For Mercury Racing, the pursuit of speed and power is relentless and never-ending. Not content to rest on past achievements, the company that defines luxury performance on the water is constantly expanding the boundaries of what is possible.
As marine technology progresses, boaters seeking the ultimate performance experience often face a choice between buying a new boat or upgrading an older one. Repowering a favorite boat with a new engine or engines from Mercury Racing is a popular and practical way boat owners can take advantage of those leaps in innovation while maximizing their existing investment.
New Mercury Racing engines not only come with the latest enhancements in performance and technology, they also provide the benefit of increased reliability, lower maintenance costs and importantly, a new factory 3-year limited warranty. Repowering has the added benefit of typically being a very cost-effective alternative to buying a new boat.
Now, for a limited time, boaters who repower with new Mercury Racing R-Series outboards can get an even bigger boost in value and factory-backed confidence with the addition of a 2-year Mercury Production Protection extended service contract for no additional cost, a value of up to $6,280 per engine. Combined with the factory 3-year limited warranty, it adds up to 5 years of coverage.
All of these reasons combine to make repowering a compelling proposition, says Mike Griffiths, hydrodynamics engineering specialist at Mercury Racing, who has helped many owners of older high-performance hulls replace outdated powerplants with new engines that are more powerful, more fuel efficient and easier to maintain.
“Whether they’re updating an older Mercury Racing product or moving to Mercury Racing for the first time, a typical customer considering a repower is looking for more performance and improved boat handling. The many types of boats and applications we support and the multiple options we offer for them to go fast are big reasons why people choose Mercury Racing,” he said.
As an example, he cites the recent experience of a customer who replaced twin sterndrive engines in a 43-foot Outerlimits. “To re-rig the boat with new Mercury Racing Quad Cam 4-Valve engines, transom updates, rebuilt drives, new air conditioning and wiring, all of it, the owner invested about half of what it would take to buy a comparable new one.”
“On the outboard side, there are a lot of good older boats out there too, like Checkmates and Skaters—the list is endless, really—that can be repowered for a fraction of the cost of a new boat. In particular, we see a lot of customers moving from older two-stroke engines to the new R-Series four-strokes,” Griffiths said.
The R-Series outboard family offers options ranging from the 60R, 250R and 300R to the V10 400R and the supercharged V8 500R, the newest and most powerful outboard in the Mercury Racing portfolio.
For owners of boats currently powered by older outboards, the advanced powerhead technology of these new R-Series powerplants coupled with their enhanced midsection and gearcase options combine to provide higher speeds, increased stability and better handling for a wide range of hull designs. Multiple rigging options allow them to be configured for virtually any outboard application or installation.
“We have gearcase choices for all the different applications out there from single engine to six engines. We have mount choices. We have rear tie bar choices. And of course, propeller choices, including custom props,” Griffiths said. “We cover the full gamut of everything performance.”
If you are considering repowering your own boat with new Mercury Racing engines, the best way to start is by contacting a Mercury Racing dealer. They have the experience and expertise to guide you through the project from start to finish and help get your boat get back on the water with a big increase in performance, enjoyment and value.
