Bravo Four S
MerCruiser's forward-facing tow-sports sterndrive, with contra-rotating four-blade and three-blade propellers pointing under the hull rather than aft, for petrol MerCruiser engines from 250 to 430 hp.
Mercury Marine announced the Bravo Four S on 24 August 2020 as its answer to Volvo Penta's Forward Drive, aimed at wakesurfing and wakeboarding from ordinary family runabouts. It works with the MerCruiser 4.5L V6, 6.2L V8 and 8.2L V8 petrol engines, comes with Digital Throttle & Shift as standard, and integrates with VesselView and the Smart Tow system. Moving the propellers forward and under the boat keeps them well away from swimmers on the platform and away from the exhaust. The practical trade-off is that the drive cannot be trimmed above the boat's bottom, which matters in shallow water and on the trailer. It is still a sterndrive (kind leg), not a pod.
Sources
- 1. New MerCruiser Bravo Four S forward-facing drive with Smart Tow system — Brunswick Corporation / Mercury Marine
- 2. Bravo Four S Forward-Facing Outdrive — Mercury Marine
- 3. MerCruiser Bravo Four S Forward-Facing Drive — Boating Magazine
Specifications compiled from manufacturer sources.