OMG --- A 600 HP Outboard Engine From Mercury!

Here's info from our friends over at Soundings.

Mercury Marine introduced a 600-hp Verado during an exclusive media event at Lake X, the company’s test facility in Florida. The 7.6-liter, V-12 engine weighs 1,260 pounds and has two innovations that Mercury calls industry firsts: a steerable gearcase and an automatic two-speed transmission. Mercury eliminated the need for mounted steering, which keeps the stern clean. The company also said the setup is easier on the steering system, since it’s not moving the entire 1,260-pound engine, just the lower unit. There’s also a wider range of motion, Mercury said. A typical outboard swings 30 degrees in one direction or the other. Mercury says the steering on the V-12 Verado can pivot up to 45 degrees. The gearcase spins dual, contra-rotating props, with a four-blade wheel forward and a three-blade aft. The props come in various pitches and diameters to 18 inches, depending on the application. The price? Sit. In the $77,000.00 range.