The performance gap between diesel outboards and gas-powered engines continues to narrow.
Britain's Cox Marine has been on a major upswing in recent months, having both added rigging and joystick steering for their existing 300 horsepower engine and set a diesel outboard speed record in December 2023. The 300 platform has already gained such momentum that it was recently announced as the outboard choice for the Fort Lauderdale, Florida police department.
Now the upstart engine manufacturer has increased their horsepower capability to 350 with the launch of the Cox Marine V8 350 powerhead. The news was announced at the recent Miami International Boat Show.
“Believing there had to be a better way was the thought that inspired our pioneering journey to develop a lightweight outboard powered by alternative fuel options to gasoline, which meant not having to compromise on what is important," said Gavin Wesson, CEO of Cox Marine in a press release.
“The new 350 allows us to power higher displacement vessels efficiently across both the recreational and commercial sectors,” says Wesson. “This enables us to work with new customers and enhance our from-factory offering to existing partners.”
With the existing popularity and performance of the CX0300 engine, a natural progression using the V8 platform seemed inevitable. The company set the outboard diesel speed record with a run of 67.95 mph at the 51st annual Coniston Powerboat Records Week using a single outboard rigged to a 21-foot Hallett Vector V-bottom 210 S closed-bow boat named Pegasus.
The new 350 also generates 776 lb ft of torque at 2600 RPM compared to 707 lb ft of torque on the existing 300. Both engines offer roughly a 30% improvement in fuel economy compared to a similarly sized gas-powered outboard. The company also offers a full spreadsheet of technical specs.
Adam Gurr, Cox Marine’s product director, also added: “The creation of the V8 represented the start of a new generation of outboard technology, offering the only alternative propulsion solution purpose built for the marine industry. The V8 meets the understandably increasing demand for a propulsion option that provides equal levels of performance, convenience, time, and economy.”
You can watch a multi-part series about the development of Cox Marine and their unique diesel engines starting with the video below:
