The Big 6 -- Outboards.

[Lake X Kid]

Mercury, OMC, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, & Seven Marine.

Outboard Power you have come a long way, since the days when a man could carry an Outboard with one hand.


6 Of The Most Powerful Outboard Boat Engines Ever Built (slashgear.com)

[Lake X Kid]

[Lake X Kid]

[donmac]

certainly have, now you can't carry the cash in one hand!

[Scream And Fly]

The last 10 years have been really interesting. What's most incredible is just how far ahead Mercury is ahead of its competition with its mega-horsepower outboards now. I would never have imagined a V10 and V12 outboard! Just incredible.

[skialot2]

The power output increase in the last 10 years is incredible. The loss of the 2 strokes is sad. But since then, the maximum power has doubled. From 300HP to 600HP. Not to mention, 4 stroke motors with the same rated max horsepower have gobs more low end and midrange power.

[pcrussell50]

The power output increase in the last 10 years is incredible. The loss of the 2 strokes is sad. But since then, the maximum power has doubled. From 300HP to 600HP. Not to mention, 4 stroke motors with the same rated max horsepower have gobs more low end and midrange power.

From a tech point of view, I'm not sure what's so incredible about it. It looks like to me like it's just adding more and more size, weight, complexity, displacement, (and cost) to get more and more power. It's like solving your range issues on your battery car by adding more weight (batteries).

According to the Merc Racing web site, the 400R is 5.7l, giving you about 70hp/l for a racing outboard. The nearly half century old, 2.4/200 (you just knew I was going to bring that one up, ), is over 83hp/l and it's just fishmotor, not even a racing motor.

So at the end of the day, what I see driving the power output increases is not so much big increases in technology, as much as people's willingness to tolerate (or embrace) more size, weight, complexity, and cost.

And of course, gobs more displacement will give you gobs more torque. That's just simple physics.

***

Anyway, good-on Merc for giving people what they want. I'm just not sure what is so incredible about it. It all seems pretty straightforward and to be expected... Want more power? Build it bigger. Merc knows it and is doing it.

-Peter

[skialot2]

From a tech point of view, I'm not sure what's so incredible about it. It looks like to me like it's just adding more and more size, weight, complexity, displacement, (and cost) to get more and more power. It's like solving your range issues on your battery car by adding more weight (batteries).

According to the Merc Racing web site, the 400R is 5.7l, giving you about 70hp/l for a racing outboard. The nearly half century old, 2.4/200 (you just knew I was going to bring that one up, ), is over 83hp/l and it's just fishmotor, not even a racing motor.

So at the end of the day, what I see driving the power output increases is not so much big increases in technology, as much as people's willingness to tolerate (or embrace) more size, weight, complexity, and cost.

And of course, gobs more displacement will give you gobs more torque. That's just simple physics.

***

Anyway, good-on Merc for giving people what they want. I'm just not sure what is so incredible about it. It all seems pretty straightforward and to be expected... Want more power? Build it bigger. Merc knows it and is doing it.

-Peter

The incredible part is 20 years ago it took almost twice the displacement in a 4 stroke to produce the same power as a 2 stroke. Now, according to your numbers, it only takes 20% more displacement to produce the same power. All while using 30%-40% less gas. AS far as weight goes, a 2014 300XS V6 Optimax weighs 505lbs. and a 2024 300ProXS V8 weighs 511lbs. For 6lbs I will take the V8

[Brad Zastrow]

For those people with poor memory the Mercury four stroke I6 400R was 2.6 liter that made 153 HP per liter. It came with a 3-year warranty and is reliable. Even the famed Mercury two stroke 2.5 liter drag racing engine did not make that power and came with no warranty. Really the only advantage is the 2.5 are light weight.

[CUDA]

From a tech point of view, I'm not sure what's so incredible about it. It looks like to me like it's just adding more and more size, weight, complexity, displacement, (and cost) to get more and more power. It's like solving your range issues on your battery car by adding more weight (batteries).

According to the Merc Racing web site, the 400R is 5.7l, giving you about 70hp/l for a racing outboard. The nearly half century old, 2.4/200 (you just knew I was going to bring that one up, ), is over 83hp/l and it's just fishmotor, not even a racing motor.

So at the end of the day, what I see driving the power output increases is not so much big increases in technology, as much as people's willingness to tolerate (or embrace) more size, weight, complexity, and cost.

And of course, gobs more displacement will give you gobs more torque. That's just simple physics.

***

Anyway, good-on Merc for giving people what they want. I'm just not sure what is so incredible about it. It all seems pretty straightforward and to be expected... Want more power? Build it bigger. Merc knows it and is doing it.

-Peter

Someone who is using a couple 40 years old crossflows complaining that you are not impressed with the new motors

Well, only a fool would listen to you.



Let's face it these new motors were never made for someone like you,

I had a new 140 crossflow on my 1977 17 ft Gypsy star 47 years ago

No, these new motors are definitely not for YOU

An OMC V 8 25 inch is 625 lbs and uses twice the fuel.

[David - WI]

Nevermind the supercharger.

[pcrussell50]

Someone who is using a couple 40 years old crossflows complaining that you are not impressed with the new motors

Well, only a fool would listen to you.

As always, you are free to show us which of my statements are factually incorrect.

Rhetoric, gaslighting, and (as in your case) plain old flailing in rage, are not substitutes for science, mathematics, logic or reason.

-Peter

[donmac]

has a hard run hrs. of service number been estimated before major rebuild is necessary on a sc'd merc.

[Brad Zastrow]

Nevermind the supercharger.

It does not matter how the power is made. Is it reliable? Really difficult to supercharge and turbo charge a two-stroke engine. There is reason why all the manufacturers abandoned two-strokes, consumers do want them on a new boat. If you want to live in fantasy land where old technology rules. Have fun with that. I will agree there is a very small niche market for light weight engines such as drag racing. But Mercury is not interested in selling a few dozen engines a year.

[David]

It’s not hard to supercharge a two stroke. Super charged two stroke diesels exist. I don’t think super charged diesels are popular though