From the minute we first saddled up on this watercraft, we knew it meant business. With such things as old muscelcar mentality and combinations of the RX and XP built into the design, the anticipation of squeezing the throttle builds before you hit the start button. When you do bring it to life, you expect a loud rumble to back up the brute strength. This is a musclecraft in appearance and performance, but you’d never guess that from the soft purr that the engine emits.

The fact that Sea-Doo dropped in the most powerful watercraft engine to date, a firebreathing 215 hp monster, was just icing on the cake. The words supercharged and intercooled only added to its mystique.

The term fire breathing isn’t a literal reference, of course. This engine is one of the cleanest on the market in terms of emissions. With a two-star rating from our friends at the California Air Resources Board (CARB), this PWC engine has the environmental friendliness to meet standards through the 200X riding season.

These days, the thought of a high-powered yet clean engine isn’t out of the ordinary. But the RXP’s 215 hp rating is 30 percent greater than any competitor’s offering. All this translates into a watercraft that is not only responsible to its surroundings, but also one that can surpass the 60 mph mark in a little more than 5 seconds.

The only thing more impressive is that Sea-Doo says that there’s more power available from this engine.