Mercury 450R for 2018
 

Does anyone have knowledge of Mercury's possible plans to release an upgraded version of the current 400R for next year's model line? I've heard from more than one person that there are rumors of a 450R with a 1.62 gearcase that will be released at the Miami show in February. I would actually be surprised if this were to happen, seeing as the 400R just came out, and is selling like crazy. However, I do think that 450hp and a 1.62 gearcase would be very easy for Mercury to release.

I've heard of the 1.62 gears but not the 450

I've heard something else, but can't say yet.......

I've also heard that they are coming out with a larger displacement/higher HP motor in a few years. This rumored new motor is almost guaranteed to happen, it's just a matter of how many years until it is released. It is not planned as a replacement for the 400R, but rather an addition to their high HP line of outboard motors. My question in this thread is for performance advancements to the current 2.6L 400R platform for the next model year - 2018.

I'd love to see the NA turbo motor version that would make around 850-900
Now that would be the ticket. High rev engine
Mercury is already making the LS7 DOHC motor. They are even unveiling something else this year at sema this week. I'll be there Thursday in Vegas. Can't wait

Yeah, the 700-1100 hp gap makes no sense. The fact that they have 520, 540, 565, and 600 also makes no sense.

I heard a 4 cylinder, verado super light at around 250hp

It makes no sense to you because people that buy those motors not writting a check too you. To mercury it makes sense and lots of money. Example if motor makes 520hp stock, with tuning same stock motor makes 540hp 565hp with a cost $10 to flash ecm map correct and can sell custumer 20hp for $3000 money all day for simple ecm swap.

500R coming soon :)

The differences are in the intakes and exhaust if you cared to read the specs. The price jumps mostly make sense based on what you're getting.

The next, larger displacement motor is rumored to be between 500-600HP, so we could potentially see a 600R. Mercury wants to compete with 7 Marine, but do it with an engine that isn't grossly overweight. I just hope that whatever it is, it doesn't weigh more than 800#s and it has a low water pickup gearcase with at least 1.62 gears.

Is that why the 557 isn't on more cats, weight?

Absolutely! They weigh right at 1,100#s - which is 400#s more than a 400R. I'm not certain that the 7 Marine gearcase would work well in a surfacing application on a cat either. They're really just designed for the big v-bottom center consoles that you see them on all the time.

The power to weight ratio of the 627 and the 400r is identical. However when the horsepower totals the same the 400s are faster. Either the lower is more efficient or the RPM range on the 400 helps it.

They have to do something as Suzuki has a better engine and they are coming out with a 400 hp engine.

From what I've been told by the people at Seven Marine, they also are not targeting the performance-oriented center console market. They're after the bigger, heavier stuff in the more traditional center console segment..

Matt, what makes it a performance center console? No fishing rod holders? LOL

The HP gap may be market driven. It makes sense in a world where the 48 MTI outsells the 36 MTI by a ratio of 10 to 1. (That's just my impression, not privy to MTI sales figures)

Man up brah schpill da beans im In da market

No... no fish door or crapper

The latest Photoshop fantasy...


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4733/...1f210fd9_b.jpg





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So then, my friend, if the only difference is the lack of fishing accessories why did you buy a Mystic instead of a Contender or an Intrepid? :)

Performance center consoles are the ones painted like bass boats :D

No new OB this year. Good source tells me it will be Miami show 2019

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YEY!

another year of Photoshop'ing and guessing ...muhahahaha





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That 450/ 500 photoshop happened around this time last year. To the point where multiple places (Even Mercury I believe) had to come out with statements just prior to the Miami boat show stating that it was a photoshop and not true. That picture made it's way around facebook very quickly and with FB downing the quality of pictures posted, it was very hard to tell it was photoshopped. Had everyone fooled.

What about the Mercury V8 outboard rumor? Mike Wood from CME stated on Facebook, is there validity to this claim?

LOL.
Hey Matt it wasn't me.......this time.

Padraig

You're far from alone in your feelings among performance-boat purists, my friend.

I don't create the market. I just report on it. Try not to kill the messenger. :) (But it's OK if you want to, of course.)

Just yanking your chain. Your sitting in warm Southern California, soaking up the sun, mountain biking, boating, drinking margaritas and it here the lake is frozen, the boat is shrink wrapped, it's 19 degrees and snowing..

Thanks for ALL the articles.

Padraig

I think you are on to something ;-)

can you imagine a 6.2 liter GM V8 with Mercury Quad 4 heads!!!

The Outdoor Line Forum ? View topic - 580 Horse Outboard???.

The I-6 platform is done at 400hp

No V-8 platform coming but the I-8 platform will appear 2019

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are there any renderings of the i8?

They had to get taller paper. ;-)

lol ok

The current I-6/400R is definitely not done at 400hp, whether or not we see Mercury release a higher HP version a week from now remains to be seen though. As for an I-8 vs a V-8 coming next for the bigger platform, I won't argue with you. With the target market being the big center console Vs, a narrower I-8 would allow the manufacturers to fit more motors on the back, which in turn sells more motors for Mercury. Makes better business sense to go with a narrow I-8. I can't wait to be back in Miami next week!

Haha, well some kind if 8 "I" or "V" or whatever. "I" really makes more sense since Merc can cast the block and not have to retool a Chevy LS "V". Woukd be cool to see something at Miami next week.

We never actually saw it but I believe Siegfried had a pretty big outboard back in the 60's.
May have been an early prototype?