Browsing: outboards

Boat Reviews
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Invictus Showing New 42 Outboard Model

Invictus Yacht will be showing its new, sporty and outboard-powered TT420S at the Palm Beach show, starting March 21. The new Invictus, with its distinctive lines and signature axe bow, is really an outboard version of the Italian builder’s most popular model. Powered by three 350-hp Yamaha outboards, it’s aimed specifically at the U.S. market. The original TT420 was introduced in Europe with inboard power from two 440-hp Volvos, but Invictus realized that outboards are growing in popularity here. The design, by Christian Grande, remains the same as the original, other than some tweaks aft for the outboards. The original…

Engine Room
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Cox Launches New 350-hp Diesel Outboard

Cox Marine recently introduced its new 350-hp diesel-powered outboard. The British builder says it’s the largest V-8 diesel outboard in the world. The new 350 is designed to narrow the gap between gas- and diesel-powered outboards. Cox started its move into the international diesel outboard market with a V-8 300-hp entry, which was approved for sale in the U.S. a few years ago, satisfying all the environmental and safety regulations. The 350 simply ups the ante. The new 350 generates 776 pounds of torque at 2600 rpm, compared to 707 pounds on the 300, according to the company. It also…

Engine Room
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New Electric Outboard with Dolphin-like Drive

FinX, a French startup, just introduced its revolutionary electric-powered outboard motor that uses fin-driven thrust, copied from the movement of dolphins, instead of a propeller. The basic idea is that FinX replaces the propeller with a fin-like undulating membrane; when it’s agitated by the electric motor, the membrane develops thrust that pushes the boat forward. The linear motor excites a ring-shaped membrane, causing it to undulate and send wave energy through the water, creating thrust. The basic FinX outboard has a 72-A 48-V lithium battery that will drive a small boat or a RIB up to a top speed of…

Cruising Life
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Yamaha Unveils New, Light, V6 F350 Outboard

Yamaha just announced that it’s making a new 4.3L V6 Offshore F350 outboard that weighs just 629 pounds and that delivers a powerful 11:1 compression ratio. The new F350, available for OEM or repowering applications, fits between Yamaha’s F300 and EXT Offshore 425 outboards. It replaces the V8 350 that  Yamaha produced from 2007 to 2019, which was popular for its horsepower but had a high power-to-weight ratio. The new V6 F350 comes in at 175 pounds less than the old V8; indeed, Yamaha says the new F350 has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class. It produces 70 amps…

Engine Room
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Honda Unveils New 350-hp V8 Outboard

Honda Marine just unveiled its most powerful outboard yet, a 350-hp V8, the company’s first V8 ever. The sleek new BF350 represents a big step up for Honda; the previous outboard flagship was a 250-hp model. The new 350 is aimed at boats in the 25-foot plus range, and Honda says it’s appropriate for single, twin, triple or quad applications. It weighs 765 to 776 pounds, depending on shaft length. Honda says the new outboard provides smoother power throughout the operating range, improved ergonomics, and it’s 17 percent more fuel efficient at cruising speeds than its competitors. It also operates…

Cruising Life
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Yamaha Makes New 450-hp Outboard

Yamaha just launched its most powerful outboard yet, a 450-hp, V8 four-stroke with more torque, faster acceleration and a higher top speed than ever before. It’s called a 450 XTO, which stands for Xtreme Thrust Output. It’s a larger version of Yamaha’s 425 XTO, and it’s naturally aspirated with a 5.7L displacement. The new Yamaha is designed for larger, and heavier, boats, and it comes with Yamaha’s updated Helm Master EX controls that are built to handle up to three of the new 450s on a single transom. The new 450 has several important improvements, including a high-out alternator system…

Engine Room
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Merc Unveils Game-Changing 600-hp Outboard

Mercury just introduced its new V12, 600-hp giant outboard, a move that will surely cause more cruising boat owners to choose outboard performance. The world’s first V12, the new Mercury Verado also has the first steerable gearcase on an outboard; it pivots independently underwater while the engine remains fixed, providing more room for multi-engine applications and a wider steering angle for agile maneuvering. Mercury says the gear case rotates 45 degrees side to side, about 15 degrees more than a conventional outboard The 7.6 liter Verado also has the first two-speed automatic transmission on an outboard, optimizing engine rpm depending…

Cruising Life
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Yamaha Introduces New, More Powerful, 25- and 20-hp Outboards

Yamaha has just introduced two new outboards, a 25-horsepower, high-thrust model to power heavier small boats, and a 20-horsepower unit to drive a wide variety of boats, with faster acceleration and better performance under a load. The new T25 “has the best power-to-weight ratio of all high-thrust 25-horsepower outboards,” said Ben Speciale, president of the Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “If you have a small but heavy vessel to power this outboard delivers on every level.” It has electronic fuel injection, variable trolling rpm control, lightweight technology, and the ability to connect to Yamaha’s digital gauges. The T25 comes with…

Cruising Life
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Honda Redesigns Its Largest Outboards with More Power, Less Corrosion and Easier Maintenance

Honda Marine just introduced its new, streamlined flagship BF200, BF225 and BF250 V6 outboards at the Miami International Boat Show. The 200 and 225 are powered by a new engine, the 3.6-liter V6 that is already in the 250, but all three have more resistance to corrosion, easier maintenance and improved acceleration. The new outboards have more protection from water entering the engine than ever before, and a new cowling has a dual-channel, indirect-air-circuit induction system to improve air flow to the engine while funneling moisture away. And the surface of the engine has a new coating for greater corrosion…

Cruising Life
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Seven Marine and Mercury Marine Launch New, Bigger and Better Outboards in Miami

The trend toward more and better outboards engines on larger boats got a boost at the Miami show as Seven Marine introduced two new models and an updated version of its 627-hp monster, while Mercury Marine unveiled a new 3.4L V-6 series that won an Innovation Award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association and Boating Writers International. Seven Marine’s two new models are 527-hp and 577-hp, and are built on the company’s 6.2L supercharged V-8 platform with closed cooling, wet-disc clutch transmission and fuel injection. The enhanced 627, according to Seven Marine President Rick Davis, is “the most technologically advanced…

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