Talk about a silver bullet: This is the metallic-painted Panthera, built by Benetti. At 154’2” (47 meters), Panthera is the second of three megayachts commissioned so far in the Benetti 500s series.
What does the “S” in 500s stand for? Take your pick: Panthera is a sleek, sporty-looking, and swift yacht. The eye-shaped ports along the all-aluminum megayacht’s profile harken to familiar Benetti styling elements. They’re most closely associated with the first 500s megayacht, Imagination, launched in 2010. Silver paint accentuates Panthera’s lines, which are particularly attention-getting at the foredeck. There, the bulwarks are unusually high and fitted with ports, creating a combination of a private alfresco area and tender launching area. As for performance, Benetti says Panthera can top out at 24 knots and cruise at 22 knots. The lightweight aluminum construction assists in that regard, as do the twin 16V 4000 Series MTU engines.
Panthera is also arguably a style maven, judging from the interior design that the owner requested. Varying shades of gray dominate, and several rooms throughout the 28’9”-beam (8.8-meter-beam) megayacht are adorned with pictures of famous actresses and models. Some are in full color, others are black and white, and they further differ according to size and framing. Even the exterior decks of Panthera are deliberately styled: Grey caulking is used between the teak planks.
Panthera is finishing up commissioning at Benetti’s facility in Livorno, Italy. The megayacht, built to ABS classification, is also wrapping up final sea trials.
If you’re curious as to what “Panthera” means, it’s the scientific name for a category of wild cats. They include lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, and snow leopards. The category name is also the word from which “panther” is derived.
And, if you’re wondering about the third 500s megayacht, Benetti expects to launch her in the spring.
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