New Opel outboard engine for high performance ships.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine that normally drives the Opel Cabrio, Insignia and Zafira models has been adapted to a marine version by the Swedish company Cimco Marine AB. This high performance outboard mechanics called OXE - which in Swedish means ox - is based on the 4-cylinder Opel engine and offers 200 CV / 147 kW at 4,100 rpm with a maximum torque of 400 Nm to 2,500 rpm.

"By selling components we are playing small but important market segments in which our products are very popular. The Diesel OXE is the perfect example. We are playing an important role in using the production capacity of our engine plant by supplying Cimco Marine AB with this engine," says Alex Thielemans, Director of Sales of Opel Components.

The OXE diesel engine is produced in Kaiserslautern (Germany), and is especially durable and easy to maintain. When used for the maritime sector, the engine only needs to be reviewed every 200 hours with a deeper review after 2,000 hours. The boat engines are under great pressure because they have to work with the accelerator to the maximum most of the time. In these conditions, the turbopowered diesel engine consumes 43 litres per hour - an impressive 42% less fuel than a modern two-time (73 litres) off-board engine. In addition, the low sound of the Opel engine significantly reduces environmental noise. Therefore, this diesel engine significantly increases the autonomy of fast boats designed for fishing on the high seas, rescue missions or fish farming in coastal waters. Another advantage of diesel engines is the fact that the fuel is low flammability. Some ports even prohibit access to boats with off-board petrol engines due to the potential risk of fire. This prohibition does not apply to OXE.

New Opel outboard engine for high performance ships.

"The Opel engine was chosen as it is a 'masterpiece' of engineering and has well demonstrated it over more than hundreds of millions of kilometres. We saw that it was necessary to change from petrol to diesel to reduce any risk of fire, provide a greater and more reliable life to the product with longer service intervals for commercial use, a greater autonomy per hour with the accelerator to the maximum and an increase in the geographical availability of diesel," explains Magnus Folin, CEO of Cimco Marine.

Cimco Marine AB tested several diesel car engines to find an appropriate unit. The four cylinders of the Opel engine prevailed thanks to its robustness. Intensive tests have been carried out for three years, until the end of 2015. "We have been validating Opel's engine for years and we decided for it as it has proved extremely robust, durable and reliable," says Christer Flodman, Cimco's technical manager.

Massimo Giraud, assistant to the chief engineer at the Opel Diesel Development Centre in Turin, Italy, explains that "the adaptation of our engine to a very different environment was a significant challenge. We had to change the character of the mechanics completely replay the calibration. For use in the marine environment, we have abandoned the delivery of torque to low regime, by which this engine is reconceived, and we decide for the high power delivery necessary to achieve a high cruise speed. And we did it."

Cimco has also adapted the four-cylinder online engine for use in agitated sea. The engine now has a dry meat system to ensure the supply of oil regardless of the conditions. A patented propellant strap, which can support the high torque of the diesel turbo, transfers the engine power through the transmission to the propeller. This sophisticated transmission offers a great deal of control to the tymonel in low-speed maneuvers, which is crucial in search and rescue missions, but practically unknown in the current powerful two-time engines with low torque level. Last but not least, the OXE Diesel has a closed cooling circuit, a decisive advantage in the conditions of ice or water with plenty of vegetation.