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SEMA 2013: Ford To Offer 6.2 Liter V8 For Boating & Marine Applications

After a 20-year hiatus, Ford Motor Company is re-entering the boating industry by offering a marinised version of its 6.2 liter V8 gasoline engine. The automaker made the announcement at the 2013 SEMA show in Las Vegas this week. The Blue Oval’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Ford Component Sales, has partnered with Indmar Marine Engines to deliver the high-performance engine to market. Currently, the 6.2 liter V8 powers the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and serves as the base engine in Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks.

“We are proud to work with Indmar Marine to take the 6.2 engine and get back into the boating business,” said John Felice, Ford vice president of U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service, during a press conference Tuesday at the 2013 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. “It’s a great partnership and we’re very excited about it.”

Indmar will offer three variants of the 6.2 liter V8 with varying horsepower and torque numbers. According to company officials, the firm is the world’s largest privately-held manufacturer of gasoline-powered inboard marine engines with multiple advanced manufacturing facilities in the United States and distribution centers in Tennessee and California.

“The 6.2-liter engine was specifically built for a truck, providing the torque needed to tow heavy weight — which is exactly what today’s high-performance watercraft need,” said Chuck Rowe, president of Indmar Marine Engines.

According to Rowe, the boat industry continues to evolve with heavier boats, bigger wakes, and larger passenger capacity, so the new engine — which Indmar (reportedly) developed with Ford — is needed as a high-performance powerplant.

“Our sport has evolved, and with heavier boats, bigger wakes and larger ballast and passenger capacity, the demand on the engine is even greater,” Rowe added. “We looked at the total market, and have spent a great deal of time, research and development dollars to find an engine that will best fit the demands of watersports.”

Felice said that he drives an F-150 Raptor Crew Cab powered by the engine, and that he “can’t imagine what that will do in a boat.” We tend to agree.

On a related note, there are nearly 60 customized Ford vehicles being shown at The Blue Oval’s 27,000 square-foot exhibit space at SEMA. One of these is an F-Series truck towing a matching Indmar-branded black and white boat. Check out our SEMA 2013 coverage.

Motrolix Founder with a passion for global automotive business strategy.

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