With the 495 Concept, we want to grow the coupé concept, while at the same time build on the legacy of Nimbus’ previous and existing coupé models. The salon is the very epicenter of the boat, the heart of the model. That’s where we live on board. That’s where we have the helm, the dining area, the social lounge and the galley, says Joacim Gustavsson, Chief designer at Nimbus Group Sweden AB.

The goal of the Nimbus 495 Coupé is to create a floating home that is both comfortable and safe, allowing you to feel embraced and want to stay on board for an extended period of time. The boat’s design is focused on optimizing function, as evident in the large rear windows in the salon. These windows were added to enhance the experience in the galley, which is an open, seamless, and integrated part of the entire social area on the aft deck and in the salon. The integration of these windows helps to create an inviting and open atmosphere that makes it more pleasant to spend time in the galley and social areas.

The Dynamic Positioning System (DPS) is the ideal solution when the driver needs to maintain the boat’s heading and position temporarily, such as when preparing for docking, waiting to refuel, or for a bridge or lock to open. It allows the crew to ready fenders and lines without stress, and gives the driver ample time to plan the next maneuver safely, even in deep waters.

In DPS mode, repositioning the boat is effortless—just tap the joystick to adjust the boat’s position or rotation, which is especially useful when wind and currents complicate manual control. Engaging DPS is as simple as pressing a button on the joystick control, securely holding the boat in a precise position. Disengaging is equally straightforward, either by moving the control levers or pressing the button again.

We feel that there are fewer and fewer boats with experience-based designs and solutions adapted to local conditions. Nimbus has a long tradition of building coupé boats. We wish to fully realize this potential with the 495 Concept. 

In the Nordic region, we have a tradition spanning several thousand years of building boats for archipelagos and local adaptations. It gives us a sense of perspective of the experience on which we are basing things here in Scandinavia knowing that the timber for the “Oseberg” ship was felled in 819. The more than 1100-year old boats from Denmark and Norway are regarded as “phylogenetically” fully developed. This means that design and the art of building had come so far that there was hardly any room for improvement. Later scientific tank-testing of models has shown that the hull lines in the Viking boats were almost optimal and this kind of knowledge was not achieved overnight.

The modern traditional clinker-built boat shares its DNA with the Viking ships. Through the slow evolution from a straight keel to boats with sterns that turn upwards and outwards, the traditional boat acquired what we now call its natural shape. And it turns out in practice that what appears natural, is very often the right things at sea.