Mercury Racing Unveils New Outboard, Prop

The V-10 400R has a naturally aspirated, 5.7-liter, 10-cylinder powerhead, and the Ventera propeller is a successor to the Revolution 4 XP.

By Eric Colby

February 15, 2023

Mercury Racing yesterday marked its 50^th anniversary with the introduction of a V-10 400R outboard and a Ventera stainless-steel propeller.

Mercury Racing general manager Stuart Halley also announced that the Brunswick division will host a powerboat race in Sheboygan, Wis., this summer.

“I cannot think of a part of our business that embodies ‘Next Never Rests’ more than Mercury Racing,” Brunswick CEO David Foulkes said during the introduction, referring to a new tagline that the parent company revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

“The V-10 400R offers more low-end torque, more peak horsepower and better fuel economy than the L6, and delivers full power on 87-octane fuel,” Halley said in a statement. “The V-10 is naturally aspirated and replaces the supercharged L6 400R that needed 93-octane to make full power.

The new outboard’s powerhead displaces 5.7 liters (349 cid) and is based on the same design architecture as the V-8, 4.6-liter 300R. The 64-degree powerhead allows the engine to be installed on 26-inch centers. It’s available in 20-, 25-, 30- and 35-inch shaft lengths.

The 400R employs digital throttle and shift and can use electro-hydraulic steering or a new, fully electric system. The engine is compatible with all SmartCraft technologies.

The 400R is offered with two gearcase options. The SportMaster gearcase is a surfacing design intended for boats that run faster than 85 mph. The 5.44 HD gearcase is designed for heavier bay boats and multiengine V-bottoms like center consoles.

The new Ventera propeller is exclusive to the Mercury Racing Profile Series and is designed for performance center consoles, cruisers and dayboats. The prop can be paired with the V-10 400R and V-8 450R outboards with the 5.44 HD gearcase.

“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,” Nick Petersen, Mercury Racing Performance Propeller Manager, said in a separate statement.

The Ventera has a diameter of 15 inches, compared with the Rev 4 XP’s 14.625 inches. It is available in half-inch pitch increments from 18 to 27½ inches. The Rev 4 will remain in production.