Feb 19

Feb 19 The Miami International Boat Show 2026: Mercury Racing Shows Off the Latest Hardware, Big Boats and More

Although the performance aspect of the Miami Boat show is limited as most small manufacturers can’t afford a booth in Miami, the on the water display in Grove Harbor hosted by Mercury Racing is the place to be. With sea trials and about eight really incredible boats on hand, enthusiasts can get on the water to see Mercury Racing outboards and big power sterndrives in action. This year Outerlimits had a SC46 with 1350 QV4C engines, DCB with a M42R 500Rs, NorTech had their 4000 Roadster quad 500R cat, Mystic brought their beautiful C4000 with 500Rs, and Performance Boat Center brought 2 boats, a P280 and P420. The 280 featured the new 15” 300R’s. I got to go out in the P280 and the Mystic C4000, so I’ll do a detailed look at those. Here’s an overview of the show.

For me, going to the show in Miami is often a chance to see people I don’t get to see often as people do travel far and wide for the show. When it comes to boats, there is very rarely anything new launched in the performance world that would debut in Miami. Sometimes there is an engine or a technology but that’s about it. I blame the high cost of boat shows and social media, which has basically ruined society, but that’s a different article.

If we go from small to big, Mercury Racing had their new DTS foot throttle on display, which is a really nice piece. Slim, and featuring a compact base, the DTS foot throttle has a really smooth yet strong resistance, allowing for a precise and deliberate throttle adjustment. From the display models there was no looseness and it felt very precise. This is a cool new product that only certain boaters appreciate.

Racing had an ROS 300R on display, the race only engine features the race trim cylinder, above water exhaust, and comes with a 15” midsection. The 200R was also on display, I’m hearing great things from the real world. The V6 comes with a sport master or torque master in 1.75 gear ratio, and you can get it in a 15” as well. These engines are all DTS, they do offer a couple engines with mechanical shift still, check your Mercury Racing dealer for details.

On the water at Grove Harbor Marina is a cool concept and you could really just go there and see what you need as a performance enthusiast. Getting on the water is the really fun part. First up for me was bright and early on Wednesday before most people get there. John Cosker had his C4000 ready to go, running 35” Mercury Racing cleavers on the 500Rs. Biscayne Bay was like glass, and it was not hot yet so it was nice to beat the traffic and the heat. For running with different fuel and loads of people, the 35” props were really good, the boat accelerates incredibly well, just gets up and out in a boat length. The C4000 can run 126 MPH with this setup, the engines are usually set about 2.25” to 2.5” above the running surface and with 37” Clevers the Mystic will run 130 MPH.

With the Mystic you get incredible seating with a full lounge facing aft in the back, and beautifully done bolstered buckets for six. I would say the Mystic C4000 strikes the perfect balance of performance and luxury. Mystic has a distinct look, a stunning wrap-around glass windshield and all the creature comforts you’d want on the water, and it can handle anything. Because the hull is really born from the big 44 Mystic hull, it really feels like a big cat, with a deep tunnel and generous 10’11” beam and 43’10” overall, the C4000 is comfortable and confident. John has been building some of the fastest catamarans on the planet for a long time, and the pedigree is evident on the C4000. We hit some rollers while running over 100 MPH and the Mystic was incredibly poised. If you want the sport cat that can do it all in this size range, the Mystic C4000 with 500Rs is hard to beat.

For a more pocket rocket feel, the Performance Boats P280 really is a neat boat. With twin 15” 300Rs, the P280 is a rocket, and feels like its on rails as well as has mid range acceleration that rivals any other cat I’ve been in. Myrick Coil was driving, and he set the boat up with the props turning in, which is unlike most cats that run turning out. This gave the hull a more planted feel at all speeds, and because of the inward turn, creating more bow lift, you can avoid any mid range hop that some smaller cats have. Myrick says for all out top speed, it would be faster to turn them out, but this setup had the boat planted and handling the best.

Inside the P280 cockpit, you feel like you’re in a rocket. Nice buckets up front and a bench in the back, seats 4 or maybe 5 passengers but you get a full windshield which was really effective, even in the back seat. We were cruising at 105 MPH + and there was no issue with wind in the back, it was really comfortable. And with that much power on a 28’ cat with a 8’3” beam, you get a kick in your seat from 0 to 100+ or mid cruise at 60 MPH it accelerates incredibly. The 15” 300Rs were made for a boat like this, the HD CMS and Latham Steering combo are perfect. And the lower CG of the 15” mids make a difference here. If you’re looking for a hot rod that can run with the big boys, or rip up a lake. This is one you want to look at. You can configure it with twins or even a big single if you want.

The Outerlimits was a show stopper, the SC46 has a full framed windshield that looks really cool. With 1350/1550 dual cal engines, 170+MPH is in the cards. DCB always has a stunner, and anyone you talk to about the boats always says they can’t believe how nicely done the DCBs are. And it’s true, the attention to detail the DCB crew has is second to none. Every nook and cranny is finished off, every detail is meticulous, their gel work is in its own class. Of course, the NorTech 4000 Roadster with quad 500Rs, is incredible. A stunning paint job set this one off and the big 40’ cat has a deep tunnel and weighs 10,000 Lbs, so you can handle any kind of water. And Performance had their P420, which is really fast and looks stunning. There were some other boats too, and the setup in Grove Harbor is really nice. They could almost have a stand alone performance show for high performance boats only and it would probably be a hit.

It is worth mentioning that in the convention center, MTI, Nor-Tech, and Cigarette had booths.

Although the traffic and vast area to cover is a bit of a pain, it’s always fun. Seeing friends from all over the world in one place is cool and you do get to see the latest and greatest from across the industry. It’s probably worth checking out Miami at least once in your life for any boat enthusiast.

This looks more like a shoe store than a boat show.

You can see the 15” 300R beside the 20” AMS version and the ROS in the background. The 15” mid for both the 200R and 300R is a game changer, it just allows for so many options. And the cool factor of having these different configurations. The same way some lament the good old days of the 2.5s and the many versions, we now have that with the four strokes.

Worth mentioning is the Yamaha SHO lineup which they all share the new color and graphics. For recreational performance boats the Yamaha are getting popular and the aftermarket is really abundant. 90 HP to 250 HP.

I can’t say who I talked to but I can confirm that the idea of a 300 SHO based on the 4.3L V6 350, which is a stroked 4.2, has been talked about. I’m sure it would sell, but you have to think the gearcase would need an upgrade as well.