You've been on here long enough to see whats been going on with the **** coming out of Merc lately. The only reason those engine builders are jumping for joy over this new package is the service costs they will be making and their own simular HP engine offerings price going up comparable.

Sorry for the slow response, Back4More. Deadlines messed with my schedule.

So which products "coming out of" Mercury Racing are ****?

The No. 6 Drive? Uh, no.
The 525EFI? Really? People race entire seasons on them with only minor service, as in changing the oil.
The 700SCi and NXT1 drive? I don't think so.
The 1075SCi? Not so much.

Your theory that competitive engine builders praise the 1075 because it has enabled them to raise prices on their own 1,000-hp engines is interesting. However, it holds no basis in reality. Which builders? Sterling? No. Teague. No. Chief? I haven't checked, but I suspect not.

Builders tell me they like the 1075 because, go figure, it's a great engine. The No. 1 gripe I've heard from 1075 owners is that the cost of ownership, thanks to recommended service intervals and fuel cost, is high. Of that I have no doubt.o

But I've been lucky enough to help test dozens of boats with 1075s, and I cannot recall a single engine problem in any of them.

Did the first 1075s have problems? For sure, some (but not all) did. So, by the way, did some, though not all, of the first-generation Verado outboards.

For the record none of the engine builders, at least those I've spoken with (and how would you know unless you actually speak to them?) are "jumping for joy" over the new 1300/1350. Not one. Instead, they are taking a "wait and see" attitude, which makes perfect sense given that arent any in the field.

I don't know everything—far, and I mean very far, from it. But in this case, I think you're off base. If the cost of Mercury Racing products upsets you, I get that. The cost of Porsches upsets me because I can't afford one. That said, I wouldn't call them pieces of ****.

I wonder what the hard parts actually cost to build a aftermarket 1300hp motor,30-40k?

Thats a good question Strip- a buddy of mine just had a Shafiroff 1050 built for his race car for 22K. Horsepower you can build- but making it last is the trick! :coolcowboy:

How much is the new drive (by itself) that is coupled to the 1300/1350HP? Please don't tell me that Merc is doing the same goofy crap they did with the NXT, by making you buy the engine package to get the drive.

No Time Soon
 

Considering the production release isn't until September (and that could be pushed back), what was shown back in February at the Miami show were probably just non-running mock-ups. I could be wrong, but we probably wont get any running reports until at least September.

That sounds right to me. While I was told they weren't "mock-ups" per se, I was also told that they weren't complete. As I understand, they are back at Mercury Racing for whatever finish work needs to be done.