Mercury Racing Intros 60R Outboard, Props, Steering Pump at Miami Show
While Mercury Racing already dropped a legendary product bombshell last June—the supercharged 450R 4.6-liter V8 outboard engine—it took the opportunity to unveil several new items at the Miami International Boat Show on Feb. 13, including a 60R outboard engine, an array of racing propellers and a new HD Steering Pump. This also marks the first time that the Fond du Lac, WI-based company has had the wildly popular 450R outboard at the Miami exhibit.
Mercury Racing calls its new 60R outboard “a brilliant performance solution” for technical flats skiffs. The only outboard in its class with a 15-inch midsection, the 60R fits perfectly on the transom of these compact performance skiffs and offers the added benefits of a high-thrust gearcase. This lightweight, compact outboard is a powerhouse tuned and geared to deliver amazing holeshot acceleration for instant on-plane performance in skinny water.
In addition to the outboard, Mercury Racing debuted four new high-performance propellers designed to maximize boat performance and handling in specific applications, and broaden a range of performance propellers that is unmatched in the marine industry. The propellers are handcrafted, precision-tuned works of high-performance art, customized for specific boat types and performance goals. Each individual propeller is zero balanced and measured to ensure consistent performance.
The propeller introductions include:
• 600HP-Rated 5-Blade CNC Cleaver—A surface- piercing design engineered with the optimal blade thickness to deliver unmatched top-end speed and handling on performance hulls powered by Mercury Racing 520, 525, 540, 565 and 600 SCi engines paired with a Mercury Racing Bravo XR Sport or Sport Master outdrive. Prop slip is dramatically reduced to an average of 4.5 percent at WOT in Bravo XR Sport and Sport Master applications. The cleaver is produced to exact tolerances on the same state-of-the-art CNC milling machines used to create the benchmark Mercury Racing CNC Cleaver propellers for use with Mercury Racing M6 and M8 outdrives.
• 12-Degree Rake CNC Cleaver—Mercury Racing has added a new 12-degree rake option for its CNC Cleaver high-performance propeller line already available in 15-, 18-, and 21-degree rake designs. Intended for use with shaft drives and some Mercury Racing M6 and M8 sterndrive applications, the new low-rake profile generates the minimal lift desired for hulls that have substantial lifting characteristics at speed, such as Unlimited-class offshore race boats.
• Round-Tip CNC Cleaver—All Mercury Racing CNC Cleaver propeller models are now available with rounded blade tips for boat owners who prefer that design.
• Spitfire XP—Designed to be the ultimate prop for the new Mercury Racing 60R outboard, the Spitfire XP can also offer outstanding performance on Mercury outboards up to 115 hp. The Spitfire XP has a four-blade design and long barrel that combine to deliver extra stern lift for lightning-fast holeshot, a key advantage in skinny-water applications. This precision-tuned Mercury Racing Pro Finish propeller is crafted in Mercury-exclusive X7 stainless steel alloy. It’s offered in 12″ to 21″ pitch in half-inch increments to dial in optimal RPM at wide-open throttle.
Finally, Mercury Racing also introduced a new HD power steering pump for high-speed catamarans and other high-performance applications, designed to deliver increased pressure and flow rate. The new Mercury Racing HD power steering pump and Mercury Racing High Flow Helm deliver a new level of high-performance steering for boats powered by multiple outboard motors, including the Mercury Racing 450R outboard. The introduction of the HD pump allows high-performance boat builders to assemble a complete, validated steering system for almost any application using components from Mercury Racing.
