A project for Mercury Racing: Nicknamed "the Alien" by consumers, this was the second cowl with this theme. Our first design, the 300X, gained styling acclaim for...
its radical departure from what had been and
its aggressive presence.
This "chopped and channeled" version was even more sinister. This design has been replaced as Mercury continues to evolve its 4-stroke outboard offerings, including its stylish 450R, a new and narrow supercharged V-8 model. Nevertheless, I still get compliments on this timeless 2-stroke cowl design.
Project Dolphin...
This is the prototype surface drive I've been working on for the last few years, but discontinued. It's mounted on the transom of the 39 foot test boat which I commissioned for wringing out the engineering details. Clearly, form follows function in this design - because one cannot cheat physics with glitz. The design is simple and robust. It employs just enough curves to add strength and accommodate flow, while holding the "greasy bits" in their places.
4,050 horsepower!
Triple 1350s in a 50 foot Cigarette Marauder offshore performance boat. This is the end result of clean engine design elements in their final application. Carbon fiber inlets and covers filter incoming air and protect the working hardware - while adding a dazzling playground for light. Simple graphics convey the "M waves" of the Mercury logo and the 1350 engine model designation. Custom front cover graphics link the engines to the boat manufacturer (here, Cigarette) for a unifying theme. While Racing has made some changes to top and front covers, brand logo and power output, the base styling concepts remain as fresh as when QC4v was introduced.