the V-10 400R Mercury outboard on the back of a boat with wake

Mercury Racing has marked its 50th anniversary by introducing the new V-10 400R outboard and the Ventera stainless-steel propeller.

Stuart Halley, the firm’s general manager, also revealed that Mercury Racing — a division of Brunswick — will host a powerboat race in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in August.

Designed primarily to power performance boats to speeds well beyond 75mph, the V10 400R is said to offer more power and a higher RPM range than other outboards in this category.

“The Mercury Racing team has created a worthy successor to the legendary L6 400R outboard,” says Halley. “The V10 400R offers more low-end torque, more peak horsepower, and better fuel economy than the L6. The new V10 400R delivers the potent performance and drivability that only Mercury Racing can offer.”

The 400R features a new naturally aspirated V10 5.7-litre powerhead that is based on the design of the V8 4.6-litre Mercury Racing 300R model. The 64-degree powerhead displaces the 5.7 litres while maintaining the compact width required for 26-inch centre-to-centre mounting on multi-engine transoms for seamless installations on new boats and repower applications.

The 400R will be available in four lengths and is offered with two gearcase options. The SportMaster gearcase is a surfacing design intended for boats that exceed 85mph. The 5.44 HD gearcase is designed for heavier bay boats and multi-engine performance boats.

The model is available in two colourways: ‘phantom black’ or ‘cold fusion white’ finished with red trim.

Ventera propeller

Mercury’s Ventera propeller

The new Ventera propeller is exclusive to the Mercury Racing series. The firm says this four-blade propeller was engineered specifically to carry more load with greater efficiency at high speeds and in semi-surfacing applications. The Ventera can handle big outboard horsepower on the fastest high-performance centre consoles, day cruisers and bay boats.

“As the power-to-weight ratios have increased, along with boat size and weight, Mercury Racing determined it needed to develop a successor to the popular Revolution 4 XP propeller for these applications,” says Nick Petersen, Mercury Racing performance propeller manager. “Our engineering team developed an entirely new blade profile with an increased diameter and created a new blade thickness curve that can handle more power without sacrificing performance.”

Mercury will continue to produce the Rev 4 XP.

The Ventera’s blade diameter is 15 inches, an increase from the Rev 4 XP’s 14.63 inches. This additional blade area helps the prop carry more load at speed. With more diameter, the Ventera propeller can also perform at semi-surfacing engine heights that may cause the Revolution 4 XP to lose grip on the water.

Earlier this month, Brunswick Corporation named John Buelow as executive vice president and president of Mercury Marine. He succeeds Chris Drees, who is stepping down to pursue opportunities outside the marine industry.

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