There are many larger-than-life characters in the powerboat industry, and in the last 24 hours, I was privileged enough to catch up with two of my favorites—Mercury Racing President Fred Kiekhaefer and Dave’s Custom Boats (DCB) President Dave Hemmingson.

The call to DCB began with the good news that my interview with Hemmingson from the Los Angeles Boat Show was up live on the Powerboat site. (Click here to check it out.) I know, I’m no Bob Costas, but Hemmingson told me at the show that they were toying with the idea of putting a pair of Mercury Racing’s new turbocharged 1,350-hp engines in one of their new M31 Widebody models, and I was curious if that was still happening.

It’s official—the El Cajon, Calif., builder has a customer building one of the 31-foot catamarans with two of the 552-cubic-inch QC4v engines. Hemmingson, who will be heading to the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Missouri for the first time this week, said business is going well and they currently have a few boats in production. I could tell by the tone in his voice that he can’t wait to get the set of turbocharged 1,350-hp engines from Mercury.

The DCB news led me to a phone call with the Mercury Racing icon. Kiekhaefer was in a great mood as the finishing touches were being put on the first production QC4v engines and the matching M8 drives. The first set went in the AMG-inspired 46-foot Cigarette to replace the engineering engines that were in the boat for testing purposes and on display at the Miami International Boat Show.

Kiekhaefer confirmed that DCB, as well as Marine Technology Inc. (MTI), which has placed several orders, would be receiving the first few sets of motors. He said Mercury has received orders and interest for the “most sophisticated products in Mercury Racing history” from across the globe. In fact, he was talking with an Australian ski race team about installing a single 1350 in a 21-foot ski-race boat.

“These engines are unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before,” Kiekhaefer said. “I have high expectations—I always have—and the 1350s have blown away my unreal expectations with how they should run. The shifting around the docks is incredible and the torque curve is amazing. Seriously, it’s check-your-shorts acceleration.”

Kiekhaefer added that all of the new QC4v platforms will be available as 1,350-hp models rather than offering a 1,300-hp version as was announced at the Miami International Boat Show in February. He said it turns out that the cooling system differences weren’t necessary so the company decided to consolidate to just the 1,350-hp version.

I’ll tell you what, the Powerboat Test Team can’t wait to see how they perform.