Mercury Racing introduces 60 APX outboard
Mercury Racing has introduced the 60 APX outboard motor as the latest addition to its range of Apex pure competition outboards designed for closed-course circuit racing.
The 60 APX was revealed at the Dubai International Boat Show at Dubai Harbour, United Arab Emirates.
“Mercury Racing is excited to support the sustainable future of circuit competition with the low-emission four-stroke 60 APX model,” said Jeff Broman, director of Mercury Racing. “We’ve designed this motor to deliver strong performance with minimal maintenance over the course of a full season, reducing the cost of participation in the entry classes for professional tunnel boat competition.”
Mercury Racing says the 60 APX is a durable competition motor designed specifically to power UIM Formula 4s class catamaran tunnel hull boats. The Formula 4s class features composite, driver capsule-equipped boats measuring 3.9 metres (about 12ft 10in) in length with a minimum weight with driver of 360kg (793 pounds). The top speed is about 120kph (75mph) on the straightaway sections of the course.
The class is intended for young racers starting out in enclosed tunnel boats before stepping up to faster Formula 2 and Formula 1 boats. The Formula 4s class is very popular across Europe and the Middle East.
The 60-horsepower, 995cc 60 APX four-cylinder powerhead is based on the Mercury 60 FourStroke outboard with electronic fuel injection. The WOT rpm limit is raised to 6000-6400 rpm, and the motor is fitted with a 15in midsection and wing plates for the side steering system used on competition tunnel boats. The 60 APX model uses a stock Mercury gearcase with underwater exhaust and a 1.82:1 gear ratio. Dry weight is 112kg (247 pounds).
The motor produces full power on 90 RON (87 octane) pump gasoline. New Mercury Racing Apex graphics match those of the 4.6-litre V8 360 APX and 3.4-litre V6 200 APX four-stroke competition outboards.
