Test Driving Mercury's NEW 600 Horsepower V12 Outboard on Lake X | PowerBoat Television

At the legendary Lake X in Florida, the Mercury outboards team debuted what they're calling the most innovative outboard they've ever produced: the 600 horsepower V12 outboard. This massive motor has 7.6L of displacement and weighs in at over 1200lbs. It's not just bigger that makes it better! Mercury has packed a wild amount of innovation into this engine: the industry's first two-speed transmission; its first steerable gear-casing; brand new Digital Throttle and Shift; and all in an unbelievably quiet package. We were lucky enough to be among the first to see it in action at Lake X with some of Mercury's biggest and baddest build partners.
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2021 season

[@ozmunky]

Columbian pharmaceutical approves this product.

[@machinesandthings7121]

😂😎

[@joewoodchuck3824]

Replace the u in Columbian with an o.

[@ozmunky]

@@joewoodchuck3824 Haha, yes you're right!

[@mastathrash5609]

Gold chains an cabana boy button ups flapping from the speeed... LETS gOoOooo! FR tho this things a Beast

[@guilhermecondinho508]

Super legit

[@sk3tchimdg3t33]

Car manufacturers be like “economy regulations” Mercury be like FUCK YEAH V12 x 3-4 WHERES THE COKE

[@Bob-jn8gt]

Wholesome!

[@kiksandgeerz24]

This 600 V12 engine is very impressive. Happy to be an operator that helps produce the driveshafts for these motors. I didn’t know that this engine has a steerable gear casing. Mercury hits a grand slam with this engine!

[@mubarakaalshamlan600]

Impressive achievement by Mercury. I am a fan of Mercury engines and engineering since the 1980’s. I will always be a fan.

[@twizz420]

I've never even _been_ on a boat, let alone own one. Still want one of these, though. Maybe I could strap it onto my kayak?

[@franklyandrew]

It can run generator

[@maswarazz]

600 hp? 😯 you guys are so lucky, I can't even afford 15 horsepower

[@Make-Asylums-Great-Again]

I can sell you a meth’d out gerbil, he’s very fast&strong. Also he can swim therefore he can pull a raft with you onboard.

[@humushumus2219]

The problem may be that you do honest work. That's not where the money are.

[@rawblow4512]

Shit i cant even afford a wood paddle!

[@maswarazz]

@@rawblow4512 at least we have a wish first 😁

[@maswarazz]

I think it's a boat lover's dream@@Make-Asylums-Great-Again

[@tharblin]

Everything American made makes me emotional. Love the quality.

[@williamgibb5557]

If you think the size and power is scary, wait till the price tag hows it face! Innovative ! No questions there!

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

At the Miami boat show I rode on a 30 center console with 5 Yamaha XTOs and was very impressed. The computer to run the boat was just as insane. You could make it stay in any spot for as long as you wanted, touch a button to make it slide sideways 15 feet, touch another button to make it turn 180 degrees then go wide open and hit 70 mph in no time flat. Just crazy performance.

[@dlamb2840]

I used to have a 2.5 hp Seagull outboard on my moorhen 10.6! I loved that combination none the less!!

[@dontwobble]

Haha are they the motor with no gear box, direct drive, once it starts you're off! Spin it round backwards to go in reverse

[@dcc2444]

I had the pleasure of working for Mercury Marine in Placida FL back in the late 90's. It was a thrill to be apart of the Mercury testing facility back then. Today I still own a 1974 Mercury inline 6 150 hp outboard that was rebuilt at that same facility, however, it needs a stator...one day Ill get her running again and find a suitable boat for it.

[@MrCountrycuz]

back in 1990 I purchased a 1965 Hydrodyne Ski boat with a 90 horse Mercury with the original Keikoffer manual. it was a great engine and was a one owner when I purchased it. I later installed it on a 16 foot Ranger.

[@dcc2444]

@@MrCountrycuz That is something I would like to hook up my 150hp inline too! FAST...lol

[@michaelgreene7385]

Wasn't that called the tower of power?

[@dcc2444]

@@michaelgreene7385 Yes it was...also the hand granade, as some of the top or bottom cylinders would fail with all that torque! Still, mine never failed...

[@randygreen7871]

Amazing engine, amazing history, amazing company!

[@v1-vr-rotatev2-vy_vx31]

1969 my father and I built a 3 point 10 foot long racing hydroplane all Marine woods. Had a new 20 horse Mercury outboard on it at 50 mph. I was bummed out that my father didn't get the 35 horse outboard motor from Mercury.

[@earlblackjackmartinjr5750]

From being around boats all my life all I can say right now is WOW WOW WOW. 👌

[@jimboalogo6977]

Love the 600hp Merc!!! Good job by PBT presenting it!!! Didn't know Ted pass away, may he rest in peace.

[@brinkee7674]

Mercury knock it out of the park with this setup. Kudos to them. It changes the world of CC. Yes they are pricey but so isn't double the number of 300hp engines with 1/2 the features.

[@NitubiST]

there are no boundaries for perfection!!!

[@odinsteinnes6511]

Its been a great last decade for outboards and especialy the last 5 years

[@wildbill5670]

Back in the 60's I lived on a big lake in Connecticut. The most wicked outboard motor then was the 110 horse Mercury. It could push a 15 or 16 foot boat to almost 50 mph on the water. My 40 horse Evenrude (sp?) on a 15 footer could only manage about 32 mph.

[@monadking2761]

I used to boat and was amazed last week up on the St. Lawrence River in the 1000 Island area of NY. I saw a boat with 4 outboats then saw on another boat and it only had 3 outboars so I took a picture. When I zoomed into the picture I saw 400 on the back of each one. I was shocked at that amount of HP from an outboard. Then I saw this video and.... I'm utterly amazed that is awesome HP. What's next turbos and juice or I'm not with it anymore Just make a Jet engine outboat or is that already been done. This is cool stuff!

[@ianf2985]

Saw the show. Absolutely such a crazy motor. So impressive. I’m an evinrude guy but mercs have always been amazing!

[@mikebonez6212]

Evinrude guy..... say no more! 🤣

[@guttercops]

evinrude is still around???

[@markbrethauer3042]

Evinrude just went belly up that's my fish reference to out of business

[@MrEazyE357]

Evinrude is no more so you better find something else.

[@TheSchmed]

Man, I didn’t realize outboards were so expensive, holy shite.

[@sylviaisgod6947]

Only about $77,000 each, plus over 50 gallons of fuel burned per hour per engine.

[@RChero1010]

Well, you have to realize that a 600hp NA V12 is expensive to develop and produce in the first place, then making it marine reliable on top of that. They are certainly extravagant but it's not unreasonable when one could take the place of 2 smaller motors that are 60-75% of the cost each

[@livonia1807]

you can buy my 75 horse outboard for $3500

[@rcaction8030]

Looks amazing. What a beast

[@jacooosthuizen3593]

So impressive!

[@literallyshaking8019]

The steering system is a stroke of genius. You know there’ll be a supercharged 750hp version coming

[@jalenad11]

Somebody is going to strap 2 of those on a cat and throw 100ft rooster tails.

[@AB-80X]

@@jalenad11 Not really. Way too heavy and not enough power. A cat needs a pair of 1550's or more to really get moving.

[@charlescrampton5119]

Just wait,mercury always has moves! I predict new fuel mapping higher octain,800hp on 2 yrs! If not turbocharged, or twins for 1200 up for outboard cat motors! Hopefully

[@AB-80X]

@@charlescrampton5119 Uh, no. Why? Because,there's no need for a 1200 hp outboard, and they cannot make the lower units live with that kind of power. From a durability standpoint, you need a Six or Eight in order to put that kind of power tobthe water. Spoke to Scott Porter of Formula Boats the other day, and they already have some issues on the 600's. 800 and 1200 is a no go. And if you want to put 1200 hp to the water behind a cat, you need a pair of large cleavers.

[@denniswilder3014]

Guys have come out with tunes for them adding another 100 h.p each.as they learn more you will see these will be turbocharged.wouldnt be surprised by 2025 you see 800 h.p with a 5 yr warranty

[@jimmysparks315]

Can't wait for the supercharged version.....

[@danielturner8502]

Exactly my thoughts. The 7 motors 627 still reigns supreme in terms of pure power but I reckon Mercury should be able to get 700 outta these puppies.

[@mikescaffo4850]

Mercury outboard is the king of the waters they just seem to get it done

[@franklyandrew]

V12 is madness forever

[@keenanpowers9222]

Im incredibly impressed, Mercury has always lead the way. But i have a few questions. Can the motor trim or lift itself up? I know they probably have trim tabs, but sometimes you need to de-foul a prop if a old anchor rope or whatever gets wrapped around a prop(if 600hp doesn't chop it into rope glitter) And also, I'm sure it's extremely rare considering the size of the boats these are going to be on, and how deep they draft. But would hitting something in the water just sheer off the swivel(steerable) prop or could the motor pop up if struck by a large partially submerged object? Like a log, a shifting sandbar, or coral if someone isn't reading the channels markers properly? I know the Gulf's water can be so murky at times you can find yourself in very shallow water without being able to see how shallow it is. My dad has hit mussel beds at 60mph on a jet ski, in familiar water, and been thrown. Glassy water makes it hard to see.

[@akane742]

V12 makes sense seeing they are inherently balanced

[@Jenuin]

In a world where electric engines are mainstream mercury comes out with a new tower of power =] hell yeah 🥰 💜

[@sadenuttie2234]

What’s wrong with electric engines?

[@Jenuin]

@@sadenuttie2234 nothing. Like I could talk about how they are not actually zero emissions because of how the batteries are made. How power is produced etc. How fracking destroys the land. The limits in travel or cold weather. But I was merely making a joke. Electric cars have always been the future.

[@sadenuttie2234]

@@Jenuin yeah fair. I love ICE cars and boats too, love the noise and smell of petrol (although not good for me). But particularly electric and hybrid boats (although not having great range yet) seem super chilled, just silent cruising on the water. Hopefully lithium recycling becomes more viable in the future to stop pollution from mining

[@mikemcintyre9494]

Mercury.. The Dodge of the outboard world... More power!!!

[@warrenrayledbetter9957]

I just want everyone to know that there is over $300,000 worth of engine on the back of that boat.

[@deltapromasterlauj4848]

also, the total cost of all the engines is more then the cost of an average family home😂😂😂😂😂😂🤦🤦🤦🤦

[@scottprice9542]

1 x 600hp=$77000 Yes it’s allot but it’s not $300000 on the back of the boat it’s actually $154000 IM NOT SAYING ITS CHEAP BUT IT LESS THAN YOU SAY

[@estelja]

@@scottprice9542 I think he was referring to the boat with four of them mounted at 1:20. 4 x $77K = $308K. But when your fishing boat needs 2400 HP, accept no substitute.

[@scottprice9542]

@@estelja okay yes I see what you mean

[@MrDance4meh]

And it only goes 60 😐

[@stoneygreek]

that thing is sick.

[@jalenad11]

They all that for efficiency but there's still a guy somewhere figuring out how to fit 6 on the back of a boat.

[@endokrin7897]

Can you imagine? You just KNOW we'll see that on KZbin sooner rather than later!

[@alexnutcasio936]

Already been done...............

[@charlescrampton5119]

I bet the block and internals a built to handle900 up plus! Turbos,this is going to get interesting!

[@bankruptsee]

That 420 outrage is a million dollar boat. Insane.

[@leerutherford8095]

I used to have a 115 hp on a 17 ft BW. The straight six was a gold standard

[@sweetroscoeful]

When I win the lottery, I will certainly buy a few!

[@andyvankerkhove6902]

Had a 160HP Mercury for years.. guzzling gas... Can only imagine this thing...

[@scottcox9108]

A website had some numbers hovering around .5mpg at any speed. Boats with 300 mile range at 100 gph. That's 3000 dollars

[@acemannw]

Really cool video

[@nathanhearn8914]

Thinking about putting one of these on my Pelican catch power 100.

[@tedschmitt178]

The big plus: these free up interior space (as opposed to two I/Os) because they’re outside the boat.

[@jayyoutube8790]

Very impressive American engineering.

[@cantdestroyher7245]

Do these vertically mounted engines ever have any oil pooling problems?

[@tonyjackson4099]

At 7.6 liters and being DOHC, I guarantee there's still a ton of power left untapped that could be gained with tuning!

[@justinjones5281]

It without diminishing reliability. The prop could be doubled in size though and give retarded top end speed

[@dennisford2000]

My thoughts exactly, I can see 300 hp with no water manifolds . And if you turbo it ?

[@corystansbury]

Definitely tuned more like a large luxury car engine. Big torque focus and rolls off early.

[@fobbitoperator3620]

Sure there is, so long as you don't mind voiding the warranty...

[@lukewalker3905]

They would also want them running quietly.

[@williammoore1148]

I think I was 12 years old when I road in a 12ft runabout with the new 25hp merc ! HA!HA! MEMORIES ARE WHAT LIFE IS ! 600 HP NEW LIFE MEMORIE FOR SURE!!!!

[@mrAudisubaru]

Awesome

[@thunderstruck5484]

We had a BlackMax 200 on our 19ft wellcraft in the 70s that was plenty and we had a blast on that lake boat, who can afford these new beasts more power to em I love looking for sure thanks

[@anthonyxuereb792]

That steering is very clever, makes me wonder why it took so long.

[@Sc0tt69]

Seal leakage....

[@anthonyxuereb792]

@@Sc0tt69like the Wankel

[@8180634]

Durability. I'm curious to see how that holds up. What maintenance is required on them after thousands of hours and 10-20 years in salt. Though I suspect the Uber rich who will be buying these things aren't likely to keep them that long.

[@anthonyxuereb792]

@@8180634 every outboard requires regular maintenance and especially ones of this caliber. I service my car every 12 months and change the oil every 6. These outboards are worth way more than my car. If you respect and follow the manufacturer's service protocols there should be no issues regarding durability. It's only when owners typically skimp that problems arise.

[@ronaldbertin9455]

Tugboat have used this drive system for many years

[@webincomeincome8767]

The old saying is “If you gotta ask how much it costs you can’t afford it” and certainly true here. Lol

[@tdogaz4114]

Damn you could buy a 54' Sea Ray Yacht for that price tag.🤣

[@robertyoung1506]

DAMN, wish I had that kind of money

[@lancevoorhees7318]

Can I get one for my pickup? Right now I have a 225 hp Mercury jet and a 9.9 Mercury trolling motor, I love them both on a Koffler boat from Eugene Oregon! Great motors and great boat!

[@brentfriedland]

I need 4of those on a bigger MJM than they currently make.

[@patmason7276]

Would love to put this motor on our boat but damn 77,000 .

[@daryn2826]

My god if you put 2 of these on a MTI 390X will be insane

[@rebirth_mishap]

That would go great with my Gheenoe

[@isakjohansson7134]

I like how you got Abdallahsmash026 to show up in the video

[@billcarp3523]

Impressive. Question: The Cigarette Tiranna can handle six Mercury 450s, can Mercury fit five 600s on this boat? Obviously that would increase the horsepower available.

[@willraefpv]

The mercs would weigh probably almost 1500-2000lbs more, but I think that boat could definitely handle it

[@DonTruman]

I suspect that's why they made it so the entire engine doesn't need to rotate for steering -- so they can fit more into a smaller space.

[@AB-80X]

Problem with these are that they are too heavy. Power to weight ratio is just not there.

[@shannonzittlow8462]

It’s amazing all of this from the bowling equipment company Brunswick 🎳 Wait till the ad forced induction probably get up to 900 hp

[@endokrin7897]

It's only a matter of time, I hope! A V12 is such an amazing powerplant. It's like a V8 in that in serves as the base for soooo many configurations and power levels. Except the V12 has such much more potential that a V8 just can't hit (reliably and long term) I wonder if Mercury designed the V12 platform to easily work with larger displacements. Maybe an 8-9 liter with supercharging. I bet you could get 900-1,000 HP with their current displacement, maybe even with just a big tune. Build up the motor some, and it will get a few hundred more HP. Just wonder if the 7.6L could be RELIABLE at 1,000hp, or if they'd up the platform to 8+ Liters to keep the RPM in a normal range which is what you want for longevity and a refined feeling.

[@mr1asvegas784]

Imagine 6 of these on the Cigarette 59 Tirranna. It would cost $462,000! You could buy a 2018 Nor-Tech 390 with that. Now that's a flex!

[@j.thomas7128]

Lake X: The Area 51 of outboards.

[@getprobed838]

what engine block are they using?

[@davegeorge7094]

Cooling when unit goes airborne have flow interruption????

[@michaelreed9805]

Massive

[@isakjohansson7134]

This is the kind thing that you make up in your head and ask yourself why it doesnt exist, figure out why it doesnt exist one second later. And now it exists, cool beans🤙

[@brianbiro9094]

I'm waiting 2 c what yamaha will do 2 top this ? if possible

[@chimrichalds1422]

Im an inland lake fishing only so I ask this to the big water guys. What do you use boats that big and fast for?

[@randyrigsby8907]

I thought about 10 years ago why do boats not have some sort of shifting transmission to save on fuel consumption and to be able to go further on the same amount of gas. I’m not an engine manufacturer but I sure wish I would have pursued that idea. The new 600 hp Mercury is a game changer but it’s still only a 2 speed trans. The boating world has a ton of room for improvement especially on the outboard side. Why not try more gears? Not only do you save on gas but you increase the speed as well without having to run max RPM’s. There’s a huge pile of money to be made in the outboard trans game and Mercury has just touched the tip of the iceberg.

[@TristonKrause]

Can you trim them up at all?

[@twogoodie2543]

everyone wanting to put this on a big boat I wanna see one on a skeeter FX

[@SB-qh8ps]

Agreed

[@alexk7572]

This is absolutely a piece of art, top notch at the very top of combustion-engine engineering, however it also feels like the end of a era and electric propulsion will soon take over...

[@plmn93]

I hope so. Boat drivetrains are such a PITA to maintain. But batteries are still awfully heavy.

[@charlescrampton5119]

Just think about that for a minute! This motors twin prop,transmission 2 dps driven by a big electric motor! instant Torque on demand and can spin one to 10k rpm! Only have to create a new lighter weight dry cell and have a good recharge sysyem. But totally do able in near future!

[@jayfwe]

Electric motors will never fully take over. Anyone running these motors is going to need a lot of range, electric will never have that type of range with the battery tech we have now. Plus if lithium batteries get wet they explode. So boats will never go full electric.

[@jayfwe]

@@satunnainenkatselija4478 I totally agree. But I do believe that someone will find a better battery at some point.

[@alanaguilar5449]

Will this fit on my 17 ft carolina skiff????

[@joedmac78]

I had a pair of old merc 90hp 2 Smokes on a boat. I literally tried as hard as I could to make them break somehow.. But short of putting no oil mix in the gas it just wasn't going to happen. I ran the shit out of those motors for 10+ years and when I finally sold them they were running fine. I really gained respect for the brand

[@dukenukembubblegum7311]

Wait til you add a transmission, and a rotating gear case, what weren’t problems before are sure to be when you come out with the first of its kind

[@joedmac78]

@@dukenukembubblegum7311 people who can afford those motors probably aren't worried about a gearcase.

[@joedmac78]

@@dukenukembubblegum7311 I've heard people say that for years. Never buy a car if it's the first model. Lol. A friend of mine had a Pontiac G6 first year they came out. He rarely changed oil.. 230k miles later he changed shocks.. That was the big ticket maintenance item .. otherwise nothing really went wrong with it. We always talk about how that's possible lol

[@promod6037]

Mercury had a test facility on SANIBEL ISLAND I WATCHED THE BOATS GOING OUT TO THE GULF

[@mcspeedypantsjr5713]

Speedboat 👍

[@tommygunn_tkfan4620]

I miss working for them

[@sylviaisgod6947]

08:38 208 gallons per hour fuel burned for 4 engines.

[@irishn8]

Wow

[@asmar24knuts]

Has to be a record!

[@bosmanx]

It's 672 l/100km for rest of the world that uses SI ;)

[@phamnuwen9442]

There has to be an economic case for a diesel engine outboard with that kind of fuel consumption. Automotive diesel engines easily output 100+ hp/l these days. BMW has a 3l straight 6 with 400hp, so a V12 version would be 800hp...

[@phamnuwen9442]

@Bob Watters A V12 is just two inline 6 cylinders on the same crankshaft, so the power will scale by 2X. I don't think diesel engines are that much heavier. Modern car diesels often use the same engine blocks as the gasoline versions. They need more peripherals though, like turbos and intercoolers, so maybe that's the problem. Anyway, I just think that if your boat consumes 100 gallons per hour at cruise speed, saving 20-30% of fuel seems like it would make sense even if the engines are a bit heavier or more expensive.

[@kenwest2699]

How much does the tide go out there?

[@manitoublack]

they need to do a party model with a tubular Ti exhaust. Let the V12 howl.

[@vinced8789]

@8:50 for the win!

[@bluehornet6752]

So then, will one of these fit on my 18' fishing boat? I suppose it would launch *once*... But the hole shot would be absolutely incredible, right up until it ripped the transom off the hull and sunk. Yeah, but the 5.2s of glory might be well worth it though.

[@pineappledan4344]

Made in Choyna?

[@jpeterson3140]

“If ya haven’t experienced it yet, go ahead and drop that 83k check”

[@UltraMagaFan]

I wanna see how fast a 47 foot Freeman would go with 4 of these slapped on the back. I bet it would go at least 100. These boats run 70 with 450s on em.

[@richardgalli7262]

Damn!

[@mr.nmoney3554]

More v12 please

[@taylorwyant5503]

How many gallons a minute it burn ?

[@spiess7]

Note: at 3:43 in the video that the Waller is obviously overweight at the transom. That well should be dry, and have aft weep holes for drainage. The rigging tubes and pie eyes are not made for constant submersion.

[@ktmfour1007]

Really only needs the one engine prolly

[@mynameisnotcory]

Now make one where you can hear the v12

[@brianjacobsen5762]

Get one for my 12' dingy.

[@connorallen5150]

Will this be a good match for me 1992 jon boat?

[@Alejandro-si8qk]

Miss the dancing girls in those expensive boats.

[@3vimages471]

I am new to the water and looking to buy a boat. I could not believe the cost of outboard motors. Mind blowingly expensive.

[@dons8122]

That is why i have a Inflatable boat now with a electric trolling motor with me and one other it gets us around just fine by myself it puts me up on a plane ( or at least feels like it lol)

[@nuut_]

Im still rocking my 1980s 20hp Mercury 2 stroke. Why would i need this?

[@kevinkong6202]

maybe add 4 600hp V12s to your boat can add a little spice to the voyage lol.

[@nuut_]

@@kevinkong6202 My 4.3 meter fishing boat would probably enter low earth orbit . Or sink. Most likely sink. :D

[@nbookie]

How do you get the air in? Looking at the intakes and knowing the air volume required for 600hp. How? Lets talk airflow please!!!

[@glennoropeza3545]

Two of these on a 36 foot Skater=135mph‼️ World's fastest outboard powered boat!

[@garymccann2960]

I want the engine on my airplane!!!

[@RC-sj6zi]

Me watching transom repair videos somehow ended up here. How did I get here. 😆😆😆

[@YukariAkiyama]

Don’t care about boats, don’t know anything about boat engines, somehow this was still a fun watch. Update: I am slowly getting into the boating community, but still have a lot to learn.

[@logankaganovsky3495]

Facts

[@brianjacobsen5762]

Guess how much one motor is. I'd say 30,000 +.

[@frankrommerts5358]

Please Mercury, can't you build an EFI 2-stroke 7,6 litre V12 racing engine?