Generally, one does not associate million-dollar mega yachts with being powered by outboard motors. Surprisingly, a company in Finland is building a 53-foot and 57-foot mega yachts powered by three diesel outboards. Priced at $2,750,000 to $3,000,000, Compact Mega Yachts, model CMY161 and CMY1730., Instead of outboard motors hanging off the stern, the beautifully designed CMY boats cancel three diesel OXE 300HP diesel outboards just aft of the transom and hiding under an easily accessible transom locker.
Since the engine are aft of the transom, they are not taking up the space normally taken up by a conventional engine room. This reduces the cost of building the boat. Outboards are more accessible that conventional diesel engines. No need to remove a cabin roof to remove an engine. Builders are predicting cursing rang of 3,000 miles from its 3,000-liter fuel tank.
Coincidently Mercury outboards has introduced a prototype V12, 800 HP outboard motor that could revolutionized big motor yacht propulsion. Mercury has invested $1.5 billion dollars in research and development between 2008 and 2021.This represented five years of focused engineering. The result was a totally new approach to marine engines. Mercury borrowed an idea from exotic sports cars and built four cylinders on top of their already proven V6 engine. The Mercury v12Verado represent the most advanced and sophisticated outboard ever built. During its evolution there are some reported growing pains. Steering housing seal failures, persistent oil leaks. Mercury issued a recall in 2023 concerning steering position sensor defect. There have been reports of catastrophic oil failures that resulted in complete engine replacement under warranty. It should be noted that replacing and outboard engine is much easier that replacing a conventional marine engine. The industry standard is 5,000 hours of reliability under extreme conditions. Based on Mercury’s record over the years, achieving that goal would appear to be easily achievable.
Mercury’s V12 provides a 150 -amp alternator delivers nearly twice the power of the alternators on competitive large outboards. This is essential for large boats that have greater electrical demands from AC, water system and exotic electronics. Steering on massive engines like the Mercury V12 (such as the 600hp platform upon which the 808 concepts are based) is achieved through an innovative steerable gearcase. Unlike standard outboards where the entire engine swivels, the heavy powerhead remains completely stationary while only the lower unit in the water rotates for steering. Basically, the upper part of the engine, the prohead, is bolted to the transom and does not move when turning. Just the lower propeller section moves to achieve the turn. Only the lower gearcase turns in the water, allowing for 45 degrees of steering angle in either direction. This provides significantly sharper, more instant maneuverability than conventional outboards, which are typically limited to 30 degrees. And because the powerhead does not swivel the multiple motors can be mounted much closer together (on 27-inch centers), freeing up transom space.
One should not be too surprised by the trend to put outboard motors on bigger boats. Some big offshore fishing boats have been running triple and quadruple outboards on some big boats. Boat builders like SeaVee, Yellowfin, Invincible, and Intrepid are building boats over 40 foot powered by big outboards have been building them now for several years Builders like Sea Ray, pursuit and Boston Whaler are offering 42-foot outboard powered boats.
Contra-rotating propellers used on the new bigger engines have boosted the ability of the engines to power -larger, heavier boats. Suzuki is probably best known for popularizing this concept with outboards thanks to its DF350, which spins twin propellers on the same shaft. This radically boosts blade area (to the tune of 80 percent, according to Suzuki), creating sing not only thrust, but also lift, to help bigger boats get over the hump and on plane. Slow speed and reverse handling improve as well. Utilizing contra-rotating props proved so effective for powering ever-bigger boats that Suzuki soon carried it over to its 300 hp range.
The U.S. Navy is using outboard motors extensively in its unamend surface vessels (USVs). Outboards produced in this country, like the Mercury Marine outboards provide a reliable source. Mercury’s parent company, Brunswick Corporation, powers multiple drone boat programs of record, including Textron’s Tsunami USV family and Saronic’s Corsair. Using off the shelf domestically manufactured outboards save on developing costly, proprietary military engines from scratch. The Navy uses off-the-shelf commercial parts which have nationwide and global inventories and have proven to start, run, and endure long offshore missions autonomously.
The U.S. Navy’s Defense Innovation Unit worked with Textron Tsunami to develop modular 14- to 42-foot vessels equipped with standard Mercury outboard packages for low-cost, scalable, multi-mission operations. The Saronic Corsair drone boat, which is deployed d with Task Force 59 in the Middle East use off the shelf outboards. AI-driven drone boats rely on standard outboard power to hit speeds over 35 knots and patrol ranges exceeding 1,000 nautical miles.
John Moore, editor of Power Boats New, February 1, 2026, wrote, “The V12 Verado represents the most sophisticated outboard engine ever manufactured, delivering performance impossible before 2021 through genuinely innovative engineering. Fuel economy improvements of 20-24 per cent over competitive multi-engine installations provide tangible operational benefits for owners willing to accept six-figure power costs.
However, the engine’s complexity and relative youth mean long-term reliability remains unproven. Engines delivered in spring 2021 have accumulated approximately four years of service. True durability assessment requires data from units reaching 2,000, 3,000, and 5,000 hours under diverse operating conditions.
For buyers of million-dollar boats, the V12 makes compelling sense, providing capability unavailable from alternative configurations whilst reducing total engine count. What remains undeniable is Mercury’s achievement in creating something that did not exist, establishing a new benchmark in marine propulsion, and forcing the entire industry to recalibrate expectations for outboard capability.”
Ever since Ole Evinrude developed the first practical outboard motor to satisfy for his wife Bess’s desire for frozen ice cream in 1905, the outboard industry has been stiving for bigger and better. Evinrude’s initial 1.5-horsepower, 62-pound iron engine was a breakthrough because it was self-contained and could be easily attached to the stern of a standard rowboat. Supported by Bess’s groundbreaking marketing campaigns featuring the slogan “Don’t Row! Throw the Oars Away!”, the company quickly expanded and employed hundreds of workers.
And the industry kept growing with bigger, better and more innovative outboard motors.
The CMY 161 is powered by triple OXE Diesel 300hp outboard motors developed in conjunction with BMW. These outboards consume up to 40% less fuel compared to gas outboards. The 900hp of total power allows for a cruising speed of 24 knots and a top.