400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

Well, they've done it. Mercury has partnered with MTT to produce a 400 hp diesel/JP4 fueled outboard motor. It only weighs 380 lbs. It uses a Rolls Royce Allison 250 series gas turbine as the base powerplant.

It's still in design testing phase, and Mercury has no published plans to go into production. Here are some photos:
http://www.texs.com/magazine/images/Merc_turbine.jpg
http://www.texs.com/magazine/images/Merc_turbine1.jpg

http://www.texs.com/magazine/images/Merc_turbine2.jpg

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

My 23 wants one...

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

If I put a Mercury Racing decal on my toaster-oven I think I could sell it on Ebay as a replacement cowling :D Pretty cool stuff Father Frank.

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

At 380 lbs each, don't you really want two of them on your 23'? My 20' Seafari would love to have one. Have to get used to the whining, though. Kind of like the noise we make when we buy fuel for our boats now :D

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

Here's a photo with the cowling off. http://www.bassnedge.com/latestnews/.../turbinpwr.jpg

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

Otto

Who you bullshi tting ?. Your '23 just wants to feel water http://www.floridasportsman.com/art/popcorn.gif

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

Unfortunately I resemble that remark..... [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I bet that baby crosses the $50k line.....I bet it can suck some fuel too......but what a sleeper if you mounted two of them low in the hull on a bayliner I/O.....

When that big loud Fountain or Donzi drives by you could go drive circles around it.

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

I doubt it. You can pick up a used low hour series 250 Rolls Royce/Allison turbine for under $6K. New ones are in the $17K-20K range. I think it should come in below $30K total.
Yeah. It'll do that. This turbine in aircraft has been set up to produce as much as 560 hp. Can you imagine a pair of 560 hp outboards, each weighing under 400 lbs, mounted on the back of a Seavette? :o

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

Did I hear someone say "beyatch slap"... :eek:

Re: 400 hp Mercury diesel outboard is real!
 

My 18 would love to have one. As for the whinning, I could leave my wife at home.