THESE 100mph, £1.5m luxury speed boats are set to be a familiar sight on Southampton water after manufacturer XSMG Marine moved into its new Hampshire home.

Designed for the wealthy waters of Monaco and Dubai, the XSR48 "superboat" is now about to go into full production at a new site in Marchwood after a £1.6m move.

It's another boost for the region's marine industry after US super-yacht brand Palmer Johnson selected Hampshire as the location for a new manufacturing facility, creating 800 jobs.

XSMG's new 17,000 sq ft facility allows up to six of the luxury boats to be built simultaneously and will create ten new jobs for boat builders. Prior to the move just one of the craft had been built and delivered but now bosses aim to produce 24 a year. It's the realisation of a dream for XSMG's founders - world powerboat champions and multi-world-record holders Ian Sanderson and Peter Dredge.

The company's design team will relocate from its previous base in Lymington to Marchwood immediately, while the management team will remain where they are for the short term.

Costing £7m to develop into the world's fastest diesel production boat, the XSR48 has won some high profile admirers after a prototype was officially launched by HRH Prince Michael of Kent in December 2006.

Jeremy Clarkson from TV's Top Gear described it "the most beautiful thing ever created by man" and Conde Nast Traveller magazine has recently shortlisted the boat for its prestigious Innovation and Design Awards. It has been described as the seas' answer to the Bugatti Veyron - one of the world's most powerful cars - but costing nearly twice as much.

Hand built and priced from £1.25-£1.5m, the XSR48 is designed to be the ultimate plaything for the thrill-seeking rich and famous and the Middle East is a key market for XSMG, which has been working to build a marketing and business alliances in the region.

Ian Sanderson, said: "Today's news is a real statement of intent from XSMG as a British-based design project, to commit long-term to the creation of a centre of excellence in the Solent, investing in a state of the art facility where incredible design and engineering talent will be applied to our products.

"The XSR48 is seen internationally as an iconic British development project, we see it as an example of the Solent region's place at the pinnacle of international marine design and specialist boat building."