Its 60GT is a new grand tourer that pushes the traditional 'Down Easter' lobster-boat concept in every aesthetic and athletic sense.

This is no David Copperfield illusion, more a Houdini-style escape from convention, as a classic Palm Beach hull was placed on a strict carbon fibre diet and lent a snazzy sportscoat.

That this erstwhile gentleman's cruiser can now break 40 knots, boating's Mach 1 of speed barriers, is testament to the ultra-efficiency that Palm Beach/Grand Banks chief executive officer Mark Richards craves to the point of addiction.

You'd expect no less from a man who has helmed the supermaxi Wild Oats XI to nine line-honours victories in the Rolex Sydney-Hobart race while overseeing its continual performance upgrades.

Following on from a GT50 released in 2019, the GT60 is the high-tech, high-performance flagship of the Malaysian-based yard.

It's set to make its debut in Europe at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2021 (September 7-12) . . . fittingly surrounded by four-wheeled grand tourers from Ferrari, Bugatti, Porsche and others.

It's said to display all the power, efficiency and smooth-running capabilities for which Palm Beach models are known, but with sleeker styling cues and no-holds-barred performance.

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Remarkably, the 60-footer is designed not to plane, so it doesn't waste energy.

"Warped semi-displacement" is the term for a fine entry that billows into nice soft shoulders, then finishes with a shallow deadrise of 8 degrees for stability and minimal wake.

Small for'ard chines deflect spray and a keel enhances straight-line tracking and slide through high-speed turns.

Tabs are hardly needed, because there's no planing hump, and the fuel tank runs amidships.

"On the water the GT60 follows closely in the footsteps of the GT50. Both yachts prove that our build practices and engineering results in a vessel that is at once stylish, luxurious and has a performance curve that's unmatched in the industry," Richards says.

"The performance can be attributed directly to our weight-saving construction techniques, including vacuum-infused carbon fibre in the deck and superstructure. This weight reduction and strength sets the GT60 apart."

In sea trials held last week near the company's US headquarters in Florida, the 60-footer comfortably exceeded 40 knots when running twin 1000-horsepower Volvo IPS 1350 powerplants at wide open throttle.

Fuel usage was only 285 litres per hour at 35 knots.

Those figures are better than some similar-sized competing products achieve using three engines and/or twice the horsepower.

"Our team worked tirelessly on perfecting the GT60 over the past 12 months and it has delivered an absolute dream result," Richards sayss.

"To have such a beautiful boat wrapped around a twin-engine system is a truly remarkable achievement."

Material choices, and their placement in the GT60's construction, means that the boat has a naturally low centre of gravity to aid performance.

Palm Beach then takes further steps with the engineering to ensure perfect balance, running carbon fibre jackshafts from the pods to the mid-mounted engines, ensuring the bulk weight of the blocks are centred and low.

The GT60 features an enormous single-piece curved glass windshield, large electric side and aft windows in the salon, and full-beam entertaining spaces in both the salon and cockpit.

The layouts are practical and modern, while still retaining the nautical feel of a cruising yacht.

It's not the most spacious 60-footer down below but, as with all Palm Beach Motor Yachts, customers can customise the layouts and available options.

They say three's a crowd, but it hasn't stopped Volvo Penta from introducing a triple installation of its DPI sterndrive, making this versatile drive system a viable option for vessels up to 60 feet.

Volvo is arguably the world leader in this technology, having revolutionised the industry in 1959 when it debuted the Aquamatic sterndrive, before following it up over the years with innovations like Duoprop, electric steering and joystick control.

The Aquamatic DPI model was launched in 2019 with features like a hydraulic clutch that ensures silent and smooth shifting, as well as slipping at low engine speeds for added manoeuvrability.

Three is a magic number when it comes to delivering torque and grip through the propellers - all six of them - especially when Volvo Penta's D4 and D6 diesel have superchargers to help get the hull planing, then a turbo takes over at higher speeds.

Swedish boatbuilder Marell initially used twin DPI's in its high-performance M15 patrol boat but has since moved to a triple installation.

Where the top speed was around 40 knots, this has increased to over 50 knots. Acceleration is dramatically better while fuel consumption at 40 knots remains the same.

Electric steering remains as standard, and the joystick functionality is improved. You also get the option of Dynamic Positioning System (DPS), which automatically maintains a boat's heading and position, even during strong currents or windy conditions - ideal when preparing for docking.

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