Official Licensed ProductAgreement Leverages Two Legendary Brands
Rooted in Historic Racing Heritage for Marine Performance
Engines to be Offered to Selected OEM Boat Builders, Powering Popular Models
McLaren Engineering, the R&D division of Linamar Corporation, is announcing a new alliance with Honda Marine, a division of Honda Power Sports & Products (a business unit of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.). The dynamic engineering collaboration between two formidable technology partners is rooted in a heritage of technical engineering excellence.
Through an Official Licensed Product (OLP) agreement, Honda Marine and McLaren Engineering will collaborate on the production of the all-new McLaren Performance M300, a performance-inspired marine outboard that delivers enhanced top-end power, premium quality, outstanding reliability and durability.
McLaren Engineering's parent, Linamar Corporation, has been a supplier to American Honda Motor Co., Inc. for 10 years, demonstrating its expertise in high-precision, high-quality engine component manufacturing; the alliance with Honda Marine is designed to help Linamar enhance value for its customers and meet future market needs.
The unparalleled reliability of Honda Marine outboards makes Honda the preferred partner to collaborate with on product offerings and solutions that benefit customers on critical fuel economy, emissions, cost and quality needs.
The new agreement allows McLaren Engineering to sell the McLaren Performance M300 models (Honda OLPs) to selected Honda-affiliated OEMs, providing boat builders with greater flexibility in serving recreational marine customers in the 24 ft.+ boat segment. The new McLaren Performance M300 engines also will enhance options in the high-power segment of the Honda Marine lineup.
Additional details regarding the Honda Marine and McLaren Engineering alliance, designed to produce integrated solutions that maximize the pleasure of the boating experience, will be announced in early 2025.
GUELPH, ON, Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Linamar Corporation (TSX: LNR) and its McLaren Engineering division announced today a new alliance with Honda Marine, a business division of Honda Power Sports & Products (a business unit of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.). Through an Official Licensed Product (OLP) agreement, Honda Marine and McLaren Engineering will collaborate on the production of the McLaren Performance M300, a performance-inspired marine outboard (Honda OLP) that delivers enhanced top-end power of 300 hp, premium quality, outstanding reliability and durability underlined by a dynamic engineering collaboration rooted in a heritage of technical excellence.
McLaren Engineering, owned by Linamar Corporation, is the leading-edge technology and product development team for the Linamar mobility business segment as well as the full-service provider of design, development, integration, manufacturing, and testing services. Honda Marine, which markets a complete range of outboard marine four-stroke engines ranging from 2.3 to 350 horsepower, pioneered four-stroke engine technology and has been designing and building four-stroke outboard motors for 60 years, setting the benchmark for fuel efficiency, quiet operation and low emissions.
Overall, the collaboration extends both partners the ability to make their respective customers successful by offering the marine market an enhanced performance-inspired outboard engine. The new OLP agreement allows McLaren Engineering to sell the McLaren Performance M300 engine (Honda OLP) to selected Honda-affiliated OEMs. Beginning in the 2025 model year, these OEMs will offer the McLaren Performance M300 when configuring new boat builds, providing greater flexibility in serving recreational marine customers. The alliance with Honda Marine is designed to help McLaren Engineering and Linamar enhance value for its own customers and meet future market needs; in turn, the collaboration with McLaren Engineering powers the Honda Marine mission to be a marine mobility leader, offering integrated, high-power solutions for the global marketplace that enable extraordinary boating experiences.
A Closer Look at the McLaren Performance M300 Outboard
The all-new McLaren Performance M300 engines are based on the existing high-power Honda BF250 hp marine platform, the proven Honda 3.6-liter V6 engine that integrates legendary Honda, durability, quality and reliability and performance-leading technologies including:
Honda VTEC® provides a unique blend of power, torque and efficiency (an example of shared technology with Honda vehicles, demonstrating proven Honda engineering across businesses).
Honda Intelligent Shift and Throttle® (iST®) command and control system delivers superb control plus plug-and-play installation of Honda Marine products and third-party controls and devices.
Programmed Fuel Injection delivers precise amounts of fuel and air to each cylinder, for easy starting, instant throttle response and low fuel consumption / excellent fuel efficiency.
Dual channel, indirect-air-circuit induction system for optimal airflow, directs moisture away from throttle body; 2-pass cooling system for long-term durability.
Toughcorrosion resistance: Honda Corrosion Protection System components incorporate high-corrosion resistant aluminum alloy; fresh-water flush port directs debris and saltwater out of engine; extreme-duty, durable gear case.
Engine Alert System monitors vital engine functions / alerts operator of engine function status.
Easy Ownership, Simplified Maintenance: reduced maintenance time for routine tasks; 3-latch lock & seal cover design; NMEA 2000 compatibility for interface of engine data with on-board systems and systems displays.
Applying its precision engineering technology expertise, McLaren Engineering will performance-tune base models of Honda BF250 high-power engines to enhance top-end power (to 300 hp) and mid-range torque. McLaren Performance modifications include the integration of a new camshaft for enhanced valve timing and high lift; a new Engine Control Unit (ECU) that controls protection and boosts efficiencies (IG mapping, knock control); new fuel injectors for higher fuel supply; and excellent fuel efficiency (3.5+ MPG@cruise, 90 octane). The result is a performance-inspired outboard engine with an improved horsepower to weight ratio that offers top-end power for boats in the 24 ft. and higher segment, including pontoons and fiberglass boats, for inland and coastal fishing and pleasure boating.
What Stands Behind the Brand
McLaren Engineering is a developer of complete vehicle powertrain and driveline systems for the global market of electrified and traditionally powered vehicles. McLaren Engines Inc. was the engineering backbone supporting a 55-year track record in racing distinction established when motorcar driver, designer, engineer and inventor Bruce McLaren created a North American racing unit. The McLaren Engines team achieved tremendous success racing in Can Am, Indy Car, IMSA and LeMans series. This same racing heritage continues to inspire McLaren Engineering development teams, fueling their focus on the continued advancement of innovative product technology at the company.
To underscore the McLaren Engineering commitment to the new partnership and the significance of the endeavor for both partners, McLaren Engineering developed a new brand identity for the McLaren Performance line of marine engines. The brand name was chosen to land squarely on the concept of performance as the vision for the collaboration between Honda and McLaren Engineering. A new logo integrates the McLaren Engines racing heritage with the McLaren Engineering ownership by Linamar, while the logo colors encompass the persimmon color of the Linamar logo, along with two cool shades of marine blue. In a nod to the past, the logo encompasses three stylized graphics representing kiwi birds, borrowed from the McLaren Racing logo from the late 1960s reflecting Bruce McLaren'sNew Zealand heritage. Looking to the future, the words McLaren Performance are presented in a sleek, sans-serif font.
Expanding a Long-Term Partnership
This new collaboration between McLaren Engineering and Honda Marine strengthens the relationship between two formidable technology partners, each with distinct and complementary strengths. The McLaren Engineering-Honda relationship dates to 2014 when McLaren Engineering's parent, Linamar Corporation, began supplying components to the American Honda engines manufacturing facility in Anna, Ohio. As a supplier to Honda for the past 10 years, McLaren has demonstrated its expertise in high-precision, high-quality engine component manufacturing. Today, McLaren Engineering is extending its R&D and performance excellence to Honda Marine outboard motors.
"Our work at McLaren Engineering is designed to help Linamar enhance value for our customers and meet future market needs, and we look forward to collaborating with a partner who is equally committed to performance excellence in product offerings. The unparalleled reliability of Honda Marine outboards, powered by four-stroke engines that integrate with performance-leading, exclusive technologies, makes Honda the preferred partner to collaborate with on product offerings and solutions that benefit marine customers on critical fuel economy, emissions, cost and quality needs," said Mark Stoddart, Linamar Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
For its part in the collaboration, Honda Marine draws on the technological prowess of its parent company—from generators to motorcycles to automobiles to jets, Honda produces millions of engines per year, with technology and economy of scale benefiting boating customers. Honda and McLaren Engineering designed features into the McLaren Performance M300 to build on the Honda reputation of superior dependability and decreased maintenance, adding up to peace of mind for the owner, more time on water and more pleasure with the boating experience.
"Our collaboration with McLaren Engineering to enhance marine engine technology, coupled with the recent introduction of our new BF350 marine engine, illustrate our next-level strategy and how we intend to move forward with the Honda Marine business to make our customers successful," said Daniel Sherlock, Director, Honda Marine Division. "Honda Marine is transforming, and our mission is to be a marine mobility leader. We are capitalizing on the technology of Honda worldwide and further developing strategic alliances that produce performance-inspired power product offerings that make extraordinary boating experiences possible."
Additional details regarding the Honda Marine and McLaren Engineering alliance, designed to produce integrated solutions that maximize the pleasure of the boating experience, will be announced in early 2025.
About Linamar Corporation
Linamar Corporation (TSX:LNR) is a diversified advanced manufacturing company where the intersection of leading-edge technology and deep manufacturing expertise is creating solutions that power vehicles, motion, work and lives for the future. The Company is made up of two operating segments – the Industrial segment and the Mobility segment, both global leaders in manufacturing solutions and world-class developers of highly engineered products. The Industrial segment is comprised of Skyjack and the newly formed Linamar Agriculture operating group which consists of the MacDon, Salford and Bourgault brands. Skyjack manufactures scissors, boom and telehandler lifts for the aerial work platform industry. Within the Agriculture portfolio MacDon manufactures combine draper headers and self-propelled windrowers for harvesting, Salford supplies farm tillage and crop fertilizer application equipment while Bourgault is a leader in air seeding technology. The Mobility segment is focused on propulsion systems, structural and chassis systems, energy storage and power generation for both the global electrified and traditionally powered vehicle markets. Operationally, Mobility is organized into three regional groups North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the new Linamar Structures product group. The Regional Mobility groups are vertically integrated operations combining expertise in light metal casting, forging, machining and assembly. The Linamar Structures Group offers competitive lightweight innovations for safety-critical components and systems for the global mobility market. Design, development, and testing services for the Mobility segment are provided by McLaren Engineering. Linamar's medical solutions group, Linamar MedTech, focuses on manufacturing solutions for medical devices and precision medical components. Linamar has over 33,000 employees in 75 manufacturing locations, 17 R&D centres and 31 sales offices in 19 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia, which generated sales of more than $9.7 billion in 2023. For more information about Linamar Corporation and its industry-leading products and services, visit www.linamar.com or follow us on our social media channels.
Honda Marine, a division of Honda Power Sports & Products markets a complete range of marine outboard motors. Its comprehensive product line is powered exclusively by four-stroke engines. Honda Marine pioneered four-stroke engine technology and has been designing and building four-stroke outboard motors for 60 years, setting the benchmark for fuel efficiency, quiet operation and low emissions. With models ranging from 2.3 to 350 horsepower, the Honda Marine full line of current production models meets the rigorous California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-star standards, enabling availability and regulatory compliance in all 50 states.
Honda Power Sports & Products, a business unit of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., markets a complete range of outdoor power equipment, including generators, walk-behind lawn mowers, pumps, snow blowers, tillers, string trimmers, outboard marine engines and small, general-purpose engines for residential, commercial and rental applications. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., also is the sole distributor of Honda motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and Side-by-Sides in the United States, conducting the sales, marketing and operational activities for these powersports products through independent authorized Honda retail dealers.
Honda is the world's largest manufacturer of engines for a diverse array of automotive, powersports, marine, aerospace and power equipment products. The company offers a complete line of small, general-purpose engines for industrial, commercial, rental industry, and consumer applications. Honda engines supply smooth and dependable power for thousands of different product applications including pressure washers, lawn mowers, rescue and construction equipment. Additionally, Honda engines are some of the quietest and easiest to start of their kind, even in harsh commercial and construction environments. Such attributes have made Honda engines the popular choice for original equipment manufacturers looking to add value to their own brands.
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