Dubbed as the replacement for the HP525EFI engine—the longtime workhorse of the Mercury Racing engine line—the new 540 engine debuted during the Miami International Boat Show. Click here to read the article from Speed On The Water, covering the debut, or check out the excerpt below.
Thanks to larger cylinder bores, the naturally aspirated 8.6-liter engine has a 21-cubic-inch displacement advantage—523 cubic inches as opposed to 502 cubic inches—over the 525EFI model. This larger displacement produces 13 percent more planing torque and an additional 50 foot-pounds of peak torque, according to a press release from the Fond du Lac, Wis., high-performance marine engine company.
“The 540 enhances performance people have come to know from the 525 with consumer friendly features such as digital throttle and shift,” said Rick Mackie, the senior marketing manager for Mercury Racing. “It shares the same computer as the 565 and this outshines the 525 in fuel efficiency and range as well.”
