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News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2001

Bombardier Fully Introduces Their 4 Stroke Watercraft!

MEDIA CONTACT:
Tim McKercher
Communications Coordinator, Watercraft
(321) 726-2110

"Bombardier continues to be the innovation leader with the introduction of the Rotax 1500 4-tec Four-Stroke Rotax Engine Exclusively for Sea-Doo Watercraft."

Gunskirchen, Austria - Bombardier is the first company to fully introduce a four-stroke powered watercraft to the public with the unveiling of the all-new Sea-Doo® GTX 4-TEC watercraft. The 4-TEC engine is produced in Austria by Bombardier-Rotax GmbH and has a long heritage in producing high-quality, high_performance four-stroke engines. Although four-stroke is nothing new to Rotax, a Sea-Doo watercraft powered by the all new 4-TEC engine is revolutionary. The 4-TEC engine is specially designed to meet the rapidly changing demands of watercraft consumers while complying with the worldwide efforts of respecting environmental sensitivity. Rotax® engines are truly at the heart of all Bombardier recreational products including Sea-Doo watercraft and some sport boats, Ski-Doo® snowmobiles, and Bombardier® all_terrain vehicles, as well as producing engines for BMW and Aprilia motorcycles, light aircraft, racing karts, and generators. Rotax engines have powered Sea-Doo watercraft since the company's invention of the mass-produced personal watercraft in 1968 and have involved countless groundbreaking engine innovations since. Rotax first utilized four-stroke engines in the early 1970s to power the then revolutionary Can-Am® motorcycles and has, over the past thirty years, built high-performance four-stroke motors for motorcycles and ATVs. Rotax is also fast becoming one of the worldÕs leading light aircraft engine makers with the four-stroke boxer engine with OHV-control.

The 4-TEC engine powering the 2002 Sea-Doo GTX will be an inline 1500cc, 12-valve, three cylinder engine. The 4-TEC engine creates a tremendous amount of torque supplying its operators with incredible acceleration and great top-end speed. The power delivery is very linear, making the GTX 4-TEC a great watercraft for towing wakeboarders, skiers, and tubes. Perhaps the most appealing feature of the 4-TEC engine is its unique feel and sound. The sound of the 4-TEC is totally unique to watercraft and emits a rich, low frequency purr at speed. The engine offers ultra smooth operation but at the same time emits a feeling different than ever felt before on a personal watercraft. It's the kind of sensation that you can feel in your heart as soon as the throttle lever is pulled.

Once the rider gets past the feel and sound of the 4-TEC, it's obvious that Sea-Doo has continued to offer innovative powerplants to consumers. The 1500 4-TEC utilizes a closed loop cooling system that eliminates the possibility of debris clogging that could cause overheating and other issues. This engineering feat utilizes the rideplate as a heat exchanger for the engine coolant in the same fashion as an automobile radiator. Another innovation is TOPS or Tip Over Protection System that operates on a dry sump system that activates a valve to stop oil flow into the combustion chambers if the watercraft is capsized.

The 4-TEC engine is designed to withstand the demanding conditions Sea-Doo watercraft are put through by their owners. The value of having a reliable engine is placed at a premium by watercraft owners and the 4-TEC engine was engineered and developed to offer its owners peace-of-mind while far from the launch ramp. Reliability is a standard feature with the 4-TEC engine, comprised of high-grade materials throughout while maintaining the Sea-Doo watercraft tradition of offering superior power-to-weight ratio performance.

Owners will appreciate the low maintenance and reliability of the Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC watercraft as they will be able to enjoy a complete riding season before having to change the oil. The 4-TEC is also engineered to operate on 87 octane unleaded gasoline and is more fuel efficient at top speeds than any other watercraft before it. The 2002 Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC watercraft will exceed all EPA 2006 standards. The 4-TEC also carries the highly praised Sea-Doo Learning Key benefiting less experienced riders with the opportunity to learn how to operate watercraft with greater confidence and control. The trained technicians at authorized Sea-Doo dealerships will appreciate the service friendly 4-TEC as it provides a very comprehensive diagnostic program with an increased number of trouble shooting codes.

Bombardier Recreational Products designs, develops, builds, distributes and markets Ski-Doo® and Lynx® snowmobiles, snowgrooming equipment and multi-purpose tracked vehicles, Sea-Doo® watercraft and sport boats and Bombardier® all-terrain vehicles. Snowmobiles, ATVs, watercraft and some sport boats are powered by Rotax® engines that are designed and built by Bombardier-Rotax GmbH, which also builds motors for motorcycles, scooters, karts and aircraft. In March 2001, the group acquired the Evinrude® and Johnson® outboard marine engines as well as the Ficht Ram Injection technology.

And that's good news for personal watercraft owners. "Today's watercraft owners are concerned about the environment and the health of their local waterways," said Mark Denny, Managing Director of the American Watercraft Association representing over 1 million personal watercraft owners. "New technology watercraft with four-stroke engines and sound suppression systems will help ensure that personal watercraft owners can continue to enjoy America's public waterways."

***********

Bombardier Inc., a diversified manufacturing and service company, is a world leading manufacturer of business jets, regional aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational products. It is also a provider of financial services and asset management. The Corporation employs 79,000 people in 24 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Bombardier's revenues for its fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2001 totaled $16.1 billion and more than 90% were generated outside Canada.

®TMTrademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. GTX is a registered trademark of Castrol Limited, used under license.

For information contact:
Tim McKercher
Communications Coordinator, Watercraft
Telephone: (321) 726-2110
tim.mckercher@recreation.bombardier.com

http://www.recreation.bombardier.com
http://www.sea-doo.com


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