Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/459238
January 2015 | Boating Industry | 33 www.BoatingIndustry.com /// Market Trends /// BY BRIANNA LIESTMAN In order for engine manufacturers to meet the needs of developing auto technologies for their consumers and be in compliance with recent requirements, new models are coming out in shorter periods of time and the marin- ization of those engines will happen more often, thus will be more expensive for Mer- cury's customers, Onni said. This incited Mercury's decision to move away from "marinizing" auto engines and create a purpose-built sterndrive engine, the Mercury MerCruiser 4.5L, V6, 250 hp, which is the first of its kind in the industry, according to Onni. "We can introduce the proven technologies in the marine world that make the most sense for our application and our industry, and we can control and set that pace," said Onni. "De- veloping a marine engine from the ground up allowed us to free ourselves from some of the constraints associated with having to start with an engine that was not designed for the applica- tion we wanted. The architecture was already defined. It really didn't offer the best solution … to our marine customers." The customers Onni refers to are not just the end-user of the boat: Mercury also accounted for the best solution for OEMs and boat dealers. One of Mercury's main goals was to deliver the best boating experience possible to consumers while considering the boat installation and the service dealers would need to perform, as well as minimizing costs for everyone. The company's cross-functional team in- terviewed OEMs, dealers and consumers around the world to determine what changes were necessary when designing a marine-spe- cific engine, analyzing their data and ultimately defining the guiding principles and specifications, envisioning a V8 engine in a V6 body. The team focused much of its attention on developing a high displacement engine that had a low friction powertrain supported by a design that al- lowed the engine to "breathe better," in regards to handling the air and exhaust gases. This included a long runner scroll intake, which al- lows the engine to pack more air into the intake – with more air comes more power and more torque. When asked whether Mercury saw any potential disadvantages of building their own engines from scratch, Onni was confident say- ing any disadvantages that could have arisen are already behind them. "It's much more difficult than 'marinizing' an engine. We chose the hard way and we have accomplished our goals," said Onni. "We believe in [the sterndrive industry] and we are designing a portfolio and a platform of engines that is going to … meet the needs and wants of our customer." Onni notes the new V6 engine shows an ac- celeration improvement from previous genera- tions of about 8 percent and a fuel efficiency improvement of about 14 percent, which in- cludes top-end speed. For the first time in Mer- cury's portfolio, the V6 was coupled with digital throttle and shift, originally offered only in V8 engines, enabling joystick piloting. Adaptive speed control was also added, automatically maintaining a set RPM when conditions and loads change. The new technology advancements improve the sensory aspects of boating, including enhanced NVH performance. The throttle body was turned 180 degrees to face the back of the boat, reduc- ing noise projection. Because Mercury did not start with an auto engine, "that's a design element that we have been able to introduce," said Onni. The mount systems were re- vamped to absorb the vibration better and the flight wheel of the engine was redesigned to reduce the shock and "shift clunk" when the boat is put into gear, a feeling any longtime Mercury engine user will recognize and likely not miss, ac- cording to Onni. The location of some "We can introduce the proven technologies in the marine world that make the most sense for our application and for our industry." — Facundo Onni, category director of Mercury outboards and MerCruiser