meter sportbridge features a second helm station, a massive sunpad with integrated storage, a midships bar built into the T-top structure, and loose furniture that makes the space feel more like a rooftop lounge than a flybridge. The hardtop is carbon fiber — functional and dramatic.

And at the bow, a raised foredeck living area wraps around a proper hot tub with teak surrounds and stainless grab rails. Remove the cover and you've got a prime-position soak with lounging areas on either side. It's the kind of feature that turns a marina stop into an event.

Performance and Technology

Here's where the GTX116 earns its Pershing badge. Three MAN V12 engines — available in 1,800 hp or the 2,000 hp upgrade that every owner so far has chosen — drive Kongsberg Kamewa waterjets to a top speed of 35 knots. Cruising speed sits at 29 knots, and even at that pace, the yacht feels composed and precise.

Waterjets are the key differentiator. They offer shallow-draft access (4'10" at full load), extraordinary maneuverability via joystick at low speeds, and the kind of acceleration that turns heads. The trade-off versus shaft drives is slightly reduced range at top end, but with 3,830 gallons of fuel capacity and a 400-nautical-mile range at cruising speed, that's a trade most owners will take without hesitation.

The hull and superstructure are GRP reinforced with carbon fiber, built at Ferretti's facility with industrial precision before fit-out at Mondolfo. The twin 57-inch displays at the bridge rise from concealed housing at the press of a button — Pershing theatrics at their finest. The lower helm is the primary driving station, and reviewers consistently describe it as one of the most compelling in yachting: a single-piece panoramic windscreen, carbon fiber detailing, and a driving position that feels like the cockpit of a very expensive, very fast machine.

At economic cruising speed of 10 knots, range extends to approximately 800 nautical miles — making transatlantic repositioning or extended coastal cruising entirely feasible.

Ownership Perspective

The Pershing GTX116 sits in a rarefied segment where competitors include the Sunseeker 120 Yacht and Sanlorenzo SL120. What separates the GTX116 is speed — nothing in this size class matches its 35-knot capability. The Sunseeker tops out at 20 knots. That isn't a marginal difference; it's a fundamentally different experience on the water.

At this level, pricing is bespoke and configuration-dependent, but expect the conversation to begin north of $15 million depending on specification. The investment reflects a yacht that delivers superyacht-level space and crew infrastructure in a platform that also happens to be one of the fastest things afloat at 116 feet.

From an operating standpoint, a crew of five handles the GTX116 comfortably. The three-cabin crew quarters with dedicated pantry and laundry reflect a yacht designed for sustained use, not weekend sprints. Waterjet maintenance is well-understood at this scale, and MAN's global service network provides confidence for owners who plan to cover serious distance.

Pershing's reputation for build quality and the Ferretti Group's service infrastructure add a layer of long-term confidence that matters when you're commissioning a yacht of this caliber.

Your Next Step

The Pershing GTX116 doesn't ask you to compromise between a sportboat's soul and a superyacht's substance. It delivers both — at 35 knots.

Ready to explore the full specifications? Visit YachtSpecsDirect.com for detailed comparisons and spec sheets across the Pershing GTX lineup.

Want to discuss the GTX116 with a specialist? Head to mintedyachts.com/pershing to connect with the Minted Yachts team and start your ownership journey.