Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Auto
  3. News

The Insane 575-foot Acionna Concept Is a Superyacht to Beat All Superyachts

By

At what point can you look in the mirror and confidently proclaim, “I have arrived?” Is it when your yacht has a helipad? Or so many rooms that you could lose the keys to your backup Bugatti for hours among its many decks? What about when your superyacht has its own smaller satellite yacht? These are the questions the ultra-luxurious Acionna superyacht concept seeks to answer.

Andy Waugh

This latest concept from renowned British yacht designer Andy Waugh is a jaw-dropping study in the extremes of superyacht building. Indeed, Waugh describes the Acionna as “the ultimate world cruising megayacht and challenges many of the preconceptions about larger yachts. Her avant-garde styling is a feast-for-the-eyes from every angle, exaggerated by her elegant proportions and sheer scale.”

Recommended Videos

The sleek, steeply raked exterior looks surprisingly sporty for a ship that’s more than a tenth of a mile in length. By the numbers, the design can only be described as absurd. At 175 meters (575 feet) long, she would be the second longest yacht in the world. Waugh confirms that this size opens a world of customization possibilities for owners who want everything from full-size squash courts to helicopter hangars to 65-foot indoor lap pools. The sprawling interior stretches over eight decks including a two-story main saloon. The unique floor plan boasts several communal “islands” with multiple bars, massive dining and lounge areas, and a wading pool with twin cascading waterfalls. Bikini models and Cristal not included.

At the heart of Acionna, Waugh proposes a bleeding-edge hydrogen propulsion system. It’s so revolutionary in a personal yacht that it’s the one thing holding the concept back from production. The electric and fossil fuel systems used in today’s traditional ship builds rely on recharging and therefore provide a finite amount of power. The plan for Acionna is to incorporate the sort of renewable energy power plant currently used in cruise ships. If successful, the ship could run indefinitely and with zero emissions.

Full-scale production of the Acionna is contingent on a lot of yet-to-be-developed technology. For now, it’s merely a concept, and official pricing has yet to be announced. However, if you just can’t wait to blow your entire 401(k) on something right now, why not plunk down your hard-earned millions on a deposit for space glamping?

Mike Richard
Mike Richard
Contributor
Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He’s kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South… Read Full Bio
Auto
Is the BMW XM a perfect blend of practicality and performance
Car, Transportation, Vehicle

The BMW XM has received a bit of a mixed response, but there’s a strong argument that it’s a logical next step on from the BMW M5. Think about it, the M5 is special because it combines practicality with exceptional performance. The BMW XM does the same thing, though you’re trading a little handling quality for far more practicality.

On a recent venture in BMW’s performance SUV, I weighed up the pros and cons of BMW’s most divisive vehicle. And it may be a better choice than BMW’s flagship.

Read more
Auto
Is the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 the best sports coupe on the market?
Side view of a Mercedes-AMG GT 63

When it comes to entertaining vehicles, it’s hard to beat a good sports coupe. And, despite it being a competitive segment, there’s an argument that the Mercedes-AMG deserves a spot close to the top of the sports coupe table.

In terms of direct rivals, the AMG sits in a similar bracket to the Porsche 911, Maserati Granturismo, and the BMW M8 Competition. All of which offer a lot of power, excellent handling, and an eye catching exterior.

Read more
Auto
McLaren and Motul develop bespoke lubricant to keep them on top
Auto Racing, Car, Formula One

My first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Ranger. It was small, reliable, and the perfect first car. However, I wasn’t allowed to park it in the driveway at home because it went through as much oil as it did gas. The leak was bad enough that I had to check and refill the oil once a week. The same cadence as the gas tank. That was where I learned the importance of fluids for cars. McLaren hits the Formula 1 tracks across the globe with that importance at the forefront of mind as they compete for the championship, and will now be teaming with Motul to take their collaboration for the world’s most reliable lubricant to the world of endurance racing. From the high stress of speed in Formula 1 to the endurance of long-distance racing, the perfect bespoke lubricant is on the way.

McLaren was already using a very high-performance transmission fluid, with an extremely high level of requirements. Our challenge was to go even further: decrease friction losses even more while ensuring lubricant durability over time. The formulation developed with McLaren Racing has been validated to maintain its performance over several thousand kilometers under Formula 1 conditions. And this is only the beginning: in F1, cars are constantly evolving, and the formulation will continue to progress as well. – Julien Plet, Head of R&D at Motul.

Read more