Browsing: outboard engines

Cruising Life
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Mercury Launches New 500-hp Outboard

Marking its 50th anniversary, Mercury Racing just introduced its new 500-hp outboard designed for fast luxury sport boats. The new 500R V8 has Mercury Racing’s exclusive supercharger, and it not only has 50 more horsepower but also 10 percent more torque than the company’s 450R. It has a 4.6 liter, 64-degree FourStroke powerhead and is designed for pump fuel with an 89 octane rating.  The company says the 500R is “the most exciting production outboard to ever emerge from Mercury Racing.” The 500R tops out at 6,600 rpm. To handle all that power, it has upgraded its powerhead, cooling system,…

Cruising Life
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Mercury Intros New, Light, 25- and 30-hp Outboards

Mercury Marine just introduced a new series of three-cylinder, four-stroke 25- and 30-hp outboards that are lighter, faster and more user-friendly than ever before. The new outboards all have a 500cc powerhead with electronic fuel injection. And for the first time, electric-start models in both the 25- and 30-hp size come standard with Mercury’s SmartCraft digital technologies, so owners can connect to sophisticated digital gauges and mobile devices. The outboards start at just 132 pounds, making them 16 percent lighter than previous models; they’re also more fuel efficient. They come in models designated as 25- and 30-hp Four Stroke; 25-hp…

Cruising Life
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Volvo To Stop Making Seven Marine Outboards

For the past several years, the outboard business has been on a tear. The demand for new outboards, even on traditional cruising boats, often outpaced supply. Yamaha couldn’t make its popular large outboards fast enough. Mercury upped its game and produced new outboards that became the power of choice even on such Down East boats at Hinckley and MJM. Suzuki stepped up its presence in the U.S. Three years ago, Volvo Penta, the Swedish giant, bought Seven Marine, a U.S. startup, and it started production of the entire Seven Marine lineup (527-hp, 577-hp, and 627-hp models)  last February in Tennessee.…

Engine Room
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BMW Making New 300-hp Diesel Outboard with OXE

BMW is working with OXE Marine to produce a co-branded 300-hp diesel outboard. OXE, a Swedish outboard company, already uses a BMW six-cylinder, bi-turbo diesel engine for its OXE300-Bison outboard. Under a new agreement, OXE said it will work with BMW to deliver the co-branded 300-hp outboards as “products of unprecedented power, reliability and endurance.” OXE also said it would continue to produce its 200-hp outboard through next year, based on a GM motor, but it also will test a marinized BMW powerhead as the same time to see if it can produce enough horsepower and torque while meeting emission…

Cruising Life
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Yanmar Launches World’s Smallest New Dtorque 50-hp Turbo Diesel Outboard

The trend toward diesel-powered outboard engines just got stronger, as Yanmar Marine joined forces with Neander Shark, a German manufacturer, for global distribution of the new Dtorque 111 twin-cylinder, 50-hp turbo diesel outboard. Yanmar says this is the world’s smallest diesel outboard with common-rail fuel injection, providing class-leading range, fuel efficiency, exhaust emissions and noise levels. The new compact outboard has an engine life of at least 10,000 hours, according to the company, more than double the lifespan of a comparable gas outboard. The diesel is smooth and quiet, delivering 50-hp at the prop with a torque output of 111…

Cruising Life
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Coast Guard Tests Diesel Outboards on Small Boats. Is a Diesel Outboard in Your Future?

In a move that could make your cruising life easier, the Coast Guard is testing diesel-powered outboards on some of its Fast Rescue Boats. If the tests are successful, and more diesel outboards move to the recreational boat market, it could mean that you wouldn’t have to carry separate gas on board for your RIB or dink if you have a diesel-powered cruising boat. It’s also possible that diesel outboards will become more popular as the primary engine(s) on larger recreational boats. The Coast Guard test involves 175-hp Mercury Optimax outboards, as well as 200- and 300-hp units, and will…