Mercury Marine has chosen the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show, which runs from May 17-20 at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds, to unveil their most significant new [outboard] engine in years. While many media and dealers have been able to test the new engine package, the world premiere has been embargoed until May 18. This follows the release of the new V6 four-strokes released in February at the Miami boat show.
Inasmuch as Mercury just revealed an entirely new line of V6 four-stroke-power-cycle engines three months ago at the Miami International Boat Show which were claimed (by one enthusiastic journalist) to disrupt the entire outboard engine marketplace, for these new engines to be cited as "the most significant new engines in years" would require them to be quite a following act.
The well-informed are hinting the new Mercury outboard engines will be V8 four-stroke-power-cycle engines with horsepower ratings of 250-HP and with some models possibly rated as high as 400-HP or more. The anticipation is these engines would be extension of the recently introduced V6 engines. Those V6 engines used a newly designed 64-degree V6 3.4-liter block with four valves per cylinder and dual overhead cams. If a V8 is proportional, it would have 4.53-liter displacement.
Further details rumored include offering three options for the midsection with different steering:
- VERADO-style power steering
- conventional steering
- racing version
Competitor Yamaha has already been offering a 350-HP V8 5.3-liter outboard engine.