Hydrocruiser

http://www.ilmor.com/marine/index.html

(Roger Penske is a partner in Ilmor)

Tons of bottom end torque and 550 HP. Aluminum engines, closed cooling, EFI.
Very durable and reliable on the track as well, for about the price of a 525 EFI.

Easily matched to a Bravo. Have a nice look to them. Looks like lots of value and quality. What interests me most is that at 2500 RPM they put out 500 ft lbs of torque and peak at 600 ft lbs of torque. Torque is what makes that prop spin and pull out. They remind me a lot of the Lamborghini engines Mercury had used several years back and I think Don Johnson had a shot at showing how reliable V-12's were. These V-10 engines have been track proven to be very tough and Dodge has won many races with this engine. They are hard to ignore at this price I think as they are priced at parity with the 525 EFI.

Hydrocruiser

http://www.lambocars.com/framed/marines.htm

Lambo marine engine history if interested.

Trippin

They are easy to work on, accessories are mounted well and not to difficult to get to, The header design is smooth and appears well constructed, when they (configuration of 2) fire up it sounds like a WWII fighter aircraft readying for takeoff it's a very pleasant and powerful sound.

Longterm durability will be the decisive factor for those on a budget, of course if one really has a budget in this segment of the market then he better stick with something a little more tried & tested.

Hydrocruiser

Agreed. Getting these engines out into marine racing circuits would be key in proving their durability. I think the durability is there and the engines have great potential. It just needs to be proven and displayed. They were really outstanding performers at Lemans and can take a beating on the track. I heard one fire up too and they do sound like an aircraft engine or perhaps a piston powered hydroplane. I too like how well everything is placed and relatively easy to get to. I can envision a single in a 28' Pantera or Twins in a 38' Gun or 42' Fountain and I think the torque and sound would be a big selling feature to me. Probably great engines for a 36'-40' Cat too. All for the price of a 525. A problem may be that V-10's are not legal for any racing classes come to think of it. Well back to the drawing board. I trust this company a lot though because I know Penske puts out at Indy consistently and they sent a reply to me indicating that they have extensively tested it and have the power curve tuned for HP marine applications. Now if those darned stock options would only go up!

Trippin

Fer Sher.......

Hydrocruiser

I did some additional research into Ilmor today. I knew that Roger Penske was in partnership with them and also knew that Penske acquired Detroit Diesel Allison from General Motors several years back. Additionally I found out that Detroit Diesel offered to purchase Outboard Marine Corporation several years back but Volvo-Penta out bid them. I was in the area a while ago and had a business appointment at Detroit Diesel which is located on Telegraph and Plymouth Road in Southeast Michigan. I saw the shop where Penske builds his Indy cars along with a brief tour of the factory where they make Detroit Diesel engines. They were building an engine the size of a warehouse for a cruise ship. So with Penske/Detroit Diesel Alison/ and "Indy" resources at their disposal at Ilmor, I feel very comfortable about getting those Viper V-10's. Penske is known for putting out only the best of products. Especially priced at parity with a 525 @ 525 HP @ shaft and 510 ft lbs torque vs Ilmor's Viper 550 HP @ shaft and 600 ft lbs torque. Nice to have options! Perfect match to a Bravo XR.


FYI: Ever wonder what happened to OMC? In late December 1998, Volvo acquired OMC's interest in their Lexington TN stern drive joint venture. Then in early January 1999, Volvo sued Brunswick for monopolizing the stern drive business. Several anti-trust suits filed. Not all over with yet either from a civil or gov't standpoint. Interesting.

http://www.rbbi.com/company/volvo/bcsuit/bcsuit.htm

Boat builders have argued that Brunswick's acquisitions have unfairly lessened competition.

"They also have argued that Brunswick gives its own boat-building units better deals on engines than outside manufacturers. Builders also say Brunswick requires them to commit to buy unrealistically high numbers of engines to get the best prices". "Collusion"? A form of cheating where two or more players attempt to gain an unfair advantage by sharing information? No da!

Remember when the only thing the "B" company made were bowling balls? My experience with merger mania is that people loose jobs, comapanies loose thier former identity and become more profitable and controlling of a given market. I don't have a problem with a "Bill Gates" who is essentially a creator but I have a problem with corporate take overs and the reverse pyramid they create. Customers and employees suffer in the end. More work, less money for boats and fun stuff! It's an American/global corporate plague.




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