Scandinavian marine engine specialist Oxe Marine has teased its new “300”, a turbocharged in-line six-cylinder oil-burning powerplant that will soon fight for bragging rights as the world’s most powerful diesel outboard.
The engine, believed to be a marinised version of GM’s new cast aluminium 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine that will power a new generation of light trucks, will go head to head in 2020 with the twin-turbo 4.2-litre V8-powered Cox Marine CXO300 revealed at last month’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
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Few details are kicking around revealing how closely the Oxe-badged engine will match the 252kW/650Nm performance benchmark set by Cox’s outboard. However, the GM-sourced engine is believed to be capable of producing similar big numbers to its Cox-badged rival, but with less weight due to the lower cylinder count.
Uniquely, too, while the Cox outboard has the crankshaft mounted vertically, the Oxe engine will have its crankshaft mounted horizontally.
The Oxe engine has been marinised in Sweden. It is one of a new range of three-, four- and six-cylinder diesel-powered outboard engines that the engine maker has tagged “Bison”.
The engine maker said it had tried to extend service intervals, as well as making it as easy as possible to perform maintenance from the back of the unit.
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A video released by Oxe Marine shows the marinised GM engine starting up on the dyno bench for the first time, and then demonstrating its performance chops – minus its cowling – on sea trials.
Oxe Marine plans to release its 300 in 2020, about a year behind the Cox Marine CXO 300.
A new generation of diesel-fuelled outboard engines is fighting for sales as emissions standards clamp down hard on petrol-fuelled equivalents. Oxe Marine claims the two least environmentally friendly four-stroke products on sale today are lawnmowers, and petrol-fuelled outboards, which it says produce the same level of pollution as 1970s-era cars.
Oxe Marine said its diesel outboard engines had to comply with the same emissions framework that appklies to stern-drive diesels.
Marine engine maker Yanmar also produces a single German-built 50hp twin-cylinder diesel outboard under its Dtorque sub-brand.