Yes as of 09 the “hulls” are the same while the top caps(boxes and layouts) and the fuel tank location (cougar rear 2 tanks, puma AE underseat tanks) are not.As hinted to above- if you are ordering now I am not sure you can get a puma AE for 2012. From my distant uneducated position BCB has tried to make several attempts to make a niche for a 20 er that performs well but isnt full of crap most of us really dont need. Saves the consumer money and in the end gets you a boat that is fast as H_ll and set up to get the job done without frills. Cougar AE has seemed to be the biggest success of a the p4 AE, puma AE, and cougar AE. Cougar AE for 2012 appears to be the direction BCB wants (and IMHO) should go. The boat is a friggin rocket and the stuff that is missing you really wont miss. Totally overrated are acrylic handrails, large format electronics, carpeted boxes, and 2 bilge pumps- for most of us.I fish out of a cougar AE all the time and have never found the boat anything other than a faster version of a standard unit.Last edited by clownshoes on September 25th, 2011, 2:27 am, edited 1 time in total.C.O.D. Jr. III