Wellcraft Scarab 38KV Miami Vice Edition Review

With filming set to begin in June 2026 for the Miami Vice reboot, Miami’s waterways are about to get their close-up again. Joseph Kosinski’s production, starring Austin Butler and Michael B. Jordan, returns to 1985 for what the director calls a “full on” period aesthetic. That means authentic hardware from the era that defined Miami excess.

Based near the film’s expected locations, one of those authentic pieces sits at TNT Marine Center in North Miami. Gustavo “Gus” Morales owns a 1986 Wellcraft Scarab 38KV “Miami Vice Edition”. During the Miami International Boat Show, I took a trip back in time and shared a few hours with a beautifully restored classic.

The Television Phenomenon

Miami Vice premiered on NBC in September 1984 and ran until January 1990. Created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann, the series revolutionised television aesthetics. Pastel suits, synthesiser soundtracks, and high-performance boats became cultural signatures.

Don Johnson’s James “Sonny” Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas’s Ricardo Tubbs drove powerboats as fast as they drove McBurnie’s Daytona Spiders and Ferrari Testarossas. The show’s marine hardware wasn’t background scenery. While the Chris-Craft Stinger 390X featured in the first season, it was the Wellcraft Scarab 38KV that appeared prominently from season two through five, becoming as iconic as the show’s fashion and music.

According to Wayne Kolb, considered by many the most respected Miami Vice boat historian and the owner of three Scarab 38KVs, the producers decided to replace the Chris-Craft due to operational difficulties during filming. Chris-Craft also wanted the show to pay for any additional boats, a proposal the producers rejected.

Wellcraft capitalised on the show’s popularity, which attracted more than 10 million viewers per episode. The company contributed two Scarab boats built from the pre-existing Scarab 377 hull, originally designed by Larry Smith using Kevlar hull laminates and made famous by offshore racing champion Betty Cook and her Scarab KAAMA powerboat.

Producers named the boats Star 1 (camera boat) and Star 2 (stunt boat). Kolb currently owns Star 2, which is due for restoration. A total of six boats were contributed free of charge by Wellcraft for the series, with three loaner boats provided to Don Johnson for personal use.

Wellcraft also marketed Scarab 38KVs directly to the public under the “Miami Vice Edition” branding, leveraging the show’s popularity to sell high-performance offshore boats to those who wanted a piece of the television aesthetic. A total of 33 Miami Vice Edition boats were manufactured and sold at US$130,000 each between 1986 and 1989. Wellcraft achieved approximately a 20 per cent increase in boat sales during this period.

Factory Specification vs Reality

The 1986 Wellcraft Scarab 38KV Miami Vice Edition carried factory specifications designed for performance and style. Length overall measured 38 feet with an eight-foot beam. Twin 440-horsepower V8 Mercury MerCruiser petrol engines provided 880 combined horsepower, delivering approximately 52 knots top speed.

Morales’s boat, registered as Vicious, has been substantially improved from factory specification. Twin BBC 540ci Dart block engines deliver 650 horsepower each, producing 1,300 combined horsepower, while retaining pump petrol characteristics. That represents 47 per cent more power than Wellcraft installed in 1986, making the boat capable of 85 miles per hour at full throttle.

The engines were manufactured with specialist camshaft work by Michael’s Racing Engines of Macedonia, Ohio. In the interest of preserving the boat’s authentic look and feel, the original Borg Warner Velvet Drive transmissions and MerCruiser TRS sterndrives were retained without penalty to performance. Stainless Marine of Opa-locka and Custom Marine Sales of Fort Lauderdale fabricated and installed a salt-water exhaust system that gives the BBC engines a deep roar.

On the Water

We departed TNT Marine Center on a warm, sunny Miami day with light sea conditions. Morales operates the Scarab 38KV with precision that demonstrates intimate familiarity with 1,300 horsepower in a hull designed for 880. Coming out of the legendary Haulover Inlet with ease, we headed south parallel to Miami Beach at 5,000 RPM and entered Government Cut with the Scarab asking for more.

The engine note turns heads instantly. Running past the Miami International Boat Show’s on-water exhibition along Collins Avenue at four to five knots, spectators on the display pontoons raised phones and cameras. The distinctive sound of big-block Chevrolet engines at idle carries.

Morales has engineered the boat superbly. The handling characteristics with 47 per cent more power than factory specification feel controlled and predictable. Hard acceleration produces the visceral response expected from 1,300 horsepower, but the hull remains planted and manageable.

Compared to modern centre consoles, the Scarab holds its own. The ride quality favours those familiar with 1980s offshore design language, sharper and more connected than contemporary boats with their computer-aided hull designs and integrated shock mitigation systems. This feels like a boat from an era when drivers accepted compromise in exchange for performance.

Wellcraft Heritage with an Aviation Background

Morales learned boating as a child on a Wellcraft Sunhatch 196, and has the brand imprinted on him. He recalls watching Miami Vice re-runs as a boy, and remembers long conversations with his late father about the Scarab and Cigarette boats of the era.

“Having lived most of my adult life in Miami, I understand that owning a Miami Vice Scarab is a big responsibility due to the boat’s importance to the community and fans of the show worldwide. You suddenly become the custodian of a city symbol, similar to being the caretaker of an iconic local institution such as the Vizcaya Museum, the Freedom Tower or the Biltmore Hotel.”

For this reason, Morales and his family plan to offer charter rides aboard Vicious, keeping the boat operational while sharing the experience.

“A boat with marinised carburetted engines needs to be run weekly to stay in top condition. We will allow fans to take private tours so they can feel what Crockett and Tubbs experienced, while visiting locations featured during the show.”

Morales, an experienced aeronautical legal counsel and jet pilot, runs his aviation firm from Miami Opa-locka Executive Airport, where he trades, flies and manages commercial and private aircraft across multiple countries. His wife Karina manages the boat’s social media presence under the handle @vicious.miami, documenting Vicious’s appearances around South Florida waters.

Housed at a Racing Legend’s Facility

TNT Marine Center, co-founded by offshore racing legend John Tomlinson and Mike Thomas in 1984, serves as Vicious’s home. Tomlinson holds 160-plus personal wins and multiple world championships, and retains ownership of the facility’s maintenance operation under the name TNT Custom Marine. At the time of writing, TNT Marine Center is being acquired by billionaire Jeff Soffer, owner of the Fontainebleau Hotels and an avid powerboater.

The facility operates as Mercury Marine’s platinum dealer and South Florida’s largest dry storage and service centre. Tomlinson’s own connection to Miami Vice extends beyond berthing Morales’s boat. He served as Colin Farrell’s stunt double in the 2006 Miami Vice film directed by Michael Mann.

TNT’s combination of high-performance expertise and offshore racing heritage makes it the logical home for a 1,300-horsepower Scarab requiring specialised maintenance and storage.

The Reboot Question

Authentic 1986 Wellcraft Scarabs in filmable condition remain scarce. These vessels are 40 years old. Many have been modified, damaged, or destroyed across four decades of use. Finding examples in original condition, or close enough to pass as period-correct on IMAX cameras, presents substantial challenges.

To date, the production team has not contacted Morales about using his boat for filming. Whether Universal Pictures opts for authentic 1980s hardware or modern substitutes remains unknown. The production’s five-month window before cameras roll in June is closing rapidly.

“I would be honoured to make Vicious available to the film in case they need her. We will always be ready to support any cause that brings relevance to South Florida and its outstanding boating community.”

Period Correctness Meets Modern Power

Morales’s Scarab occupies an interesting position. The hull, design language, and aesthetic remain period-correct for 1985. The powerplant exceeds anything Wellcraft installed in 1986 by a substantial margin.

This makes it unsuitable for absolute historical accuracy in film production but compelling as a demonstration of what 1980s offshore platforms can accommodate with modern engine technology. The BBC Dart big-blocks represent serious racing hardware installed in an iconic recreational platform.

For collectors and Miami Vice enthusiasts, the boat offers tangible connection to the era that defined Miami’s image. Whether Universal Pictures needs authentic hardware for Kosinski’s reboot or settles for modern approximations, boats like Morales’s Scarab prove the originals still exist. Based on my experience, they still perform.