Press Room

This article appeared in the April 2007 edition of BWB (Bass & Walleye Boats) magazine. View BWB article on NITRO Z-9 in color with photos.

NITRO's new Z-9 plus Merc's new 300XS equals performance plus!

When Jerry Jaco, owner of Jaco Marine, showed up at our Percy Priest Lake test with a brand-new Nitro Z-9 in tow, I was reminded of days gone by, when Jaco would show up at tests with the latest fire-breathing performance bass hull from his showroom. While Nitro isn’t a name normally associated with high performance and speed, the new Z-9 will change that misconception forever. Jaco’s boys rigged this one to deliver; bolted to the transom jack was a brand-new Mercury Racing 300XS OptiMax, and it was broken in and ready to spin.

WHAT’D IT DO?
Actually, Nitro’s brass didn’t really want us to test this combo. The price of the 300XS pushed the package price of this rig to well over $50,000 with the as-tested hydraulic jackplate and foot throttle—stratospheric (and surely a new price record) for the normally very affordable Nitro line.
This is one special rig, and yours truly was impressed, very impressed, by its performance, fit and finish, design, ride and functionality. I absolutely loved it. It ran incredibly well in all respects—speed, handling, ride, fuel economy, acceleration and drivability. It showcased exactly what Nitro designers can do when they’re turned loose. There are so many nifty features that it’s tough to describe them all. My best advice: go see one up close and personal. Take a test ride, poke in and around its deck and compartments, and see for yourself. I bet you’ll agree this Nitro sets a new standard for both Nitro and others to emulate.

Did I mention this rig is fast? With our test 300XS, we hit a smooth 83 mph at 6150 rpm turning a stock Mercury 27-inch-pitch Trophy prop through 1.75:1 gearing on a stock Mercury Racing Torque Master gearcase. You’d think that with 80-plus mph speed capability, a Sport Master factory noseconed gearcase would be the required lower unit for the best top speed. Interestingly, during Jaco’s testing, the engineers discovered that the nonconed Torque Master unit produced better results (more consistent top speeds with better handling). Our Merc was rigged to a CMC 10-inch setback hydraulic jackplate, which is a Jaco addition (Tracker uses Bob’s Machine plates as its factory-installed option).

While the top-end speed won’t scare any Allison or Bullet owners, it’s the fastest I’ve ever been in a Nitro. The best part was the Z-9 was easy to handle at those speeds, with no out-of-control feel or bad habits we could expose, despite multiple passes in progressively choppier water. It got right on the pad at about 55 mph, and from there it was a simple trim-and-jack exercise to obtain the best top speeds. The big 300 isn’t really necessary for great top speed; Nitro brass (and Jaco techs) report 80-mph results with a Mercury 250 Pro XS.

Acceleration was very impressive from a dead stop; we cracked 30 mph in just 6 seconds, and the boat never rose high or blocked our vision as it crowned over and hustled forward. Midrange punch was more dramatic—from a 40 mph cruise, we nailed 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.

We felt the big Merc’s midrange snort as it smacked us back in our seats and muscled the Nitro up on the pad. All this punch and speed comes at a cost, but thankfully not when you pull up to the fuel dock. We recorded a best of 5 mpg at a comfy 33-mph cruise.

The interesting part of the fuel economy equation is this: The hull holds a 65-gallon fuel tank. Leaving a 10 percent reserve for emergencies, that means at best cruise speed, the useable range is almost 300 miles! I’m certain that’s a record for boats tested in BWB. In the Nitro’s case it almost seems like overkill. With today’s fuel-efficient engines, a smaller tank would certainly be more than adequate, save some weight, and make the Z-9 even faster.

DESIGNERS’ SANDBOX
It’s clear the designers had a field day with the deck layout and interior amenities for the Z-9. This thing has more cool features than any hull I’ve seen in a long time.

Starting at the bow, the Z-9’s foredeck is best described as “wide-open spaces.” It is plenty wide and long enough for two anglers to fish from without being all over each other. All the way forward is a recessed trolling motor control pocket that keeps the pedal down and out of the way. This feature is becoming a must-have for high-end models, and Nitro did it right on the Z-9. The pedal is tucked away below the sight line when driving, but easily operated when needed. The bow panel is flush with the surrounding deck and features a soft-touch panel with a built-in Lowrance LCD fishfinder.

Storage is plentiful up front. Lids are stiff and feel secure when stepped on, and underneath there’s a huge portside rod locker with a well-designed rack/retrieval system. The starboard side locker is long and deep as well, and flanks two large center-positioned storage compartments. The forward locker features an aluminum bow light bracket under the lid, and the dual-door rearward locker features an under-lid bait and lure rack system that’s very nifty and easy to use. All the lockers have lid-actuated lighting so it’s easy to see what’s stored inside.

The cockpit is just loaded with tricks and treats. Two roto-cast plastic compartments with easy pullout drawers are great for storing small valuables like cell phones, maps and handheld GPS units. High quality locking stainless hasps keep these items secure.

The dash is a story in itself. Big, bold gauges are well placed around the custom steering wheel, with bright chrome bezels that make them stand out. The windscreen does a pretty good job of keeping the 80-plus-mph buffeting from whacking the driver in the face head-on, and it’s not distorted like many Lexan screens are.

There’s plenty of legroom underneath, with a nice non-skid fiberglass footrest for the driver’s left foot (your right foot will be busy mashing the optional foot throttle to the floor). Wiring under the dash was better organized than most, but could still use a little tidying. This boat also has Teleflex SeaStar Pro hydraulic steering with a tilt helm and Pro-Trim controls for the jack and trim.

Plush bucket seats fit the driver and passenger, and there are two polished-aluminum T-shaped grab handles for the center and port passengers to hold when the going gets tough.

Out back, the livewells and storage compartments are positioned traditionally, with the dual-door livewell centered on the keel and the storage boxes out toward the gunwales. Under the rear hatch, the compartment that houses the batteries, chargers, oil tank and pumps is wired and neatly plumbed.

FUZION TECHNOLOGY
Underneath, where it really matters, the Z-9 is built with the latest high-tech construction methods. Dubbed “fuzion technology,” the layup process is done with an advanced variation of the vacuum-bagging process. This process, according to Bob Mataya, Nitro’s director of technical development, is complicated.

“It involves a proprietary resin delivery system with vacuum assist,” Mataya says. “This infuses fiberglass cloth and reinforcement elements with the optimal amount of resin.”

Instead of a traditional open mold, a closed mold is used with a vacuum process that pulls the liquid resin with capillary action so it fills every possible void—but without overloading the ’glass with resin. The result is a much stronger hull with a greatly improved fiberglass-to-resin ratio (65 percent, compared to the usual 30-35 percent found in traditional process, according to Mataya).

While the Z-9’s listed dry weight (1720 pounds) by no means qualifies it as a flyweight—in fact it’s still on the heavy side when compared to other high-performance 21-footers—it’s at least a couple hundred pounds lighter than it would be if laid up the old way. Also, remember this is a big, wide, feature-laden boat, not a stripped-down lightweight.

DONE DEAL
The Z-9 comes with lots of standard equipment, including a high-end trailer. There’s a slew of options to choose from with a complete list at nitroboats.com.

It’s tough to write a review like this without sounding like it’s a paid-for advertisement, but it was difficult to find anything of note to fault in this rig. Is it worth $50 grand? That’s for you to decide. What I do know is the Z-9 is an impressive package. It’s the sweetest, most feature-laden, and well-built Nitro ever—and it’s fast to boot.

Story and photos by John Tiger, Jr. of BASS & WALLEYE BOATS magazine

View 351_BWB Article.NITRO Z9.pdf