We are excited to unveil our concept QC4v crate engine this week at the 50th annual SEMA show. The A multitude of configurations are possible, fom basic long block form to ready to run engines. The project has to be one of our best kept secrets ever.
This is our first SEMA show and there is a lot to see. We brought an exotic supercar fitted with a turbocharged QC4v 1650 crate engine. The car is complimented with an equally exotic DCB M41-Wide Body catamaran sport boat powered by twin 1350 sterndrives.
An immaculate cutaway crate engine display shows the brilliantly engineered inner workings of the QC4v engine design. That is flanked by a complete QC4v 1350 and 8.2 Liter 520 sterndrive engine displays. A complete QC4v crate engine is featured in SEMA’s New Products Showcase.
Road Trip
This isn’t Mercury’s first road trip. Our late founder Carl Kiekhaefer revolutionized NASCAR from 1955-57. Mr. Kiekhaefer dominated the sport by winning 80% of the races he entered and capturing three national championships. The innovator changed the sport forever with many firsts. His crew was the first to wear matching uniforms and practice pit stops.
His Chrysler 300 race cars were fully decorated with the legendary Kiekhaefer Mercury Outboards “sponsor” logos. His was the first team to use enclosed car haulers with matching graphics. Mr. Kiekhaefer also introduced many technical innovations, such as the modern pleated paper air filter during his quest for checkered flags. NEXTEL Cup cars still use wide base rims that can trace their origin back to Mr. Kiekhaefer’s road racing R&D.
Wette Vette
In 1990, General Motors approached Mercury Marine to produce the all-aluminum, 5.7-liter LT-5 engine for the Chevrolet ZR-1 Corvette. GM came to Mercury MerCruiser for its expertise in the design and manufacturing of aluminum engines for the marine environment. The ZR-1 was a world-class sports car in its day. The quad-cam, 32-valve V8 produced 405 horsepower at 5,800 rpm. The Wette Vette promotional project featured a ZR-1 Corvette with LT-5 powered Baja in tow. The pair were show stoppers, generating press throughout the globe.
We are very excited about our SEMA debut and the potential for automotive applications of our popular marine engines. Check back for a video feature on our opening day activities.
The wet vette was a 26ft scarab not baja as stated
According to the press materials and records we have it was a Baja Bandit.
Baja for sure…it was my concept and execution while I was Sr. VP Marketing and Sales at Mercury.
That’s definitely a Baja…but the picture is reminiscent the old Scarab 26 CV Wellcraft ran with what looked to be a 65′ red Vette on the shore…staged very similarly.
Congrats!!! That’s a killer engine for that Ultima GTR!!!!
Really cool engine!
Think you can shoe-horn that into my ’91 ZR-1? 🙂
Shares a resemblance to the LT5.
It was a Baja. You are confusing it with the three boat and tow vehicle package Mercury did with Chevrolet with the middle combo using a 26′ Scarab CV (Chevrolet Version).
It would be nice if you guys made a non-turbo version of this engine for street cars. I could see myself picking this over a 572 crate engine for resto mod classic hotrods.