"New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

OK - Let's make sure that I got the "new products introductions" stories straight:

1) 700SCi/ACE drive: I asked the Mercury representative standing by the package when it would be available for purchase. He brought himself up to his full height, puffed his chest out, smiled like a new father, and proudly announced: "Oh - Certainly NOT this year." I then asked him why the f&#@ they had it at the show. Got no answer on that one. (But we all know....)

2) Cummins/Mercury through-hull inboard drive: An awkward and clumsy knock-off of Volvo Penta's highly succesful IPS system, only with aft-facing props, negating most of the benefits. (Can you say "L-drive"?) Proudly due out some time in 2008. Two freakin' years from now.

It reminded me of an old Worlds Fair "World of Tomorrow" exhibit, only with a million chubby guys wearing Mercury shirts.

By the way - Whatever happened to that huge-displacement V8 they were displaying a few years ago?

Unimaginative losers. No wonder they're #2 among non-Brunswick boatbuilders.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

does anyone have pics of the cummins "thing" ?

Ernie

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Don't hold back Chuck. Tell us how you really feel. :p

Hope you are having a blast at Miami. :drink:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

There seems to be alot of Mercury bashing going on here. So what if they want to display some new products that are not available yet.
Were you going to place an order for a pair of 700,s if they were available?
I just think there is alot of $hit talk here about Merc, and not everybody is unhappy with them.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Agreed!

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Is the ACE supposed to be a replacement for the SSM 3A?

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

:D :D

When they ARE available they'll be in every boat you see. Just like the 496, 525, 600, 850, and 1075. The haters will just have to deal with it. :D

I thought their new stuff was awesome!

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Didn't Nortech or MTI (one of the cats anyway) at the docks have a Merc 700 package in it?

Also, when I talked to the rep, he only seemed to indicate that the Ace drive wouldn't be available for quite some time as a stand-alone product.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Merc has some really good products. I just hate the prices :D

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

If I was in the position to build new I would NOT be putting in Mercury. I would look at other drives and motors first. There are much better drives.:]

Weiesman
Konrad
Arneson

just to name a few

Motor builders. There are tons of builders that will make better motors for less money then what Merc will.......

I am very happy to see that Konrad has been having good luck getting builders to use their drives in some of their new product.

Jon

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

By the way - Whatever happened to that huge-displacement V8 they were displaying a few years ago?

The 708 aluminum motor?

www.allstarengine.com

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

You are one of the few. I don't have Mercury power in my boat but the majority does. It's all personal preference obviously, but most prefer Mercury.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

If you ask me the IMCO is a much better drive than all the mercs except the #6. It will go up to 1000HP. The ACE is rated for 800.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

What Imco drive is good for 1000hp??????????

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

i hafta go with C Spray . . . . look at the history here


Volvo E-Drive, early 1970's . . . . . Merc speedmasters late 1970's
Volvo Duo-prop mid 1980's. . . . .Merc BrovoIII early 1990's
Volvo 280 mid 1970's. . . .. . . Merc Brovo late 1980's
Volvo DPX. . . . . Merc Blackhawk
Volvo IPS . . . . . Mecr/Cummins thingie
Konrad . . . . . i still think the Ace is the same concept as the Konrad
Kiekhafer Gorilla(some may remember that) . . . .Merc #6


if you've ever seen any of these products side by side you cant deny the similarities. i dont honestly have anything against merc. all of my boats have merc drives on them and i have been fairly happy so far (although i did just get my first Bravo boat) i do however agree with Audio if i had the means to build a new boat it would probably not have a Merc on the back. i would love to get my hands on a pair of DPX's now thats a well build drive.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

From what I hear, the new merc Ace transmission ,may be a volvo knock-off as well. :eek:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

the list goes on :D :rolleyes:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Hey glassdave, I think these are for sale...

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

MTI had a 39 in the water with merc 700's next to the 26 nortech w/ 850's and underwater exhuast.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Dont hold back Chuck :eek: :eek: :p :D :cool:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

OK - Stand by for a r-e-a-l-l-y strong rant....

How ya doin' brudda? It's been a long time since I saw you hanging around LA or Philly!

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Mercury had to wait until the patent time was passed on the Volvo Duo-Prop to release the Bravo III.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Try a Google search on horrific "outdrive corrosion issues" and see what pops up...

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

The mercury package was very nice, but I can asure you that they are not the only player on the block now. The Konrad package is very nice and alot less expensive than the mercury ACE. Also from what I heard at the show, the mercury drive will not be called ACE for very long. I heard they infringed on a copyrighted name. As for the 700 package it is very sleek and will find its way into alot of boats. But for the money there are alot of better less expensive packages out there and more to come.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Some interesting facts....to put this in perspective.

1. The original Volvo Penta drive was designed by Charlie Strang while he was an engineer ........for Mercury.

Without Mercury.......there would be no Volvo.

2. Mercruiser's Speedmasters came out before Volvo's gangly pieces of junk in the 70's........ There has never been a racing outdrive that could stay on a race course with the MC's #2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. There have been a few fast direct surface drives....but certainly nothing from Volvo.

3.The Imco's, like all single shaft, through hub Bravo knockoffs, share the same aversion to HP........ They crack when subjected to the massive side loads that high HP creates.

4. Volvo makes a nice drive.......... they do not make anything approaching the larger MC's...... but they do make a nice drive. If you want the best....you're talking a #6.
By the way how is Volvo's dry sump program coming along?

5. Gushing about the duo props is nice conversation but has nothing to do with truly high performance technology...... unless, of course, you think "crash docking" at 5-6 knots is "fast boating".

6. Take all of these "other engine builders" and compare

• "true" Horsepower...not the wishful claims half of these guys make
• Service network and warrantee
• propeller selection (unless, of course, they don't make propellers)
• Electronics, and R&D....( Smartcraft, Guardian)
• Resale ( 2004 36' Glitz Craft with twin Mario Provolone 750's priced to sell)
• parts availability
• X site
  
  Amen.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

not to change the subject but
the outboard new stuff was some real diss -apointing crap as well, the only thing near to a 300 was 115 lbs heavier and didnt come with a sportmaster
and i think the cowling was ugly compared to a alien or offshore

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Chuck....do you like the ole' Volvo stuff or WHAT!!!???b bb :drink: :drink: :drink: :D

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Exactly!

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

That's it!!!! I'm pulling the #6's off of my boat and putting some Vulva's on there!!!!!!


:p :evilb: :D :evilb: :drink: :evilb:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

What is going on with their outboard stuff? Are they purposly trying to get out of the high performance outboard market? First they drop the 2.5 (granted not the most enviromentally friendly) but probably the best selling high performance outboard ever and havent come out with anything new that even comes close. Then they drop the 3.0l 300x which was another awsome engine (and clean runniing) and replace it with the new 3.2l 300xs which is heavier. besides all that the only other thing they have is a couple "go fast" bass boat motors. this is just sad. I will always be an outboard guy at heart even though I have stern drives now and this sucks!

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

I talked to a couple of Mercury Reps and they told me that the 700/Ace package would probably be available June/July time, but they did say they already had a lot of manufacturers wanting the package asap. I thought the 700/Ace package was a sweet setup.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

I'm about value for money, that's all. I don't see it in the black booth. Sorry. It's great that they've "supported" (ie, sold products to) performance boating all these years, but it's only because they could ultimately make money off of it by association, not out of the generosity of their hearts. (How many racers and/or poker runners got any product for no charge?) The job has been made easier by a lack of real competition, which also explains the age of much of the drive technology. Fair enough - that's good business sense. They may be the emperor, but I for one do not see their clothes. Does anyone here think they've handled the Bravo problems well over the last decade or so? The "ACE" is long, long overdue.

Rich is right - Volvo doesn't make a true high-speed drive in the racing sense, but when I can save $37,000 on my pleasure boat and not give up any speed to the Mercury package, it's a no-brainer. I've also learned to appreciate the value of neutral when docking.... :p I don't buy a new boat every year, so resale value isn't that big a deal - I'd rather have a decade of reliability and enjoyment. Besides - what's happened recently to the price of 575SCi boats (and soon 600SCi boats)?

I'm not sure I agree about there being no Volvo without Mercury. Strang went to Volvo because Elmer (Karl) Kiekhafer absolutely refused to build the stern drive, and only acquiesced to do so when the market forced him to. Jim Wynne obviously saw the value in the technology, and he knows a little something about boats. Without Volvo, there might not be sterndrives - we'll never know.

Anyway, my feelings about Volvo aside, it's not about them. I just see Mercury as a technology follower, not a technology leader. I agree that it's the right thing for them to do in their position - let the other guys take the risk, and then jump in when something becomes mainstream. Just don't try to convince me it's cutting edge when it's not (or not even available).

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Doing good.....have been living in the depths of hibernation for quite sometime now, but getting ready to emerge soon.

:drink: :drink: :evilb: :evilb: :cool: :cool:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Light fuse and run :D :drink:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Here you go. If you have any questions, feel free to ask

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

I see that the fuse is lit.

Didn't wiessman have something to do with the development of the Mercury #6 drive or the dry sump version? Keeping with that theme does anyone consider the Wiessman drive into a category with Arneson, Buzzi.

I think the options for high performance drives are out there, we just don't have alot of information for the small lower production guys.

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

I don't see what all the fuss is. Mercs a good company. They kind've have/had a monopoly on the market for a while but that's changing. I think the biggest mistake Merc ever did was the Bravo. Even the drives built up off the Bravo just doesn't hold together when hp is thrown at 'em. #6...Come on, it's the undisputed king of performance drives. How many of those do you hear of getting broken??!!

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

?? Does the DPX drive run fast at idle speed?

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

That means you're getting old like him. :eek:

Re: "New" Mercury products in Miami: Puh-leeze!!
 

Do you own merc/brunswick stock? Just kiddin... :drink:

Competition is good for the market, it keeps everyone on their toes. It's also supposed to help with competitive pricing but when you have a monopoly it makes things tough.