While auto engines are getting smaller and more efficient, marine outboards are packing on the cylinders. A year after introducing the "world's first V12 outboard," Mercury Marine followed up with what it called the industry's first V10 outboard, a 5.7-liter naturally aspirated water vaporizer available in two tunes. Not that those outputs were lacking, but it's been a few years, and Mercury is updating the V10 Verado lineup with a new flagship that brings even more power and speed potential.
Over in the automotive realm, V10 engines are hanging precariously by the thinnest sliver of a frayed thread thanks largely to boutique track car builders like Rodin and Red Bull. Thanks to Mercury, though, they're a bit more accessible in the water, both on the racing and consumer recreation sides.
When Mercury introduced the V10 Verado lineup in 2022, it promised fast, smooth acceleration and benchmark-setting quietness. The 695-lb (315-kg) units were designed with the same 26-in (66-cm) mount spacing as V8s, creating a clean plug-and-play option for more power on the same vessel.
With 200 hp worth of empty space to play with before knocking up against the 600-hp V12 Verado, Mercury is dialing up the overall output of the V10 range by adding a new 425-hp variant as the flagship of the family. Beyond those additional 25 horses of bragging rights over the V10 400, Mercury claims the new 10-cylinder top dog cuts three seconds off the 0-30 mph (48 km/h) acceleration as compared to a bigger 450-hp competitor outboard when installed on a loaded-up 5,000-lb (2,268-kg) 26-foot (7.9-m) center console boat.
Pointing its finger at that same outboard of 450-hp size, Mercury says the new 425-hp V10 Verado weighs over 250 lb (113 kg) less. It's also designed to be 22% quieter when cruising.
Beyond introducing the 425-hp V10 Verado as the flagship and third model of the V10 line, Mercury also tweaks its entry level V10. It claims the newly tuned 350-hp outboard cuts a full four seconds off a 0-30-mph sprint and nearly 18 seconds off a 0-to-top speed run compared to the 350-hp competition. It also claims a 2.7-mph (4.3-km/h) higher top speed and quieter operation at cruise.
All the aforementioned numbers are based on Mercury's internal head-to-head testing so should be taken with a grain of salt. Regardless, though, the new V10s look like they're definitely worth shopping for boaters in the market for a smooth, high-powered outboard solution. As with the older Mercury V10s, they feature 26-in center-to-center mounting aimed at easy boat repowering.
Both the 425- and 350-hp V10 Verados come standard with the Revolution X propeller Mercury designed specifically for its V10 outboards. That prop features wide blades with an aggressive deep cut aimed at fast, efficient propulsion and nimble handling, a tunable performance vent system, and a noise/vibration-reducing hub.
The driver controls each V10 with a standard digital throttle or optional 360-degree joystick controller.
Mercury did not announce pricing in its recent announcement, and its V10 Verado website remains a "get a quote" setup, but Boating Mag has reported that the new 425-hp V10 will cost roughly US$1,500 more than the 400-hp version. Prices vary based on factors like shaft length and throttle type, but a quick search shows V10 Verado 400 prices commonly falling in the $40,000 range.
Watch the new Mercs get their respective vessels straight sprinting through the water in the quick video intro below.
Source: Mercury Marine
