Trade-A-Boat — January 2018

MERCURY PUTS THE ‘SUPER’ INTO SUPERCHARGING WITH

THE 350HP VARIANT OF ITS OUTBOARD RANGE

Mercury Rising

I

n seeking even more

power from the

long-running in-line

six-cylinder engine,

Mercury chose to

refine the already impressive

300hp four-stroke Verado.

Taking the block shared with

outboards down to 200hp

might seem like pushing the

limits of their 2.6lt capacity,

but it might also attest to the

confidence the company has

in the original design. In fact,

they tweak the CPU even

further to create a 400hp

racing version.

Rather than merely remap

the computer to achieve

better grunt on the 350, the

engineers have modified

the induction, minimised

friction and controlled

temperatures for an 18%

increase in power and a 25%

better torque.

Improvements over the

300 include a new intake

that feeds fresh air from the

top of the cowling through

a labyrinth designed to

eliminate moisture and

direct to the supercharger.

There a two-stage water

jacket cools the air for a

denser and more powerful

fuel mix. Cams have been

reconfigured for more lift

at intake, and the fuel flows

through bigger injectors.

A new, vented flywheel

cover helps overall cooling

and new knock sensors allow

use of fuel as low as 91RON

and the water-separating

fuel filter is moved onboard

for easier maintenance.

PERFORMANCE

Brig’s new Eagle 10 has a

very efficient deep-V hull

supported by inflatable

tubes that offer a significant

wetted area at rest. None-

the-less, the twin-engine

setup had us planing

almost instantly, and the

acceleration through to 48kts

at 6000rpm was sensational.

Top speed at 6500rmp wide

open throttle saw 52kts on

the GPS. Noise levels were

low throughout the range,

64 trade aboat.com.au

outboard

test

THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BOATS

Mercury Verado 350

STORY & PHOTOS JOHN FORD