Company Number: 955990-V
Ministry of Finance Registration Number: 357-02176094

Levi Drives manufactures a line of innovative surface drive systems for commercial, private and military marine applications under the trademark, Levi Drive®.

Evolving from its roots in ‘offshore racing’, Levi Drives® are currently the only commercial surface drives available on the market.

Considered to be the Mercedes of surface drives, Levi Drives® are durable, trouble-free, fast and reasonably priced. Though similar to a racing drive, Levi Drives® are designed for hard sea labour, and they excel beyond expectations. Featuring the best workmanship, finest materials and excellent design, Levi Drives® have been in the field working for thirty years without any problems.

A revolutionary patented surface drive design, Levi Drives® offer 10% to 20% more efficiency than the most sufficient propulsion systems on the market to date. In addition, Levi Drives® can easily be transom mounted onto the diesel and gasoline engines of a broad range of marine vessels.

The Levi Drive® series is developed by Renato ‘Sonny’ Levi, an internationally renowned marine designer with over 50 years experience in marine propulsion technology.

WE TAKE PRODUCT ORDERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. To buy any of our products, or design and manufacture racing drives, please enquire directly.

Virgin Atlantic Challenger II

Twin Levi Drives installed on a yacht in Norway

The Problem
When it comes to finding efficient underwater boat propellers, naval architects are faced with a limited range of choices. On one hand, naval architects could choose to employ the biggest propeller size to achieve maximum efficiency. But the limitations in the propeller shaft line’s inclination meant that the propeller tip clearance between propeller and hull had to be observed to avoid cavitation and vibration to the hull.

The other option for naval architects was to choose a smaller propeller to achieve the desired inclination but then they had to sacrifice on propulsion efficiency.

This dilemma results in a compromise in which the designer buys one advantage by accepting another disadvantage.

A Revolutionary Design
In the 1960’s, the famous power boat designer Sonny Renato Levi experimented with mounting the propellers aft of his boat. He gradually raised the shaft line till the propeller center line was passing through an extended line of the boat’s bottom.

This revolutionary design gave birth to the surface propeller and stepdrive, which worked best when 50% submerged.

The propeller could be made as big as practical and cavitation was no longer a problem since the working conditions of the propeller was half in the water and half in the air. Each revolution helped to ventilate the propeller.

The boats equipped with this new drive system were a novelty in the offshore racing circuit and very successful. The step drive eventually evolved into the “Levi Drive” unit and the “Levi Side Winder”. Sonny Renato patented his design in 1976.

Design Principles

• To use the biggest propeller possible
• Mount the propeller behind the boat
• Let the propeller work only partial submerged
• Use a low shaft angle
• Ventilate the propeller by air and/or exhaust gases during start up
• Use super cavitating propeller sections
• Employ cupped propellers
• Reduce all appendages (studs, brackets, sand shoes)
• Protect the propeller by a tunnel rudder or other means
• Reduce the amount of parts in the construction
• Use only the best materials available

Levi Drive LD 320-350 Side View

Levi Drive LD 170-150

Levi Drive LD 200-200 with tiller steering

Renato ‘Sonny’ Levi has introduced many innovations into the marine propulsion field, particularly in fast power-boat design. Among his many accomplishments over the years, Renato Sonny pioneered the “Deep V” hull responsible for the “Delta Configuration” and numerous variations on this theme.

Since the propulsion system of fast craft plays a very big part in the performance of such boats, it was only natural that he would dedicate considerable thought to this aspect of design also. Whilst appreciating the many advantages of the “Z” or “Stem Drive” marine propulsion system, he felt that the concept was complicated and consequently could be unreliable.

The “power trim” facility unquestionably provided a positive method of trimming a planing boat to the best advantage. This later aspect has become indispensable on fast sports craft and racing offshore power boats. It is unthinkable to run such ‘stern drive’ boats today without this device.

Inspired by this, he developed the ‘Step Drive’ propulsion system towards the end of the 1960’s. The ‘Step Drive’ was adopted by the Drago, the fastest diesel production cruiser at that time. Since then, he has designed over 50 different crafts that use the Step Drive.

Although extremely fast, the ‘Step Drive’ had several drawbacks such as power absorption at lower speeds was unsatisfactory and maneuverability was poor. To solve this, Renato Sonny began devising a new surface drive.

After years of development, Renato Sonny introduced a revolutionary surface propulsion system that took the design qualities of the ‘Step Drive’ and combined it with the advantages of the conventional ‘Z’ drive. The result is the Levi Drive®.

Renato (Sony) Levi signs the first Levi Drive built in Malaysia

Renato (Sonny) Levi, Rudolf Scholz with the first Levi Drive built in Malaysia

Levi Drive LD 240-250

Wholly manufactured in Port Dickson, Malaysia Levi Drive® is a transom mounted surface propeller drive. The propulsion systems are a compact, highly efficient propulsion solution for marine vessels ranging from 50 to 4000 hp.

Levi Drives® are an evolution of the Step Design surface drive propulsion systems. Elegant yet simple in design, they offer optimum ease and flexibility in installation. Due to their unsurpassed features, Levi Drives® are much in demand around the world by the private, corporate and military sectors.

Levi Drive® Features

• Highly reliable
  Made from the highest quality corrosion-resistant materials, Levi Drive’s design is extremely simple which ensures its trouble-free operation.
• Compact & light
  Made to be compact and light to enhance the engine’s efficiency and minimise stern protrusion.
• Greater efficiency
  Its streamline design and features contribute to 10% to 15% improved efficiency of the vessel’s engine.
• Easy fitting
  The transom mounting design makes it quick and simple to fit Levi Drives® without the hassle of shaft alignment and fitting needed in other propulsion systems.
• Engine position versatility
  The engine may be fitted amidships or right aft without the added complication of a costly V-Drive and transmission shaft.
• Pure speed
  Since only half the disk is submerged, appendage drag is eliminated and offers greater cruising speeds.
• Better acceleration & helm control