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Marine
Mercury Marine debuts revolutionary sterndrive
FOND DU LAC, Wis. – Mercury MerCruiser will begin production of Vazer™ – a new sterndrive system designed for some boats traditionally powered by outboards – in March.
Vazer is a 100 hp sterndrive engine built with a compact design. It uses an innovative and patented approach to reduce engine height by tilting the engine to 50 degrees, allowing it to fit under seats, platforms and decks of a variety of boats, including pontoons, fishing boats and runabouts. The unique design of Vazer allows boatbuilders to utilize more space for passengers and gear, and provides improved access to the water compared to traditional sterndrive or outboard engines.
“Vazer will revolutionize the boating industry,” said Kevin Grodzki, president of Mercury MerCruiser. “This sterndrive system will enable boatbuilders to design boats in configurations previously unimaginable.”
Vazer is based on the proven GM Vortec® 1600 4-cylinder SOHC engine mated to an all-new compact sterndrive. The engine also features a scrolled, low-profile composite intake manifold that maintains a long intake runner design for excellent torque and horsepower.
Vazer features a composite-shell heat exchanger and heater connection ports that allow the addition of cockpit or cabin heat. A closed loop cooling system, which includes the engine block, aluminum exhaust header and cylinder head, makes Vazer ideal for both freshwater and saltwater use.
A standard quick-connect freshwater flush port helps make routine maintenance simple and fast. The self-draining seawater system drains water from the engine and drive with no action required by the operator.
Standard power steering improves boat control and greatly reduces operator effort, and special engine mounting significantly reduces unwanted noise and vibration.
The MerCruiser Vazer is designed with extended maintenance intervals, up to 300 hours between services for many items, and is loaded with time-saving features such as translucent fluid reservoirs, a remote-mounted engine oil filter, five-year engine coolant and an easy oil drain system.
The Vazer drive features its own design innovations including trim cylinders with internal fluid routing so that external trim hoses are not exposed. Unique gear ratios are used to maximize performance through the engine's broad RPM range. The Vazer lower unit features a 4.75” diameter torpedo enabling the use of a variety of Mercury propellers with diameters up to 15 inches for improved performance on pontoons and heavier boats. In addition, an engine-mounted drive lubricant reservoir with built-in electronic fluid-level sensing is integrated into the standard Engine Guardian® system for added peace of mind. Also, Vazer is equipped with MerCruiser's standard Power Trim XD system which allows the drive to tilt up fully and then return to its previous trim position to maintain steering control.
The MerCruiser 100 Vazer comes standard with a four-year non-declining limited warranty when installed in boat models from one of the many boatbuilders that have earned MerCruiser Installation Quality certification. MerCruiser also includes a three-year limited warranty against corrosion failure. Production for the 100 Vazer will begin in early March 2007 at the company's manufacturing facility in Stillwater, Okla.
Mercury Marine is the world's leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines. A $2.3 billion division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Mercury and its 6,300 employees worldwide provide engines, boats, services and parts for recreational, commercial and government marine applications. Mercury's industry-leading brand portfolio includes Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrives and inboard engines; MotorGuide trolling motors; Mercury and Teignbridge propellers; MotoTron electronic controls; Mercury inflatable boats; Mercury SmartCraft electronics; and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils. In 2006, Mercury Marine's OptiMax engine was ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Two-Stroke Outboard Engines" by J.D. Power and Associates, and Mercury MerCruiser engines were ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Sterndrive Engines." More information is available at www.mercurymarine.com.
CONTACT: Erik Pope
Communications Coordinator
Mercury Marine
Phone: 920-929-5916
Email: erik.pope@mercmarine.com
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