Chaparral’s 267 SSX proves the value of big-block sterndrives. At a flick of the smooth electronic shift lever, the power levitates this nearly 5,000-pound rocket onto plane. Once there, a combination ...

Chaparral began building boats in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the ’60s. Back then, it produced inexpensive boats (its first, an $850 tri-hull) and developed a full line ranging from small, ...