Thursday, 19 April 2018 10:14

MERCURY'S NEW V-6 FOURSTROKE OUTBOARD LINEUP

MERCURY'S NEW V-6 FOURSTROKE OUTBOARD LINEUP

So far this year Mercury Marine has introduced some pretty cool features and upgrades, but the introduction of their completely new line-up of four stroke outboard motors has to be the coolest. These engines were designed from the skeg up to not only be a powerful machine, but a lightweight, compact, fuel efficient work of art. “These outboards set a new benchmark in the marine industry,” said Mercury Marine president, John Pfeifer. “They are the quietest, lightest, smoothest, quickest and most fuel-efficient engines we have produced in this range.” In my opinion, they don't look half that bad either.

Mercury's new V6 3.4L FourStroke lineup features their 175hp, 200hp, and 225hp outboards stacked with a performance-inspired dual overhead cam (quad cam) and four- valve design. These engines have incredible hole shot and provide more than enough displacement for their horsepower class which means they work less to produce the horsepower and torque boaters want. Mercury has even said that they produce 20 percent more torque than their closest four-cylinder competitor at cruising speeds. The greater displacement also results in better acceleration and allows your boat to get on plane faster.

These motors were engineered so that every component met strict standards for a minimal weight. By doing so, Mercury got these V-6 four stroke engines down to a weight of 475 pounds, making the 200hp class 35 pounds lighter than the current product in this range. Whats even better than being lighter than the previous model is the fact that they are also the lightest outboard in their class by more than 10 pounds. Talk about getting into shape. Their lighter weight also creates a greater power-to-weight ratio which helps to enhance the performance of the boat as well as maximize your fuel efficiency, especially at cruising speeds.




Some of the other transformations that are making these V6 motors something to talk about would have to be the top cowl service door, an idle charge capability, and the Adaptive Speed Control. The service door in the top cowl to easily check the oil is something that I thought was genious. It seems like no one ever checks their oil because it wasn't convenient enough, but Mercury has changed that with this new design. Now you can check it right from the back of the boat with out ever taking to hood off. Another cool new feature is the idle charge battery-management capability that protects you from draining batteries if your running multiple electronics on the boat. It also has a net charging output of 20 Amp at 650 RPM. Lastly the Adaptive Speed Control helps to improve your boating performance and creates a sportier feel by maintaining the RPM's despite any changes in load or conditions.

If your one of those boaters that love a good selection of color schemes to match your boat, well your in luck. Mercury is offering three shades of white for this lineup along with their legendary black paint scheme. You can also choose from four different accent panel colors as well as a ready-for-paint panel for a custom look.

Mercury has definately listened to their customers and designed these engines with innovation in mind. From the naturally aspirated powerhead and large displacement to the convenient service door and color options, these motors were designed to be a game changer. There is no mistake that they are one lean, mean, boating machine.

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