I am not posting this to spread rumors, but I was told from two different sources today that there will be a 600EFI (no SC) in the near future offered from Mercury Racing.

I look forward to this offering if it comes to fruition.

I'm for buying the 525EFI and supercharging when you want. That engine is a natural for centrifugal supercharging. Check out the October 2006 issue of Hot Boat for an article on our system.

The difference between these motors has a lot to do with application. For a single engine boat that is fairly heavy you are going to want the 600sci. Elevation is something to consider also. Higher elevation is going to result in less power loss with the 600sci. Your everyday speed number is going to be more consistant with the 600sci also. If you were looking at a 25' cat I would probably say 525efi so you can run 87 octane, because cats are all about rpm for that peak mph number. Application is one of the most things overlooked when powering boats. From a maintenance standpoint I have seen excellent result with both. Granted all motors have warranty issues. Most of the bad results are due to lack of proper maintenance and consumers not being educated properly. Thanks, Cam-shaft.

Only time will tell.

I agree that the 525 would be a better choice if the sci's are being phased out

I have the 600s and love them. Tons of reasons why. Either way I think you will be happy. Personally I prefer the 600s or 700s from Merc over adding a blower to a 525. Granted it costs more, but you also get more.

The 600sci is a strong performer and a very reliabe motor, I put 200 hard hours on mine without any problems. And the Whipple Whine sounds great !!!!

That's great to hear, what kind of boat, thanks ....who has the most amount of hours logged on the 600's to this point without troubles.

88 hrs and not one problem. About equal time on mine just poking around as SBI pace boat and some time running. Ran to KW in November hard and didn't miss a beat. Great pkg with the sportmasters. Nice mid-range and they sound GREAT

Have 2 in a Fountain, 62 hrs no problems. Idle great run strong all day. In fact the 525's sound a lot more radical than my 600's. Easy on gas, not sure if its the boat set up or the motors but they real user friendly. If you order, get the Smart Craft display. It can tell you more information then you have time to look at. All the engines vitals, speed, ect. My shows about 1.4 miles per gallon. Down side, us run at least 91 octane.