If someone were describing this boat to a person over the phone, it might be a while before they guessed the boat brand and model being discussed. 'It's a boat with a high-tech hull that allows it to handle like a sports car, and it features a helm with a gauge cluster built by the same people that supply Porsche and Mercedes Benz. The company's motto is 'No Excuses,' and its goal is to build a 'bulletproof' boat.' After running through the usual suspects, the guesser would probably give up. The answer? Bayliner's newest Capri, the 195 Sport.

It's hard to believe, but Capri ' one of the most popular runabout boat lines in history ' turns 20 this year. In that time, it's established itself primarily as a 'value boat.' A lot of builders would be happy with that moniker, but Bayliner has a new goal this year. It is tired of hearing its boats being described as 'good boats, for the money.' It wants the new Capris to be just good boats . . . scratch that; it wants them to be known as great boats.

Starting with a fresh piece of paper, Bay-liner set about to design an all-new boat that is roomy, performs well and looks great. To add room, the beam is carried far forward and gives the 18-foot-9-inch Capri as much interior space as last year's 2050. Called 'Full Beam Ahead,' this design concept's benefits are most evident in the roomy bowrider section. A six-footer can easily sit with their back against the gunwale and still have plenty of room to stretch their legs out toward the opposite side. With the nicely padded bolster, it's a great seat.

The helm is also slightly forward to provide a little extra room in the cockpit. Although this cuts down on legroom for reclining passengers when facing forward, a six-footer still has enough legroom. The angled backrests that flip up to reveal roomy, carpeted storage compartments are a nice touch. The anchor locker is located under the forwardmost cushion, which is held in place with industrial-strength Velcro. The wider beam in the bow section gives the Capri a blunt nose, one of several design features reminiscent of a jet boat.

The 195 Capri is at its best when moving. At speed, the all-new APS III hull makes the 195 fun to drive. After glancing over your shoulder to make sure no one is behind you and telling your passengers to get a grip of the grab handles, crank the 195 over as hard as you dare. With the trim down a little, you can thrill your guests with jet boat-like handling. The turns are predictable, and it's easy to place the Capri right where you want it. Heck, you may never drive this boat in a straight line.

Bayliner likens this 'evolutionary' hull to a three-speed transmission, and it's an apt ana-logy. When applying power, the vectored strakes and wide, reversed chines improve directional stability while getting underway. Prior to planing, wake conversion channels promote lift and drive the center of lift rearward, resulting in a hole shot with little bowrise. Shifting into third, the Capri rides predominantly on a delta step pad, which reduces drag for better performance and added stability. The 19 degrees of deadrise at the stern create a good balance between the ability to slice easily through choppy conditions without making the boat too 'tippy.'

Overall, the look of the Bayliner 195 is modern and stylish. One of the most unique and functional design features is the futuristic gauge module built for Bayliner by VDO, which supplies a host of German automakers with their instrumentation. Built to more exacting automotive tolerances, VDO claims a failure rate somewhere in the neighborhood of one in 10,000 units. The gauges are accurate too: The speedometer, esti-mated to be accurate to within 1 mph, matches our radar gun exactly at 30 mph. It also begins reading at only 2 or 3 mph, unlike most speedometers that only begin to register in the double-digits. The symmetrical, one-piece VDO unit is good-looking and sits high on the dash for easy reading. Containing a full array of gauges ' including a depthfinder ' it is available with a data display that has an hour and trip meter, and even shows the outside temperature.

The adjustable helm and passenger buckets grip those seated like more expensive bolster seats, have the ability to swivel 360 degrees, and sit taller than most for better visibility. The taupe dash reduces glare nicely, but the tape delineating the taupe from the white gel coat already shows a few gouges and could become an eyesore in a few years. The 195 comes standard with a Danforth compass and also includes a tilt sport wheel that is sculpted to fit the hand nicely but looks and feels a bit plasticky.

The windshield is tall enough to be effective but also has sufficient rake to keep it looking sporty. It's through-bolted and supported by a pair of milled braces that have an industrial art quality and help make this a windshield that easily supports a well-fed Bayliner employee who stands atop it and vigorously bounces to show its strength. Impressive.

The copilot's dash contains a lockable glove box that protects the 120-watt JVC stereo from theft and the elements and features upgraded speakers for a great sound. There's also a cooler compartment in the dash to make sure that cold drinks are easily available.

The sport configuration gives passengers a comfortable stern bench seat and a giant sunpad for those paying homage to the sun god, Ra. However, the dangling black lanyard that releases the engine's access lock interrupts the seat's otherwise clean look. The swim platform features a stainless-steel ladder that penetrates deep into the water and resides in a recessed cradle when not in use.

The engine compartment has good thermal and auditory insulation and is roomy enough to allow mechanics easy access to perform routine maintenance.

Residing in the compartment is MerCruiser's 210-hp, 4.3L EFI sterndrive with Alpha I. Bayliner's designed its Capri hulls to match a specific engine's characteristics, rather than offering a plethora of powerplants that are often ill-suited for the boat and a source of confusion for the buyer. The MerCrusier 4.3L feels like it's the ideal match for the 195 and pushes it to a respectable top speed of 45.6 mph. It also yields good acceleration, taking the 195 from 0 to 30 mph in 6.5 seconds. At top speed, the 195 is as easy to drive as it is at 35 mph, making this a boat even your Aunt Edna could helm comfortably.

The 195 Capri Sport will do a lot to further Bayliner's goal of creating an improved image of its product. Not only is the company using quality components like Greenwood XL wood, Sunbrella canvas, vinylester skin coat and all-composite seats, but quality control seems better as well. The 195 is a well-designed runabout that looks good and is fun to drive. As usual, Bayliner equips the 195 Capri with a host of standard features. But rather than saying it's a good boat for the money, let's just say it's an outstanding runabout that just coincidentally doesn't cost much.