Boating Industry Canada April 2015 - (Page 21)

PROPULSION MERCURY MARINE New Engines at Miami MERCURY MARINE'S new president, John Pfeifer stood in front of the substantial gathering of media people in Miami this February. When the blanket was ripped away, there was the new Verado 350 and as the event went on, the company revealed not just the Verado 350hp outboard, but the even more amazing Mercury Racing Verado 400R outboard, then over dinner, announced the new Mercury Racing QC4v 1550 sterndrive and new Mercury 4.5-liter 200hp sterndrive. This continues the rapid pace of product introduction the company started last May in Fond du Lac when they introduced the Mercury 4.5-litre 250 hp sterndrive as well as the new 75-90-115hp outboard line. Verado 350 The Verado 350 is the most powerful pleasurecraft engine in Mercury's Verado family of four- and six-cylinder supercharged four stroke outboards, ranging from 175hp to 350hp. Built on Mercury's proven supercharged inline six-cylinder Verado platform, the new Verado 350 really ups the ante on speed and overall performance without sacrificing durability and cruise fuel economy. The highly efficient Verado 350, which operates on 89 octane gas with 91 octane recommended for full performance, provides greater fuel economy which translates into additional The exciting new 350 models were available for demonstration drives in Biscayne Bay and they were busy throughout the show. range per fill-up. Weighing just 668 pounds, the Verado 350 is 95 pounds lighter than the nearest 350 four-stroke competitor. John Pfeifer talked about the superior torque produced across the operating range, for both a rocket-like holeshot and faster top-end speed. But, the increased power and performance involved a wide range of significant modifications, not just re-mapping the ECU, or increasing the boost. First, the Verado 350 has a new cold-air intake system to collect cool, fresh air from outside the cowl and deliver it efficiently to the supercharger which is now water-cooled to deliver greater boost by utilizing water from the engine cooling system to provide a cooling jacket around the supercharger. Then, the engine got a new camshaft and valve train but more significantly, the cylinder head was substantially beefed up to handle the new power levels. Other features include the top cowl's unique labyrinth design that keeps the powerhead dry; a styled vented flywheel cover that allows engine heat to dissipate more easily; optimized guide plates that maximize driver handling at high speeds; Verado's robust and proven 5.44-inch diameter gearcase to handle offshore seas and provide extra lift for www.boatingindustry.ca 21 http://www.boatingindustry.ca

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boating Industry Canada April 2015

Insight
Industry News
Ad Nauseam
Impact - John Pfeifer
Propulsion - Mercury's Latest & Greatest
Product Innovation - Xantrex
Made in Canada - Nova Kool
The Boat Shop - NMEA

Boating Industry Canada April 2015