Mercury Marine has launched a 600 hp outboard engine
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Mercury Marine has launched a 600 hp outboard engine

The Seven Marine 627SV niche has only been empty for a month
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Since January 2021, the production of the most powerful outboard engine in the world — Seven Marine 627SV with 627 hp — ceased. Just a month later, Mercury Marine took over the vacated niche (albeit with a slightly less powerful version).

The first thing that catches the eye in the technical characteristics of the Mercury V12 Verado is, of course, the outstanding power of 600 hp and the impressive volume of 7.6 liters. It allows to accelerate with ease and quickly bring even heavy boats to planing. However, the advantages of this novelty Mercury are not limited by its performance.

it is basically the first outboard engine in the world with 12 cylinders.

Thanks to four camshafts controlling opening and closing of valves, V12 shows itself «intoxicatingly powerful» and perfectly accelerates even at medium rpm.

It's also the first outboard motor with two gears.

Even more interesting is the V12's turning system.

Mercury has installed the world's first independent propeller turning system on an outboard motor.

Simply put, the underwater part of this engine rotates as the massive «head» of the motor remains at the same time motionless.

The use of such technology is designed to kill two or even three birds with one stone. On the one hand, you can control even a big boat as smoothly as if it's not a boat, but a perfectly calibrated sports car. On the other hand, you can install more outboards side by side on the transom, because now they don't need space to be fully raised to the transom. Or alternatively,  to increase the free space on the aft platform of the boat by installing the engines closer to each other than it can be done with other outboards.

A twin-screw design was developed especially for the V12, with the halves turning in opposite directions. The improved underwater hydrodynamics helped to reduce water resistance, increase stability at high speeds and optimize fuel consumption.

During tests on a 13-metre boat weighing nearly 10 tonnes at equal speeds, the two V12 were 20% more fuel efficient than the three 425bhp outboard engines.

At top speed, the V12s were 24% more economical.

Cruising speed with optimum fuel consumption was 15% higher for the V12s.

«Despite the significant increase in power, the V12 was even quieter than its smaller brothers». Even at maximum, the noise level is comparable to a 300 hp V8 compared to the 425 hp pair. The V12 is 30% quieter.

Mercury is proud to call the V12 «the quietest high horsepower outboard engine on the market».

Thanks to the hinged top cowl, routine engine inspections can be performed even without taking the boat ashore. Given the weight of the engine, which exceeds half a ton, it would be a challenge to remove it regularly. Engine maintenance would be required after every 200 hours of operation. An additional more thorough service will be required after it has been in operation for 5 years or 1000 hours.

A nice bonus of the hinged lid is the 150 amp alternator underneath that can be used to quickly recharge any onboard batteries.

The Mercury V12 Verado in various configurations has already been successfully tested on sport and offshore powerboats such as the Boston Whaler 420 Outrage, Formula 500 SSC , Scout 425 LFX, Sea Ray SLX 400 , Tiara 48 LS and Valhalla V-46. Detailed reports of these tests are available on Mercury Marine's website.

According to David Foulkes,CEO of Brunswick ( Mercury's parent company) boatbuilders are already developing models specifically designed for the V12 Verado. 

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