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Last year was considered by many boating industry analysts as a step forward towards normalcy with regards to outboard and rigging accessory availabilities. Yet while we are trending in the right direction again, things are certainly more expensive, courtesy of the inflation cycle the past 12 to 15 months.
Economics and supply chain logistics lessons aside, it’s hard to believe some of the “ginormous” outboard powered craft that are currently on the market, with bigger and better hulls being introduced seemingly with every passing boat show season. One of the most striking craft from the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show was Viking’s Valhalla V-55 center console that sported not one, not two, not three, not four, but a total of five Mercury V-12 600s on its transom! For those without a calculator, that’s 3,000 horsepower, the sum of which will produce a top speed in excess of 73 mph which is totally ridiculous in a completely awesome way!
With even larger outboard craft on the immediate horizon, boat builders are working hand-in-hand in real time with outboard manufacturers to leverage both existing and future technology. With many larger 40-foot plus sportfishers adopting multiple outboards on their transoms, in addition to a growing interest from sport boat manufacturers who are rapidly augmenting their historical I/O and straight inboard setups with outboard power, there’s more demand for larger horsepower engines than ever before from the OEM side of the equation. Individual consumers like us have to wait on line, especially when going down the big block, multi-engine V6, V8, V10 and V12 four-stroke outboard path. Although most engine manufacturers are getting closer to meeting their real-time demand curves with their existing models, there are a few newbies that are being introduced for 2025, so let’s get right into it.
After speaking with sources at the recent Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, I can tell you that Yamaha has been diligently working on filling the conspicuous horsepower gap between its very popular F300 V6 and F450 XTO V8 four-stroke outboards, which came about with the recent phase out of the F350 V8 from the product line. I uncovered some reliable rumors that there might be a new product introduction at the upcoming Miami Boat Show scheduled for mid-February of 2025. We shall see.
As many Fisherman readers know, for the 2023 season Yamaha upgraded their F425 XTO platform to the new and improved F450. Featuring the same 5.6 liters of big block V8 displacement and long list of popular features from the original XTO 425, the updated XTO 450 improves upon this powerful platform and feeds the industry need for larger and more powerful outboards. To help meet the extreme electrical demands of today’s larger boats, the Yamaha XTO Offshore 450 now boasts more charging power, featuring a three-phase, simultaneous charging system that delivers an incredible amount of net amps at low rpm, where it’s needed most.
Using Phase Angle Control (PAC) componentry to create a super-strong magnetic field, XTO Offshore 450 models produce up to 96 net amps per engine in neutral, which should be plenty of power for today’s popular, high-demand devices such as gyro stabilizers, air conditioning and sound systems. The Phase Angle Control charging system on the new XTO Offshore 450 is so powerful, it can possibly eliminate the need for an on-board generator in some applications. The system also prioritizes charging to the starting batteries, keeping them juiced and ready for action at all times.
Every XTO Offshore 450 comes equipped with Yamaha’s exclusive TotalTilt feature for faster, easier engine tilting. When enabled, it allows complete tilt up from any position with a simple double-push of the “UP” trim/tilt button, or full tilt down (until trim ram contact) by the same double push of the DOWN trim/tilt button. A warning horn sounds just before and during these operations. Movement and the horn can be stopped anywhere in between by pressing the tilt button again. Compared to the F425 XTO, which is still in the product line for now, the new F450 gets 25 additional sea ponies from an increase in the air intake and exhaust volume and like her sister, runs on 89-octane gasoline.
Other refinements of the F450 XTO include an intake silencer that lowers overall dB noise levels, along with smoother shifting in between gears. New raised chrome graphics on the sides, a re-styled panel in back, a new flush-mounted manual flush connection up front and hidden external wiring near the bracket add to the sleek look of this powerful new outboard. There’s also an optional built-in propeller light (rather than transom mount) that illuminates when using Helm Master EX SetPoint features. The F450 is extremely popular with Yamaha’s many OEM partners and is finding its way on the transoms of many 30 to 45-footers in multiple sets.