Yamaha's Latest 350hp V6 Engine Triumphs in Press Test

Yamaha Marine has successfully demonstrated its new 350hp V6 engine to marine journalists and influencers in La Spezia this week, where a variety of large RIBS and day cruisers from renowned brands showcased the 4.3L engine’s impressive power and speed against the backdrop of Italy’s beautiful Cinque Terre National Park.

The Marine Experience event kicked off with a gala dinner and presentation, with a spectacular neon hologram of Yamaha’s 350hp V6 engine rotating on the dais adding to the excitement of the evening. 

The presentation was hosted by YME’s Brand Marketing Manager, Masha Milenkovic, who touched upon Yamaha’s brand values and heritage, with additional talks from various product experts. Discussions included the rise in demand for bigger and better engines and how the recently launched 350hp V6 engine with its big block power has been designed to meet this ever-increasing demand for horsepower diversity combined with Yamaha’s premium-level performance and reliability. 

“We are thrilled to be demonstrating our exciting and powerful new 350hp V6 engine to a wide range of marine professionals, enabling them witness what this engine can really achieve,” says Fabrice Lacoume, Marine Director at Yamaha Motor Europe. 

“With the European market trend for increased boat sizes with single and multiple engine configurations, the 350hp V6 is the ideal engine to meet the diversity demanded by today's boat owner, with the technical enhancements made to our industry-leading Helm Master EX and integrated bow thruster enriching the engine’s advanced technological features.” 

The Yamaha 350hp V6 

Bridging the power gap between the V6 and V8, the 350hp V6 takes the technology of Yamaha’s flagship XTO 450hp engine with the innovation and design of its original 350hp outboard, enabling greater air flow and more torque at lower speeds to create a more responsive performance and exhilarating experience when piloting the boat. 

In addition to Yamaha’s built-in Digital Electric Steering (DES) and exclusive Thrust Enhancing Reverse Exhaust (TERE), enhancements have been made to the Helm Master EX® control rigging system which includes a joystick-integrated variable speed bow thruster, where Sleipner joins Vetus in this next generation of integrated bow thrusters as supported vendor brands for the technology. Yamaha has also expanded the benefit of the bow thruster integration to single and quad applications for seamless manoeuvring and quick response across the spectrum. 

In addition, Yamaha’s new 704 Mechanical Control Box is now available with a neutral locking feature which allows the outboard to maintain a neutral position while the engine is running. 

Put to the Press Test 

Taking place aboard a variety of boats fitted with single, twin or triple 350hp V6 engines, and equipped with Yamaha’s Helm Master EX® control rigging system, marine journalists and influencers were able to witness the engine’s big block power in action across a variety of outboard motor applications.  

The event boats included a Capelli Tempest 900, fitted with a single outboard, a Jeanneau 10.5 equipped with twin engines and an Invictus TT 420 displaying an impressive triple 350hp V6 engine set-up for unparalleled power and speed across the water. 

Yamarin’s spacious and innovative 80DC fitted with a single engine, as well as a smaller Capelli Tempest 42 RIB and a Sterk 31 RC, both equipped with twin 350hp V6 outboards, made up the rest of the boat brands being showcased at the event.  

Despite the less favourable weather, the press test enabled the groups, who all travelled to Italy from across Europe, to put the 350hp V6 engine through its paces around La Spezia’s scenic harbour and out into the open water. This was where groups could really test the true performance capability of the engine, taking turns at the helm to drive each boat at full throttle, as well as trying out Yamaha’s innovative Helm Master EX® joystick features, including the integrated bow thruster, in the harbour. 

The star of the show was undoubtedly the Invictus TT 420, rigged with triple 350hp V6 engines with Yamaha’s Helm Master EX® and integrated bow thruster. Offering powerful torque, even at low speeds, the groups were astonished at how quickly the boat was able to get up to speed, with the 12.8-metre day cruiser topping out at an impressive 45 knots.  

That said, the UK group unanimously hailed the Yamarin 80DC with the single 350hp V6 as their favourite of all the boats tested. The group was impressed by the innovative layout and effective use of space, as well as the wraparound windshield that provided ample protection from the wind as the boat comfortably cruised at 35 knots across the water. 

Offering a fresh and elegant cowling design and two different colour options, Metallic Gray or Pearl White, Yamaha’s premium 350hp V6 will be available to purchase from August 2024. 

To find out more about Yamaha’s full range of outboards and marine technology click here.