YAMAHA'S NEW XTO 450

Yamaha's new XTO 450 Offshore V-8 outboard offers much more than 25 extra horses.

- Jim Hendricks

Yamaha Marine undertook a major update to its popular XTO Offshore V-8 outboard, boosting the power from 425 to 450 hp, and enhancing this propulsion package with new technology, greater conveniences, and milder manners when it comes to shifting and operating sound levels.

"The XTO 450 allows boaters to enjoy the convenience and ease of operation associated with the XTO line, in addition to more torque and power," says Ben Speciale, president of the Yamaha US Marine Business Unit.

The 450 will gradually replace the 425 version in Yamaha's stable of outboards but features the same 5.6-liter and big-block powerhead mounting-bolt pattern as the original XTO V-8, so it is a relatively easy retrofit. The 450 is designed to move big, heavy saltwater fishing boats like the Jupiter 40 center-console with which I tested the 450s for the first time in a triple-engine setup. More on this later.

The extra 25 ponies are delivered in part thanks to an increase in intake and exhaust volume. "But this is not just a juiced-up 425," says David Meeler, Yamaha's manager of product introduction. It includes a number of other new refinements and improvements. One of the most notable is the sound level. The XTO 425 was known for being a bit on the loud side, but Yamaha toned down the operating noise associated with the 425 by incorporating an intake silencer on the 450, according to the outboard brand. It also worked to make the shifting noticeably smoother in the 450 than in the 425.