My Merc dealer claims the Verados are capable of much more hp too. Mercs lack of choice on lower units has hurt the sale of the Verado 350's with the go fast crowd, IMO. The lower is massive and they have redesigned it due to the lack of performance features. Price on the Seven Marine super-charged chevy powered v-8? Rumored from $52K to $70k on another site. I could buy one and repower the Whaler, but then I would have to live in the box it comes in. I wonder if the crate is large enough for a family of three?
The new generation of 4-stroke outboards has gotten interesting. I want to go 4-stroke but I don't want to give up the HP to Weight ratio of my 2-stroke.