News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yamaha Waverunner® FX140 Honored By Popular Mechanics
World's first four-stroke PWC awarded 2002 Design & Engineering Award

MEDIA CONTACT:
Bob Gonsalves or Kari Miyamoto
ICBM Communications
(909) 778-9160

KENNESAW, GA - Popular Mechanics magazine chose the Yamaha WaveRunner® FX140, the world's first four-stroke PWC, to receive their 2002 Design & Engineering Award.

Each year, the editors of Popular Mechanics review thousands of new products in the areas of automotive, technology, science, home improvement and outdoors and select the best in design, engineering and innovation to receive the Design & Engineering Award. According to the editors of Popular Mechanics magazine, "award recipients stand out among their peers in conceptualizing and putting into practice ideas that may be revolutionary, bold or just downright clever."

The three-person Yamaha FX140 utilizes leading edge four-stroke technology that delivers exceptional power per displacement, provides excellent fuel economy, and due to its four-stroke design, produces low exhaust emissions.

Four-stroke technology is important to the personal watercraft industry because it is the first long-term solution to many of the issues posed by industry critics citing emissions and noise. The FX140 is exceptionally cleaner than conventional two-stroke engines, surpassing the most stringent federal and state exhaust emissions requirements currently on the books, while saving consumers up to $1,000 or more annually on fuel and oil costs. In addition, the FX140 is substantially quieter in sound volume and offers a pleasing four-stroke sound quality compared to conventional two-stroke engines.

"We are honored that Popular Mechanics has named the FX140 as their Design & Engineering award recipient," said Yamaha WaterCraft Group Company president Mark Speaks. "The FX140 is the world's first four-stroke personal watercraft and is a technological breakthrough for the industry. It is a no-compromise watercraft that delivers the fun and exhilaration that our customers demand while addressing all environmental concerns - it is exceptionally quiet, it features a very low emission engine, it is fuel-thrifty, and it does not utilize an exposed propeller."

The 2002 Design & Engineering award winners will be featured in the December 2001 issue of Popular Mechanics, distributed to over 1.5 million readers. A complete review of the WaveRunner® FX140 can be found in the October 2001 issue of the magazine.

This is not the only award that the Yamaha FX140 has received. Popular Science magazine recently named the FX140 as their 2001 "Best of What's New" award recipient in the recreational products category.