Every time we think outboard engine design has reached its peak, someone finds a way to top it. First it was Yamaha’s monster 425hp V8, then Mercury trumped it with an outrageous 600hp 7.6-litre V12. Now it seems to have done it again with a slightly less powerful but arguably more exotic 400hp V10.
We should have seen it coming; having already launched a 175-225hp V6, 250-300hp V8 and 500-600hp V12, it was only a matter of time before Mercury plugged the gap with new 350hp and 400hp engines. But predictable as the new power outputs were, we still hadn’t predicted the V10 configuration. It’s not just that no one has ever dared build a V10 outboard before, it’s the fact that few engine manufacturers in any sphere bother with such a rarefied configuration – other than a handful of racing cars and a smattering of high-powered Audis, BMWs, and Lamborghinis, V10s are rarer than hens’ teeth. So why has Mercury gone down this route and what makes it so special?
MODULAR MAGIC
The simple answer is modularity and the economies of scale that come with that. In essence the V6, V8 and V10 Verado engines all share the same modular design that starts with a narrow 64-degree angle between the two banks of cylinders. This helps keep the powerhead slimmer than the typical 90-degree bank angle found in most automotive applications, meaning even these big V10s can be
