Mercury Racing deals a new ace for high-stakes
poker running, the HP1200 SCi. --- By Bill Jennings


(With the new Mercury Racing 1200s doing the pushing, the 47 GTX flies across the water at more than 150 mph and thanks to the aircraft-style helm and cockpit, there isn¡¯t a bad seat in the house.)

Performance boaters always want more of two things, money and horsepower. At the 2007 Miami Boat Show, Mercury Racing unveiled a new monster motor that can help meet ever-growing power demands with the new HP1200 SCi. I was fortunate enough be the first member of the press to test the engines in an ideal boat, an Outerlimits47 GTX. With its pedigree as one of the best handling offshore V-bottoms at high speeds, it can deliver a great ride in myriad conditions. Additionally because the boat is designed for staggered installations, the engines went in relatively hassle-free. Finally with Outerlimitswell-known epoxy-resin post cured construction, the boat is plenty strong and light enough to post some big numbers with the motors. With test pilot Bob Russell, I ran 134 mph, but with dialing in, there¡¯s more speed yet to come. Equally impressive as their top-end power was the engines¡¯ low-rpm temperament. They idled as smoothly as a small production engine and shifting in and out of gear without skipping a beat. They were also surprisingly quiet. Two issues ago, we ran exclusive coverage on the new 1200 engines, so a full recap of the specifications is not required here. But here is a quick recap. The 1200 SCi¡¯s foundation is similar to the 1075 SCi with a few key differences. The camshaft is the same as a 1075, but the valve springs and retainers are new, to accommodate the higher top rpm rating of 6,000 to 6,500. In addition, the boost level has been increased and a new chip installed in the propulsion control module, microprocessor. These changes require owners to run a full race fuel of 112 octane or higher. Like the 1075 SCi and 850 SCi, the 1200 SCi features the Mercury exclusive ¡°Propulsion Control Module 07¡± microprocessor as the brain behind the brawn. This PCM continually adjusts the amount of boost needed to provide a consistent 1,200 horsepower. Based on a high performance 557-cubic inch V-8 cylinder block, the 1200 SCi features a pair of Lysholm twin-screw super chargers with multiport fuel injection (two injectors per cylinder). This combination provides sport boaters with turnkey starting, smooth 800 rpm idling, and reliable running. Supercharger-induction noise levels are contained by twin carbon fiber inlet resonators. Finally, all 1200 SCis come packaged with the legendary Dry-Sump Six drive. At the dock in Miami, Mercury engineers hooked up a SmartCraft diagnostic computer while the engine was running and performed a final fault check to verify that everything from cooling and oil pressure to the control module itself was operating properly. Then we were off for testing. Sitting in the closed canopy cockpit feels like you are in a military aircraft. It¡¯s comfortable, but all business. There are five race style, buckets. Race belts replace grab handles. There is a dual helm for either single or two-person operation and the dash is carbon fiber. Two small screen GPS units keep the three aft-seated passengers in the loop. The cockpit itself, at 96¡± long and 76¡± wide. Interior surfaces are smooth and curved with no sharp corners. Leather abounds, with even the overhead covered in suede. For full comfort in warm weather a generator powered air conditioning system offers several air outlets. For safety, there are three hatches with ultra heavy-duty two-way latches built into the top of the canopy. It¡¯s interesting to note that this Outerlimitshull was the first V-bottom to run over 160 mph and is offered with a fully removable canopy or in a quarter canopy low profile configuration. Those who believe that all-out offshore boats no longer come with a cabin will be surprised to find 5¡¯ 1¡± headroom belowdecks forward of the unique roll up door. Outerlimits president Mike Fiore has long been a fan of the rollstop-style hatches primarily because he hasn¡¯t found any other style of hatch that doesn¡¯t rattle when the boat is underway. A soft leather U-shaped couch offers a place to relax and cool off after a hot run. With almost perfect water conditions and about 1,200 pounds of fuel, we headed into a relatively traffic free Biscayne Bay. Drag racers use a brief phrase to describe their racing¡ª¡°Point it and Squirt it.¡± That expression came to mind during our test because when you consider the vast amount of real estate that this 2400-hp rocket is capable of quickly gobbling up, the first item of business before hitting the throttles, is to be sure the boat is pointed in an appropriate direction. Moving from a brisk 48 mph at 2500 rpm we instantly added another 1000 rpm and 20 mph. Just as quickly came the jump to 88 mph and 4500 rpm. Triple digit speeds were achieved at just below 5000 rpm, which is still 1500 rpm below the red line for the motors. At these speeds it¡¯s good to know that your boat is well built. Outerlimitsis the only performance boat company utilizing oven-baked epoxy in each and every boat built. The process of making a hull from lightweight epoxy, cored bottom and a new carbon-capped stringer system, results in a boat that is 20 percent lighter, yet super strong. Then I got a lucky break. A helicopter flew up beside us, its passengers wanting to take aerial running shots of the boat. This was the opportunity I needed to run the full length of Biscayne Bay. Driving down the bay at close to 100 mph in a two-foot chop, you would expect a need to ¡°drive¡± the boat. This is not the case. The effortless ride of the 47 GTX is surreal. As the miles clicked off, I just sit back and watch in comfort, giving a sensation close to that of a video game. With such a mesmerizing ride the adrenaline slowly subsides and you fall into a different, somewhat complacent world. With the HP1200 SCis in the engine compartment, a simple throttle application will reverse these feelings and jolt you back to reality. All this power is good for more than just speed records. The engines can run relaxed while you cruise at speeds faster than many people have ever traveled in a boat. And when you find yourself in an avoidance situation that calls for immediate engine power, it is instantly available as is the exceptional turning capabilities of all Outerlimits. While we experienced a quiet day, on water, traffic can become a concern. We watched boats ahead of us change direction at what might seem to them to be a safe distance. With the speeds that this boat runs, I believe collision alert radar would be a wise investment. These units calculate the direction and speeds of relevant traffic, then calculate collision risks and advise you with both a notice on the screen and a voice prompt. The warranty coverage for the new HP1200 SCis can be summarized in one word. None. This doesn¡¯t mean that Mercury Racing is anticipating problems with these engines. If you treat them with due care and respect, there really is no reason why the 1200 SCis will not have a life expectancy similar to the 1075 SCi¡¯s since they share the same super strong parts and both come with a detailed maintenance schedule. Having had the opportunity to drive this boat for over an hour, I am absolutely sure of one thing. Any performance boater who tells you he wouldn¡¯t want one of these because his boat is just right is lying. No matter what some people may pretend, the 47 GTX with a pair of these new 1200-hp monsters is the ultimate dream of all true offshore aficionados. If you are the sort of person who loves speed and is accustomed to owning the ultimate in cars, planes and boats, you probably have already ordered one. VITAL STATS: OUTERLIMITS 47 GTX Length: 47¡¯ Beam: 9¡¯3¡± Weight: 10,500 lbs. Fuel Capacity: 330 gallons Power: Twin, Mercury Racing 1,200 SCi Crankshaft Horsepower: 1,200 HP Full Throttle Range: 6,000 to 6,500 rpm Cylinders / Displacement: V-8 / 557 CID Compression Ratio: 800:1 Controller: PCM 07 Distributorless Fuel System: Sequential Fuel Injection Fuel Requirements: 112 AKI or 114 RON Transmission: BAM Cyborg, Dry Sump. Sterndrive: Number Six, Dry-Sump Price $1.23 million as tested PERFORMANCE RPM Speed 2,500 48 mph 3,500 68 4,000 80 4,500 88 5,000 104 6,000 134 Price supplied by Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats, 91 Broadcommon Road, Briston, RI 02809, 401-253-7300, www.outerlimintspowerboats.com

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