05/29/03 Mercury Marine begins distribution of OptiMax 115...

05/29/03 Mercury Marine begins distribution of OptiMax 115
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FOND du LAC, Wisconsin

Mercury Marine has begun distribution of its new OptiMax 115-hp
engine, the outboard manufacturer recently reported. Hundreds of
orders were placed in advance of production for the engine, which was
designed to provide a powerful mid-range, low-emission, two-stroke
engine.

Mercury said it decided to produce this engine, which is built from a
1.5-liter block that will also accommodate 90- and 75-hp models, four
years ago. The company designed the 1.5-liter block specifically for
the OptiMax direct fuel injection process, which it says creates the
cleanest and most complete burn available in a two-stroke engine.

Retail price for the 115 should be about $8,200, the company
reported. The 90-hp, 1.5-liter will become available in July and the
75-hp engine will be released in October.

Targeting the Midwest

The key market for these engines is expected to be the upper Midwest,
including Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, because anglers look for
reliable engines for V-bottomed aluminum fishing boats, Mercury
reported. Other likely boats for the 1.5-liter are small fiberglass
bass boats, aluminum bass boats, pontoons, saltwater flats boats and
bay boats.

Mercury claims its OptiMax outperforms four-stroke engines when it
comes to top speed, acceleration and fuel economy at cruising speeds
as well as at full throttle. Also, the 1.5-liter family will be
consistently lighter than four-strokes of the same horsepower,
Mercury reported.

This article is courtesy of Boating Industry International