When we hear about Mercury Racing outboard boat engines, we think of power and performance. The 4.6-liter V8 delivers incredible torque thanks to its supercharger, which forces more air into the engine, resulting in more power. With a max-rated 6,600 rpm, Mercury Racing‘s 500R outboard gives you the power you crave and the performance you need. Put simply, it is one of the most impressive outboards on the market today. Here is an overview of what the 500R offers in terms of price, technology innovations, performance, and features.

The new Mercury Racing 500R outboard pricing

According to Boating Magazine, the new Mercury Racing 500R outboard engine has a suggested retail price of $72,000 to $84,500. This price range allows you to choose various configurations to fit your boating needs. The pricing depends heavily on the gear case, shaft length, application, and color options.

Technology innovations with the 500R outboard engine

While the 450R outboard motor was impressive, the 500R takes performance to a new level. It incorporates Mercury’s advanced Humidity Compensation Technology, which uses a sensor in the intake attenuator to measure humidity levels and adjust spark timing accordingly for optimal performance in different atmospheric conditions. This is the first time this technology has been used on a marine engine, and it boosts power up to 30 additional horsepower compared to other engines without humidity compensation.

The 500R also features the exclusive Advanced Racing Core (ARC) midsection, which upgrades durability and performance. The engine features a stronger transom plate for three inches of vertical adjustment, two main hydraulic rams and two new booster rams to improve trim authority under full load, precision-fitted heavy-duty guide plates, and stiffened engine mounts for enhanced high-speed handling.

The Mercury hydraulic power steering system has also been upgraded to deliver more steering authority with a newly designed steering arm, stainless steel steering tube, and steering cylinder. The 500R is also compatible with Mercury Racing Technology Solutions such as Adaptive Speed Control, Digital Throttle and Shift (DST), and SmartCraft features.

Performance and features of the 500R outboard engine

With about 326 kg of mass, the 500R is about 10% lighter than its predecessor. This helps to maximize the power-to-weight ratio, which is crucial for performance boats. Mercury Racing has also utilized a new low-inertia flywheel, which allows the engine to climb faster and with more authority, resulting in a heightened level of performance.

Its 4.6-liter 64-degree V8 FourStroke powerhead is boosted by an exclusive Mercury Racing supercharger, giving it more than 500 eager hp. The 500R also features a one-piece intake manifold designed for extreme performance applications with larger passages that help reduce air friction and improve throttle response. According to Mercury Racing, the engine has new sensors that track the intake airflow’s humidity level to maintain an aggressive calibration and optimize performance under any conditions.

The 500R outboard also features two versions of the all-new R-Drive gearcase, both base and sport variants. The gearcases are designed to perform best in submerged and transition applications with a top speed of 100mph. It also boasts an adjustable nose cap pick-up system for optimizing cooling water flow, a crescent leading edge, and long aspect torpedo hydrodynamically tuned for high speeds. Depending on the application, it can accommodate propellers up to 17 inches in diameter.

For those who want to take their performance boats to the next level, the R-Drive Sport version is optimized for ultra-high speeds and can reach speeds beyond 100 mph. It has a longer skeg, allowing it to maintain steering control even at high mounting positions. The prop shaft is made from an ultra-high-strength aerospace stainless steel alloy, just like its M6 and M8 sterndrives.

On top of all this, the 500R outboard is available in four lengths – 20 inches, 25 inches, 30 inches, and 35 inches – to accommodate any single or multi-engine performance application. This makes repowering and new boat installations easy, as the 26-inch center-to-center mounting distance allows for seamless transitions.