By: Gregg Mansfield
Ilmor Marine aims to revitalize the sterndrive sector for high-performance boats by unveiling a new 630-horsepower engine at the Desert Storm Poker Run this coming late April.
The newly developed supercharged, 6.2-liter LT4 engine made its debut in the MasterCraft line approximately 18 months ago, as a collaborative effort between Ilmor Marine and GM Marine.
“We recognized a demand for this in the performance market, which drove us to develop it over the past 18 months,” stated Oliver Ray, senior manager of business development at Ilmor Marine. “One significant change we aimed for in this industry is to offer a product delivering 630 horsepower, 665-foot pounds of torque, along with a three-year factory-backed warranty. This is unprecedented in the performance sector, particularly for inboard applications.”
The latest 630-horsepower model complements Ilmor Marine’s existing 570-horsepower small-block engine, forming two options in its high-performance lineup.
Transforming the 630-hp engine from a tow boat into a high-performance powerhouse necessitated redesigning cooling systems, repositioning the supercharger, and collaborating with CMI Exhaust to enable open exhaust. Custom colors are included in the pricing offered by Ilmor.
Ray highlighted that engineers reimagined the engine with maintenance accessibility as a priority. A cooler has been integrated into the fuel pump, and both the oil filter and reservoir are situated high on the engine.
“One of our primary focuses when re-entering this performance market was on serviceability and understanding customer needs,” Ray explained.
The new engine can be paired with drives from either Teague Custom Marine or IMCO Marine. Full-scale production is anticipated to launch in summer 2023, according to Ray.
Although outboards currently dominate the high-performance scene, Ray believes a market for stern drives remains. Ilmor Marine has over 40,000 engines distributed across various sectors, from tow boats to high-performance applications.
“While outboards are indeed in vogue, there still exists a strong desire for something unique and exciting,” Ray emphasized.
Stay tuned for the full story in the May edition of Poker Runs America.