Mercury V10 Outboards Introduced - First Test Reviews
Ryan McVinney sums up the new Mercury V10 Verado engines, consulting expert captains and anglers who've tested them out.
This week, Mercury Marine introduced the industry’s first ever V10 outboard with the official launch of its all-new 5.7L 350 and 400hp Verado® outboard engines. Marine journalists, boat reviewers and boating industry folks gathered together at Lake X, Mercury's 1,400 acre secret boat testing site, to see the new engines in action where they were rigged to a number of different test boats from a variety of brands.
Boat models on-site ranged from 21 feet to 47 feet, and included such familiar builders as Boston Whaler (Dauntless and Outrage models), Bayliner (Trophy 24), Sea Ray (SLX 260 and Sundancer 370), Ranger, Scout, Freeman (the Freeman 47), Avalon, Barletta, Caymas, Intrepid, Harris, Lund, Valhalla, Monterey, SeaVee, Tiara, Princecraft, Crestliner and more.
Above: Quad Mercury V10 Verado engines rigged to the back of a 2023 Boston Whaler 380 Outrage at Lake X in November, 2022. Photo by Zuzana Prochazka.
Engine Overview
Consistent with their award-winning Verado line up, Mercury boasts that the new naturally aspirated V10 Verado engines are the quietest and smoothest in their class, claiming they will run 45 percent quieter than a leading competitor at cruise. They leverage 5.7L displacement and a performance-inspired quad-cam design to propel boats ahead with exceptional speed and acceleration. A 150-amp alternator swiftly charges onboard batteries and intelligently supports the boat’s electrical system.
Initial Reactions & Expert Sea Trial Reviews
After the Lake X event, I spoke with a number of boats.com's contributing marine journalists, including "Angler in Chief" of FishTalk Magazine Lenny Rudow, who had the pleasure of personally running a few boats rigged with the new engines. He told me how well they performed and gave me some key takeaways from his day on the water.
"The new V10s are shockingly smooth and quiet," said Rudow. "At idle they're nearly silent and running there's far more wind and water noise than engine noise. They have plenty of grunt coming out of the hole, and unlike models with less displacement, don't have to depend on getting to higher rpm to produce lots of torque. We jumped a 28 Caymas rigged with a single 400 up on to plane and the best way to describe the acceleration is 'neck-snapping'. We can't speak to the reliability factor since these engines are so new, but setting that aside, the new 350/400 V10 looks to be a solid win."
Zuzana Prochazka, a licensed 100-ton master captain and experienced sailor who reviews boats and engines for the marine industry, was also on hand to check out the new Mercury engines at Lake X. "So quiet!" she noted. "With underwater exhaust, no real visible vibration shimmy and barely a hum, you’ll keep looking g back wondering if they’re running."
Zuzana Prochazka throttling up at the helm of a Sea Ray boat while testing the new Mercury Verado V10 outboard engines at Lake X in November 2022. Photo via Zuzana Prochazka.
Zuzana got to run a number of other boats including a Sea Ray, a Boston Whaler 380 Outrage, an Avalon 2585 Catalina Platinum Tritoon and a Freeman 47 power cat with quad 400-HP V10. Of course both the Whaler 380 Outrage and the Freeman 47 rigged with quad engines always tend to get a lot of attention. Overall the feeling and message coming from those who got to experience boats rigged with the new V10 outboards was obvious: Mercury clearly has another winner on their hands with a solid engine that will certainly appeal to many boating lifestyles and is ideal for use on a variety of different boats types and models.
Above: Quad Mercury V10 Verado outboard engines rigged on the transom of a Freeman 47 while underway. Photo by Zuzana Prochazka.
Key Engine Features And Highlights
Calibrated to deliver full performance on 87-octane fuel, these outboards also feature efficiency-enhancing technologies, a closed-loop fuel system and Advanced Range Optimization (ARO). Adaptive Speed Control maintains engine rpm despite changes in load or conditions, making climbing large swells easier and cruising at low speeds smoother. Transient Spark Technology electronically adjusts spark timing to optimize low-end power.
Above: A new Mercury V10 Verado Outboard Engine. Photo by Zuzana Prochazka.
Noise Reduction & Next-Gen Technologies
In addition to Mercury's Noise Vibration Harness (NVH), the new Verados are not only compatible with the latest Mercury SmartCraft® technologies but will also be offered with an optional dual-mode 48V/12V alternator to seamlessly pair with Navico Group’s Fathom® e-power system (an integrated lithium-ion auxiliary power management system) thus providing boaters the opportunity to eliminate the need for an onboard generator system.
Lightweight & Efficient
Weighing only 695 pounds and with the same industry-leading 26-inch mount spacing as the V8 outboards, the V10 engines maximize compatibility with current boat designs. The platform’s all-new hydrodynamic gearcase is engineered to improve performance and durability across multiple applications while also maximizing fuel efficiency. Mercury engineers went back to first principles engineering and designed the all-new Revolution X propeller to perfectly match the V10 Verado in every way. Larger diameter and wider blades combined with the deep ratio of the new gearcase provide excellent handling, thrilling acceleration and high efficiency from low speed all the way to wide-open throttle.
Mercury's Vision: Delivering Premium Boating Experiences
Mercury Marine President, Chris Drees was quoted in the company's official press release, saying "The all-new Mercury V10 Verado outboards are exactly what boaters have been asking for in a 350 and 400hp platform. They are powerful, smooth and quiet. They have many of the same fuel efficiency-enhancing features that are synonymous with our high-horsepower lineup. They also deliver the same kind of premium boating experience that has made Verado outboards legendary. The V10 Verado outboards solidify Mercury’s leadership position in the high-horsepower outboard market.”
The development of the V10 Verado outboards is a product of Mercury’s continued commitment to invest heavily in R&D and production capacity to keep up with robust customer demand. To that end, the company has invested $2B since 2008, and its manufacturing footprint has expanded to more than 3 million square feet.
