What do a Ford F-Series Super Duty pickup truck, the Roush Performance tuner, and Indmar Marine Engines have in common? Aside from the occasional or regular boat towing duties, more than anyone thought!
With road trips of all kinds on everyone’s mind, this past summer was like an open picnic basket for everyone to feast upon. And we certainly saw many outlets – both factory and aftermarket – take things up a notch... or more. But among the traditional pickup and boat towing ideas, there was one that stood out in any crowd.
Back in June, Livonia, Michigan-based Roush Performance and Indmar Marine Engines came up with an interesting extension of the usual “take the pickup, attach the boat and haul up to the river/lake/sea” trope. A supercharged one, and for good measure. So, now it’s time to take a deeper look at what made this crazy idea tick and possibly rumble and roar while causing ample waves for the wakeboarder’s pleasure.
First things first, what does an inboard marine engine manufacturer have to do with an aftermarket company focused on all things Blue Oval? Well, there’s a hulking “little” thing called the marine automobile engines species. It’s when diesel-powered or petrol-type automobile motors get expertly modified for demanding uses across the marine spectrum.
Apparently, the Detroit Three have all had their engines turned into marine powerhouses at some point. Chrysler was the most notable out of the big American manufacturers because it not only sold engines to third-party developers but also built them in-house through Chrysler Marine. By the way, of all specialized automobile marine engine companies, Indmar is one of the most renowned names in the business.
Photo: Roush Performance / Indmar / Instagram
Many important boat brands – like Supra, Moomba, Tige – as well as VIPs such as Ken Block have Indmar-powered summer toys. And Indmar, which has won no less than nineteen CSI (customer satisfaction) awards in a row, relies on a single marine inboard engine series for all its success. It’s called Raptor by Indmar... and it doesn’t have anything to do with the trio of high-performance, dune-bashing Ford F-150 Raptor generations.
Instead, Indmar has indeed sourced a Blue Oval powertrain to keep boat buyers so satisfied. It’s based “off a proven workhorse, the Built Ford Tough 6.2-liter 16 Valve V8 SOHC Super Duty Block. This is the same state-of-the-art engine powering the F-Series Super Duty trucks that boast best-in-class gas horsepower and max tow ratings.”
Of course, it’s not directly snatched off pickup trucks and thrown inside the engine bays of marine boats without any sort of tinkering. And believe it or not, it can even become more efficient, by up to 20% thanks to the company’s EFI system. Meanwhile, other upgrades have to do with enhancing the low rpm performance, as well as providing a longer engine life and an even quieter ride.
Right now, the Raptor Series by Indmar is comprised of no less than four entries. The Raptor 400 is the baseline, coming with “just” 350 horsepower and 404 lb-ft (548 Nm), as well as the usual five-year factory warranty. Next up comes Indmar’s Raptor 440 (398 hp and 427 lb-ft/579 Nm) and then it’s time to get into the 93-octane gas territory.
Photo: Roush Performance / Indmar / Instagram
One can go for the Raptor 460 version with 410 hp and 452 lb-ft (613 Nm) or opt for the Raptor 575 flagship. The latter’s full name is actually “6.2L Roushcharged Raptor 575” to signal its allegiance to a Roush-Indmar partnership that started half a decade ago. Now it bears supercharged fruits, sort of speaking.
Complete with a TVS2300 supercharger, the Super Duty V8 engine churns out no less than 510 horsepower and – most importantly – jumps to 580 lb-ft (786 Nm) of twisting torque. And, of course, both Roush and Indmar like to remind us from time to time about their successful collaboration.
For example, just recently Roush took to social media to tease everyone about one of their F-Series sporting some 650 hp up front while in the back sat on tow a cool boat that is fully capable of laying out all the 510 horsepower on the water.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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