It is called Mercury Racing V8 500R and it is the most powerful engine ever built by Mercury Marine’s Racing division. Just four months after the launch of the 400R, the American boating giant pulls off another masterstroke and, on the occasion of Mercury Racing’s 50th anniversary celebrations, unveils with no advance notice this magnificent new creature that The International Yachting Media has the privilege of telling you about in world preview.
In fact, only two European magazines have been invited to this very secret preview which will be followed tomorrow by the highlight, the sea trial, which of course we will not fail to publish very soon.
The sea test of the new Mercury Racing 500R is now available, CLICK HERE to read it
But let’s go step by step and discover together how this new powerplant is made.
The new Mercury Racing V8 500R in detail
Based on the award-winning 450R, the Mercury Racing V8 500R is a real concentration of improvements and innovations that, while clearly aimed at expressing more power, also clearly express the ongoing quest for ever-increasing reliability that Mercury Racing must be so sure of, given that it offers an impressive three-year factory warranty.
“Capable of delivering more than 500 horsepower in a wide range of conditions, and weighing as little as 720 pounds, the 500R establishes a new benchmark for outboard power density – said Stuart Halley, Mercury Racing general manager – This motor offers incredible mid-range punch and pulls with unrelenting authority all the way to wide-open throttle. This is the most exciting production outboard ever built by Mercury Racing.”
A state-of-the-art outboard engine that, for the first time in the boating field, makes use of moisture compensation technology. Using a sensor, this data is in fact detected to enable the engine’s ECM to calculate the ideal ignition timing by combining humidity, pressure and air temperature data in real time.
Mercury Racing 
V8 500R is also the first powerplant to adopt the new Advanced Racing Core (ARC), a Midsection system that improves longevity and performance. The trim adjustment system has been enhanced by adding two new auxiliary hydraulic pistons to the two main hydraulic pistons, so adjustment becomes faster and more effective, which is very important at high speeds.
Also redesigned is the supercharger, which allows a 26% increase in pressure. Connecting rods, rod bearings and pistons are strengthened to handle increased combustion pressure and a higher 6600 RPM redline.
Also new is the gearcase, which, designed specifically for Mercury Racing V8 500R, is called R-Drive and features a crescent leading edge and long aspect torpedo hydrodynamically tuned for high speed.
The new R-Drive is available in two variants, the “normal” one designed for boats capable of speeds up to 100 mph (86 knots) and the Sport version, optimized for more exciting performance.
Electronics and Technology
This new outboard engine adopts on-demand Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) available in conjunction with Mercury Racing Digital Zero Effort controls. Also available on the 500R is the Adaptive Speed Control system, which maintains engine RPM as load changes due to sea conditions or turning maneuvers to maintain boat authority with less control input. The 500R model supports all Mercury SmartCraft technologies, including the Engine Guardian monitor system and VesselView multi-function displays.
