Inside SOTW Mag: Product Spotlight—Mercury Marine Verado 600 Outboard

Almost two decades in the making, wild speculation on when Mercury Marine would release a more-powerful Verado outboard engine beyond its existing 400-hp version officially ended in early February with the release of the Verado 600, a V-12 beast-of- an outboard designed to move heavy boats more efficiently measured in tons than pounds. Yet the true beauty of this 1,260- to 1,334-pound, naturally aspirated creation, which members of the marine media got their first taste of during an event at Lake X— Mercury’s vaunted/haunted test facility in St. Cloud, Fla.—lies not in its power output but in its technological sophistication.

Designed to move heavy loads, the new Mercury Marine V-12 outboard engine platform is a truly innovative creation. Photos courtesy/copyright Mercury Marine.

The most obvious feature of the engine, which also comes in a 500-hp version? Unlike that of pretty much every other outboard on the planet, the entire Verado 600 outboard doesn’t turn—its powerhead never moves. Instead, the engine is equipped with a dual-propeller (contra-rotating), drive-by-wire steerable gear- case. Instead, the engine is equipped with a dual-propeller (contra-rotating), drive-by-wire steerable gear- case. According to Mercury Marine press materials, the contra-rotating props “simplify docking with higher reverse authority.”

The gear-case and fixed- powerhead setup reportedly improves handling, simplifies installation and eliminates boat-mounted components. Those features, plus the V-12 outboard’s remarkably compact footprint with 27-inch centers, enable boatbuilders to mount multiple Verado 600s with less space between them if needed.

To enjoy the complete feature on the Mercury Marine Verado 600 outboard engine, subscribe to Speed On The Water digital magazine.