Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/459238
www.BoatingIndustry.com 32 | Boating Industry | January 2015 EVOLUTION VS REVOLUTION a s the economy is slowly improv- ing, the sterndrive segment is see- ing more innovation and change. With this innovation comes a turning point for marine engine manufacturing. The automotive industry has long dic- tated the exoskeleton of sterndrive engines. Auto engines of the past were comparable to marine engines in functionality but recent years have shown a wide divergence in auto engine design and marine requirements. This puts engine manufacturers in the boating industry at an impasse: They can continue using auto engines as a base and innovate new technologies based on a pre- viously built model, or they can develop independent products from the ground up. Time will only tell which plan is best for the industry or if the design practices will make a difference to customers, but for now new products and technologies are creating a conversation amongst engine manufacturers, OEMs and dealers. Purpose-built from the ground up The corrosion prevention requirements for marine engines are vastly different from what an auto engine will ever need in its lifetime. Additionally, in a marine applica- tion, an engine needs all of the torque and power to be used continuously, in contrast with a truck going down the highway at 65 or 70 miles per hour using only a fraction of its total horsepower. Facundo Onni, category director of Mercury outboards and MerCruiser, lik- ens steering a boat to driving a pickup truck, towing a boat and going 80 miles per hour uphill at a 30-degree angle, not- ing this "doesn't happen very often" in an auto application. Two engine manufacturers take different design paths and aim to bring innovation to the sterndrive market