Earlier in September, Mercury Marine announced it will replace its 8.1L big block with a bigger and better 8.2L model in both catalyst and non-catalyst models. Bigger does not mean bigger fuel bills, though, as the 8.2L boasts better fuel economy and mid-range acceleration, as well as lower emissions. These new big blocks will run on the same 87 octane and support all of Mercury’s features, like SmartCraft control system, SeaCore Corrosion Protection and Joystick control. Look for the new catalyst engine in January 2010 and the non-catalyst version in mid 2010.