{"id":21516,"date":"2025-12-09T10:02:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T10:02:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=21516"},"modified":"2025-12-09T10:02:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T10:02:25","slug":"the-evolution-of-outboard-engines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=21516","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Outboard Engines"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    The Evolution of Outboard Engines<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-1-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image disable-lazyload\" alt=\"Antique outboard versus modern outboard\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-1-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-1.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The first outboard was actually electric (left). The 12-cylinder block for Mercury\u2019s 600-hp Verado shows how far outboard technology has come.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">World History Archive\/Alamy stock photo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p><iframe id=\"wxuzj5efbz\" src=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.dragonforms.com\/wxuzj5efbz\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Once upon a time, a 200 hp outboard was huge. Today, there are boats with a half-dozen 600 hp V-12s strapped onto the transom. But how did we even get here? And where are we going?<\/p>\n<p>Ever since Gustave Trov\u00e9 put the first electric outboard motor on a rowboat\u2014yes, the first outboard we can \u00adhistorically document was electric\u2014people have been seeking ways to make outboards more powerful. First came the transition to gasoline-\u00adfueled engines, then one cylinder became two, four, six, eight and then 12. From Ole Evinrude\u2019s first 1.5 hp commercially viable \u00adproduction outboard in 1907, these engines have grown steadily over time. As they\u2019ve grown in size, they\u2019ve also become more reliable, more efficient and quieter.<\/p>\n<p>Do we really need all of this \u00adhorsepower? Of course not. Truth be told, setting aside the mental-health factor, very few of us \u201cneed\u201d to own a boat in the first place. But we sure do want them. And any boat owner can tell you, once you own a boat, it seems there is a never-ending urge to get a bigger one. But bigger boats need bigger powerplants, so market demand has constantly pushed for ever-larger outboards. Engine manufacturers have been more than \u00adhappy to oblige. But it is not an easy task.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Weight is always a limiting factor, even as boat manufacturers redesign hull forms, weight distributions, and centers of gravity to account for larger, heavier outboards. The first wave of redesigns came with the transition from relatively light two-stroke motors to comparatively weighty four-strokes. These days, new outboards are often developed in tandem with boatbuilding partners who tweak boat construction and design specifically for the engine\u2019s parameters. Still, it\u2019s always a critical fight against weight, weight and weight\u2014without sacrificing reliability. This is where technology, and especially the use of advanced computational abilities, comes into play.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur design-analysis capabilities allow us to run calculations today that result in better reliability, better integration, ease in manufacturing, and more,\u201d said Tim Reid, Mercury Marine\u2019s vice president of product development and engineering, after the introduction of the largest production outboard engine built today, Mercury\u2019s mega-monster 600 hp V-12 Verado. \u201cWe can see where removing material will save weight without affecting strength, or where fatigue or stress of structural components may occur. In countless ways, these abilities allow us to put a better product into the customer\u2019s hands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The ground-up development of that V-12 provided the opportunity to do more than merely provide the most power possible. It created a chance to rethink many facets of how outboards worked, and what might be done differently. An automatic two-speed transmission was added to bring \u00adlarger, heavier boats onto plane quickly, then \u00admaximize efficiency at cruising speeds. A steerable gear case that eliminates the need for the entire engine to pivot was adopted, reducing the necessary mounting space to 27-inch centers and adding 15 degrees to the steerable range of motion. Both of these advancements are industry firsts.<\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-2-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Suzuki dual props\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-2.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">To optimize the available horsepower in its big outboards, Suzuki reimagined its motors\u2019 lower unit design. Using computational fluid dynamics the gear case reduces drag and improves water flow to the wheels. The front of the gear case has dual water intakes too. The design also means relatively smaller dual props that, in turn, create up to an 80 percent increased blade area, increasing lift.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Suzuki<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p>Contra-rotating propellers are yet another way in which manufacturers have boosted the ability of their engines to power \u00adlarger, heavier boats. Suzuki is probably best known for popularizing this concept with outboards thanks to its DF350, which spins twin propellers on the same shaft. This radically boosts blade area (to the tune of 80 percent, according to Suzuki), goosing not only thrust, but also lift, to help bigger boats get over the hump and on plane. Slow speed and reverse handling improve as well. Utilizing contra-rotating props proved so effective for powering ever-bigger boats that Suzuki soon carried it over to its 300 hp range.<\/p>\n<p>Existing outboard platforms have benefited from a tech boost in recent years, with Yamaha\u2019s F450 and F350 outboards providing examples of making more horsepower with the same engine. In the case of the F450, an already advanced F425 (with touches such as automotive-style 2,900 psi direct fuel injection and plasma-fused cylinder walls) was cajoled into producing an additional 25 horses by merely discovering ways to improve airflow via the intakes and exhaust. And in the case of the F350, an extended stroke, a boost in compression ratio, improved airflow, carbon-coated valve lifters, and iridium spark plugs took Yamaha\u2019s time-tested V-6 to a new level.<\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-3-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Yamaha XTO outboards\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-3-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-3-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/NM1225-New-Outboards-3.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The Yamaha F450 was cajoled into producing an additional 25 horses by merely discovering ways to improve airflow via the intakes and exhaust.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Yamaha<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p>What comes next? The future is impossible to predict, but we\u2019ll likely see more \u00adoutboards over the 400 hp mark come from \u00adadditional manufacturers. Honda crossed the 350 hp barrier this past year, and Suzuki has been there for a while, so there\u2019s \u00adonly one direction to go. Yet, while the ever-increasing horsepower measurements grab the headlines, the most significant change in outboard-power evolution might actually be found elsewhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read Next:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/boats\/mclaren-m300-outboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">McLaren M300 Outboard<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The days of smoke-belching, cantankerous, ear-splitting outboards are long gone. Today\u2019s outboards are shockingly reliable, incredibly smooth and quiet, and far more efficient than those of yesteryear. Digital controls and joysticks make them easier than ever to operate. And therein lies the secret behind why we\u2019ve seen the advent of massive outboards, multi-outboard rigs, and the overwhelming trend to replace sterndrives and inboards with these overgrown eggbeaters: It\u2019s a vastly improved user experience. We know that we can depend on these engines, we can open up the throttles without covering our ears, and we can sit at idle without wishing for a gas mask. Finally, we can simply enjoy running outboard engines.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table aligncenter\">\n<table class=\"has-fixed-layout\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Gasoline \u2013 Megajoules per Kilogram (approx.)<\/th>\n<th class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Modern Battery \u2013 Megajoules per Kilogram (approx.)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">46<\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">0.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Amping Up Electric<\/h2>\n<p>Despite electric outboards having an even longer history than their fuel-chugging brethren, electric-outboard-power progress pales in comparison to petrol. The problem isn\u2019t with making the motors larger; you can find them on the market today up to the 300 hp range. The challenge is fuel. The energy density of gasoline is around 46 megajoules per kilogram, but the densest \u00adenergy we can safely pack into a modern battery is closer to 0.7 megajoules per kilogram. In \u00adother words, you need about 65 times as much battery\u2014by weight\u2014to carry as much power as gasoline. For now, who wants to trade in a 100-gallon fuel tank weighing around 630 pounds when full for more than 40,000 pounds of batteries? No one. And that\u2019s why it\u2019s still uncommon to see those high-power electrified beasts out on the water. However, things are progressing. In the under-10-horsepower engine class, powering small boats\u2014which generally don\u2019t need to plane or boast a range of more than a few dozen miles\u2014electric outboards excel. If battery \u00admanufacturers can find a technology that narrows the energy-density gap, then you can expect the \u00adpopularity of larger electric outboards to grow quickly.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What About Diesel?<\/h2>\n<p>Many boaters, especially those wishing for single-source fueling of both the mothership and its yacht tender(s), have questions about using diesel-fueled outboards. While there have always been options, diesel outboards haven\u2019t quite hit prime time. Their horsepower-to-weight ratio has been a challenge. Still, there\u2019s been tremendous advancement on that front in recent years. We now have diesel outboards that replace the prop shaft with a carbon-fiber belt, and diesels cast with narrow-angle aluminum engine heads, which are capable of high compression. Just a few decades ago, a horsepower-to-weight ratio of 0.19 horses per pound would have been the norm. Today, it\u2019s commonly more like 0.35 horses per pound, and Cox offers a twin turbocharged V-8 diesel outboard in 300 and 350 hp configurations that reaches a more-than-respectable 0.4\u00a0horsepower per pound. That still falls short of the 0.5 or so horses per pound you\u2019ll \u00adsometimes see for some gasoline-fueled models, but the gap has lessened measurably. Diesel is now a \u00adviable alternative for some boaters and is expected to expand its footprint in the marketplace.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/boats\/evolution-of-outboard-engines\/\">The Evolution of Outboard Engines<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/\">Boating Mag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    Lenny Rudow<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.com\/boats\/evolution-of-outboard-engines\/\">Go to boatingmag<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Evolution of Outboard Engines The first outboard was actually electric (left). The 12-cylinder block for Mercury\u2019s 600-hp Verado shows how far outboard technology has come. World History Archive\/Alamy stock photo Once upon a time, a 200 hp outboard was huge. Today, there are boats with a half-dozen 600 hp V-12s strapped onto the transom. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[126,148,167,351,352],"tags":[127],"class_list":["post-21516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-boatingmag","category-boats","category-engines","category-nextmarine","category-outboards","tag-boatingmag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21516"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21516\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}