Outboard Revolution: Mercury Unveils 600hp V12 Engine

Five years in the making, filling a void in the high-output outboard market and designed for boats from 35' - 55', the all-new 600 horsepower V12 outboard from Mercury Marine has already impressed the fortunate few who enjoyed demo rides on a remote lake in Central Florida this week. 

Starling Marine is excited to announce that the new Boston Whaler 420 Outrage was one of the few boats on Lake X outside of Orlando, to show off this amazing new Mercury outboard engine. 

With a triple configuration forcing out 1,800hp, the super-sized 'Whaler was propelled to a top speed of 55 knots (63.5 mph) and settled into an efficient cruise at 38 knots (43.5 mph) returning 0.7 mpg and over 450 miles of range. 

The 420 Outrage's current quad Verado 400 setup manages a top speed of 47 knots (54 mph) and a cruise of 30 knots (35 mph) returning 0.64 mpg and a range of 345 miles. Gaining just 200hp - and losing a few equipment options - raises those numbers by 8 knots each, while returning greater fuel efficiency and range. This is a testament to the incredible engineering efforts and multiple innovations packed into Mercury's newest outboard.

With this new outboard, Mercury further separated themselves from competitors by not only torque and horsepower numbers, but by engineering and building a new engine block in-house, rather than simply repurposing another automotive engine for this revolutionary outboard motor.

This new outboard marks several world-firsts in the market:

• At 7.6 liters, it is the biggest displacement outboard ever
• It is also the first outboard with a steerable lower unit
• Highest naturally-aspirated output of a production outboard

With a big bore, moderate stroke, 64 degree V angle and quad cam, 48-valve setup, the new V12 engine can rev up to 6,400 RPM at WOT. Plus, to ensure exceptional on plane times and attitude coupled with impressive top-speed and mid-range efficiency, Mercury partnered with German transmission juggernaut, ZF to design an ultra-smooth shifting 2-speed transmission that utilizes a wet clutch setup in a tidy gear case.

The revolutionary steerable lower unit can pivot 45 degrees in either direction from center. This is greater range of motion than most outboard engines and, without needing to rotate the full powerhead, these engines can be installed 27" on center - just one inch greater than V8 counterparts.

The lower unit also boasts twin contra-rotating Mercury props: a 4 blade piece against the lower unit with a 3 blade prop at the outside. Through rigorous testing, this twin prop setup proves to best utilize the impressive horsepower and torque output of this engine throughout the long rev range.

Maintenance of this new engine is simplified through an integrated cowl hood that allows access to checking and changing both the engine oil and automatic transmission fluid. According to Mercury, these high-output engines were designed to be ultra-reliable, requiring a 200 hour service followed by a 1,000 hour or 5-year service. Plus, both services can be performed without removing the boat from the water which saves time and cost at time of service.

As geared towards the 35' to 55' mega center console and express segment, each engine is equipped with a massive 150 amp alternator (compare this to the Mercury Verado 450R at 70 amps). This alternator can supply ample power for even the highest-end electronics, navigation equipment and concert-worthy sound systems. 

Expect to see more Boston Whaler models unveiled in the near future with the new Mercury Verado V12 outboards as an option.