|
|
|
 |
| A
view from inside the convention center at Miami.
The Miami International Boat Show is one of the largest
in the world. |
One of
the world’s largest boat shows, the Miami International Boat Show covers
everything from mild to wild, from six-foot long car toppers to seven
million dollar yachts and everything in between. This year’s show boasted an
attendance of over 2200 exhibitors and more than 3000 watercraft on display.
The show is divided into two segments – the
exhibitors and boats on display in and outside of the Miami Convention
Center and the in-water component of the show, located at the Sealine Marina
at Miami Beach. Our coverage is once again primarily focused on performance
boating and the outboard engine manufacturers that power those performance
boats.
Last year Mercury
Marine made headlines around the world with the introduction of their
all-new, six cylinder four-stroke supercharged outboard called the
Verado. The
unveiling of this revolutionary engine sent marketing personnel and
engineers from other outboard manufacturers scrambling to salvage what
little spotlight there was left for them in the shadow of Mercury’s Verado.
But that was not all, as the introduction of the double-supercharged
1075 SCi
racing sterndrive system redefined power and good manners into a package
that was a sight to behold. Clearly, Mercury Marine stole the
2004 show at
Miami, but what happened this year?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Left to right:
1. Claus Bruestle, Mercury's vice president
of research and development, discusses Verado's
technology at the Mercury Media Breakfast. 2.
Eager members of the press await the unveiling of
the new line of Mercury Verado engines. 3.
Evinrude's new E-Tec 115 V4 captured the attention
of many. 4. For 2005, Evinrude's
display of E-Tec outboards was impressive. |
Once again, Mercury Marine stole the spotlight, with the unveiling of the
four-cylinder, supercharged Verado engines. The new engines are available in
135, 150, and 175 horsepower varieties, all based on the same four cylinder,
in-line engine. What’s most impressive is the weight class these engines
fall into – that of larger 2-stroke V6 engines. Four-stroke engines are
getting lighter, while taking advantage of remarkable technologies that have
thrived in the automotive market.
|
|
|
|
|
Triple Mercury OptiMax 250XS engines power this Spectre
32 tunnel boat. The 2-stroke OptiMax is an
emissions-friendly 2-stroke with blistering performance. |
Mercury
Racing did not disappoint either, with the introduction of the new
600 SCi
and 850 SCi
stern drive systems, as well as the new SystemView Race Edition, which can
display vital information on four engines at the same time. Improvements to
Mercury’s SmartCraft system have also been added, including the new “Shadow
Mode”, which allows system software to control the center engine in a
three-engine installation. This frees the operator to concentrate on two
throttles and shifters, rather than three.
Not all surprises were in the form of large-displacement engines. New
four-stroke engines added to Mercury’s stable include the new 25 and 30
horsepower electronically fuel injected engines. These new engines can be
rope-started with no battery to support the onboard fuel injection
components. The last bastion of survival for the old carburetor is now
seeing its end.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Left to right:
1. Driver Mike Seebold demonstrates the
Mercury OptiMax powered Spectre 32. 2.
A view of V-6 E-Tecs at the Sealine Marina.
3. Cigarette 38 Top Gun display was a sure-fire
way to get attention at the convention center.
4. Twin Mercury 1075 SCi sterndrive engines
installed in a custom painted Cigarette. |
Engine introductions aside, Mercury also had an impressive lineup of boats
in the water for us to experience first hand. Among the many performance
crafts was a new 32-foot Spectre tunnel boat, powered by three
OptiMax
250XS outboards. Driver Mike Seebold was not afraid to take the new
tunnel boat over 100 MPH while I struggled to keep my camera steady. It was
an exhilarating ride that left a very positive impression Mercury’s OptiMax
platform.
|
|
|
|
|
Evinrude
introduces the new E-Tec V4 115-horsepower engine to
members of the press. |
While there
were rumors of a comeback from other outboard manufacturers, Yamaha, Honda,
and Suzuki’s exhibitor’s booths remained curiously quiet – in most cases,
simply displaying the same products as last year. But
Bombardier
Recreational Products (BRP) fulfilled the promise of a comeback from
2004’s underwhelming display with their impressive line of two-stroke
E-Tec outboards, unveiling a new Evinrude 115-horsepower, V4 engine. In
2004, BRP had many of its E-Tec engines displayed as non-functioning
prototypes; however this year BRP delivered, and Evinrude E-Tec engines were
on full display in the convention center, as well as in the water.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Left to right:
1. Hi-tech electronics were on full display.
2. Livorsi Marine's impressive display of
gauges. 3. A view from outside the
convention center. 4. This triple
Verado powered custom sport fisherman became known
as "the pirate ship". |
BRP has also commenced a comprehensive ad campaign against four-stroke
outboards, with the new “2>4” or “two is greater than four” campaign. BRP
handed out DVDs to select press members at a press conference underscoring
this new philosophy of the E-Tec’s superiority over four-stroke outboards.
|
|
|
|
| A
50+ MPH ride aboard a twin 250-horsepower E-Tec powered
Triton 2895. |
It seems
that BRP is committed to the two-stroke engine platform, which is great news
for two-stroke outboard diehards. My experience from a ride aboard a Triton
2895 equipped with twin 3.3-litre 250-horsepower E-Tec engines proved the
torque of those computer-controlled engines. Although the E-Tec is an
impressive platform, I have a notable problem with BRP’s ad campaign
regarding the E-Tec’s superiority to other current outboards – where are the
Mercury OptiMax and Yamaha HPDI engines comparisons? The OptiMax and HPDI
series of engines fall into the same weight and power class as the Evinrude E-Tec – emissions friendly two-stroke engines. I would like to see a
fair comparison pitting the E-Tec 250 against similar, current production
direct injected 2-stroke engines.
Regardless of which engine manufacturer is winning the horsepower-to-weight
war, it is clear that larger outboard engines are here to stay, and in many
cases at the forefront of marine development for these companies. Innovation
and technology will continue push this market even further, and each year
should bring with it new possibilities for the outboard engine platform.
|
