WaterSki Magazine

The MB Sports 230 V is a luxurious V-drive for families looking for maximum space, touches of comfort and versatile performance. The big brother of the stylish 220 V, the 230 V comes standard with 2,000 pounds of ballast and delivers wakes that advancing riders in your family will love. Or empty those tanks for the occasional recreational slalom set. Either way, you’ll enjoy the modern, functional appeal of the 230 V.

The 230 V, at 96 inches, is relatively slim in its size class, so you can catch some casual open-water skiing behind it. But with the ballast tanks full, this boat is all about wakeboarding. The wakes are massive, transitions are gradual and the huge landing zones are nice and mellow.

Outfitted with the optional 375-horsepower PCM ZR6 engine, our test team put the 230 V through its paces. With its slightly narrower width compared with other 23-footers in our tests, it handled more nimbly than some smaller models. Its turns to the left and right are impressively balanced, and it responded well to aggressive maneuvering.

At 23 feet long and with a ballast system built in to the hull to maximize on-board storage space, you can count on plenty of interior room to chill with your friends. We give MB engineers two thumbs up for their attention to detail in this ride. Everything from the well-padded upholstery and thick carpeting to the luxury styling is first class.

Base price: $50,345

Length: 23 ft.

Beam: 96 in.

Seating capacity: 12

Fuel capacity: 64 gal.

Test Prop: Acme 13 x 17 4-blade

Test Engine: PCM ZR6 6.0L, 375 hp

Top Speed: 45.9 mph 5,400 rpm

Accel. To 30 mph: 5.9 sec. 129.2 ft.

Accel. To 36 mph: 7.6 sec. 221.5 ft.

Noise levels (db): Neutral 63 D 63 R, 36 mph 86 D 85 R