The Mercury Verado integrated outboard propulsion system won the 2004 IBEX Innovation Award in the outboard category Wednesday at the International Boatbuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Miami Beach, Fla., further solidifying the engine’s position as the most advanced in the marine industry.
The annual IBEX Innovation Award winners are selected by a Boating Writers International panel and presented by IBEX host National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Mercury Marine President Patrick C. Mackey was on hand to accept the award.
“This honor is a tribute to the dedication and ingenuity of everyone at Mercury Marine,” Mackey said. “We set out to build a game-changing engine that would provide boaters all the best qualities of both two-stroke and four-stroke technology, along with all of the features that marine propulsion has always lacked, and the result is truly revolutionary. We are very proud of our new flagship product, and I thank BWI and the NMMA for recognizing Verado as the great innovation that it is.”
Unveiled in February at the Miami International Boat Show, Verado is the world’s first supercharged production outboard. Its in-line six-cylinder design features 2.6L displacement, four valves per cylinder, a charge-air cooler and electronic boost bypass control. Electro-hydraulic power steering and SmartCraft Digital Throttle & Shift are standard, which allows Verado to deliver an exceptionally smooth and responsive engineered driving experience. Mercury’s patented sound-dampening technology results in the quietest engine in its class and, in fact, renders it nearly silent at idle. However, the refinement hasn’t sacrificed a bit of performance — Verado’s power and torque are awesome. The engine is available in 200, 225, 250 and 275 horsepower configurations.
Noted marine writer and television host Dean Travis Clark, one of the Innovation Award judges, was impressed by the originality of Verado.
“About the only thing traditional about this engine is the prop nut,” Clark said. “Everything else has been designed from scratch, making it totally new for the marine industry.”
Mercury plans to unveil a four-cylinder version of Verado — covering the 135, 150 and 175 horsepower categories — at the coming Miami International Boat Show in February of 2005.
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