**The upgraded Malibu included the swap to the Lycoming TIO-540 with more power, 350 horsepower, an increased gross weight to accommodate the heavier engine, and a number of other upgraded systems. The Mirage has been regularly improved since then. Today’s airplane features the Garmin G1000 integrated avionics suite with digital autopilot and tons of safety features.
**Robert GoyerThe introduction in 2000 of Piper’s turboprop product was a big turning point in the PA-46’s history. The 500-shp Pratt-powered airplane was an immediate hit despite challenging range and payload capability. Still, the airplane at around $2 million represented the entry level for new airplane turbine products, and Piper has sold hundreds of them. (Still available.)Robert Goyer**When Piper announced the unpressurized Matrix a few years back (2007), it seemed an odd backwards step. Piper was targeting buyers looking to step up from Bonanzas or Cirrus aircraft to a cabin class single, and as it turned out the Matrix was just the ticket. It’s cost of just over $800,000, saved buyers around $400,000 compared with a Mirage, and Piper proceeded to sell dozens of Matrix aircraft.
**Robert Goyer**Probably the ultimate outgrowth of the PA-46 airframe is the PA-47 PiperJet. The airplane is still in development, and it features an all-new wing and a new empennage. The fuselage, though stretched, is the same as the PA-46. Piper recently made sweeping design changes to the PiperJet.
**Robert Goyer**The JetProp is an aftermarket, non-Piper endorsed STC product performed by Rocket Engineering that replaces the Continental or Lycoming piston engine in a Malibu or Mirage with a Pratt & Whitney PT-6 turboprop. The conversion is one of the most successful STC programs in history. Around 250 PA-46s have been converted to the JetProp, meaning that approximately 20 percent of all Malibus and Mirages have been converted.
**Courtesy of JetProp, LCC
