Mercury Marauder

[SaleenEXP]

We know the guys at our dealership (Holman Lincoln Mercury), and a few weeks ago they let me take out the new Lincoln Aviator which was very nice and damn fast and the head guy let me take his demo Maurader out, holy crap, for a car that's pretty heavy, it hauled. And sounded incredible, it was like being in a Luxurious Cobra same tone and everything just slightly quieter.

That car has so much potential it's not even funny.

 

[blichy]

Wow, old thread being brought up, but to anwer a question in it...

Originally posted by Crankcase
What is the Ford 500 based on?

The 500 isn't being based on the LS, but rather a variation of the Volvo S80 platform.

 

[Rhett]

I saw a pic of that Ford 500. I hope they revise the design somewhat. Personally, I think it's an ugly egg-car like a lot of cars these days. Looks like a cross between a Chrysler 300M and Lincoln LS, with a generous portion of rice thrown in.

 

[Robert]

Just saw a Marauder in public today on the way home from work. Nice car. Haven't seen one since the Phoenix Auto Show almost a year ago.

 

[Rhett]

I've been reading reviews about the Marauder. I think a lot of these reviews are off because the reviewers expect the Marauder to be a sports car along the lines of a Mustang or 300Z. It's more of a neo-muscle car. There's always a place for that in my opinion..

One lady reviewing it said it concerned her that the Marauder was rear-wheel drive with no limited slip and would therefore be dangerous in snow. First of all, she doesn't know, the Marauder has a LS rear. Second, why in the hell would she drive that in snow anyway?!?! For a collector-type vehicle, it would be sacreligious to drive it in the snow.

 

[DocVijay]

I'll have to disagree. Every car is made for driving. I hate people who collect driveway jewelry. Real men drive their cars, they don't "collect" them.

There's a guy back in Florida, a doctor frind of the family, who has an F360. His tires last, on average, about 8000-10000 miles. That's how it should be.

If oyu have a Marauder, your rear tires should have a 10000 mile life. Any more and you're not worthy of the car. If you've got it, use it.

 

[99explorer5.0]

I also agree. Each car was designed with snow and rain in mind. I have a friend that puts his car in the garage when it rains and also when it snows. He has had the car for about 2 years now and it has less than 10,000 miles on it. What is the point of buying a car if your afraid to use it?

He actually had the balls to tell me that i should buy a small piece of **** compact car so that i wont ruin my explorer. I told him OK so what was the point of me buying a AWD explorer if i am not going to use it in severe weather conditions. Then he called me stupid for driving my explorer in the snow. Oh Well i guess some people are just plain idiots and they like to save their cars so the next person that buys it off of them can have a car in near perfect condition.

 

[Rhett]

Well, don't misunderstand me. I would drive a Marauder in all types of weather except snow, and for that, I have my Explorer. Why would I drive a Marauder in snow when I have my Ex? Now for _other_ people who don't have a more snow ready vehicle things may be different.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Originally posted by DocVijay
I'll have to disagree. Every car is made for driving. I hate people who collect driveway jewelry. Real men drive their cars, they don't "collect" them.

There's a guy back in Florida, a doctor frind of the family, who has an F360. His tires last, on average, about 8000-10000 miles. That's how it should be.

If oyu have a Marauder, your rear tires should have a 10000 mile life. Any more and you're not worthy of the car. If you've got it, use it.

I agree, I hate it when I'm in the Explorer and I fly buy all these p*ssies driving Corvettes ect and I'm not even speeding. I would tear up every road with a car of that caliber.

I'll vouch for the tires, my neighbors 360 Modena needed new tires after about 6500 miles of driving, but he drives the piss out of it and every time I'm with him he floors it and takes nasty corners in the City. That car has a sh!tload of grip and will eat tires up, his older 308 goes through a set in about 12,000 miles also. His Banks Excursion will last forever on tires compared to those cars cause you don't drive it like a Ferrari, although it's fast as **** in a staight line but your not going to try to corner at 90mph.

I just think if you have a car of that Caliber, you gotta drive the piss out of it or there was no sense in buying it. As for the Marauder, for car that heavy, it would have no problem whipping through a curvy road, it handles amazingly for it's size.

 

[Rhett]

In a related vein, I just heard today that Pontiac is bringing back the GTO next year. From what I understand, the new GTO will be a big heavy rear-wheel drive car like the Marauder.

 

[blichy]

Originally posted by Rhett Browning
In a related vein, I just heard today that Pontiac is bringing back the GTO next year. From what I understand, the new GTO will be a big heavy rear-wheel drive car like the Marauder.

It isn't as big and heavy as the Marauder. They are bringing the Holden Monaro over from Australia and badging it as a Pontiac (basically).

 

[DocVijay]

Whereas the Marauder is just a big fat Crown Victoria. Are we all forgetting about that? It's just a Crown Vic on steroids.

I agree it's a decent car, but if you put frosting on a pile of $hit, it's still a pile of $hit, just sweeter.

 

[Robert]

Well the same thing could be said about the Impala Super Sport from a few years ago. Just a Chevy Caprice with a Corvette engine that ran upper 14s in the 1/4. Nothing wrong with turning a 4-door family sedan into something more appealing.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Except the new Marauder/Crown Vic/Town Car ect...ride on a new chassis and a bunch of suspension improvments. The newer ones handle and ride excellent and the town car has a far better ride than the caddy sls and sts even though that vehicle has a full independent suspension and the others still use a live axle in the rear and the almighty rwd

The Marauder will run high 14's stock and will embaress the last gen Impala in handling, the only advantage the Impala has is a very slight torque advantage off the line but they run about the same time, 0-60 in 6.5seconds. Plus the interior and quality blows the Caprice outta the water.

The Marauder has full after market suport using F.M.S. and any Cobra/Mustang supplier and basically any tuning shop in the country.

I likey gotta love the dohc 4.6 growl and hard pulling power. Plus it just looks sinister in black and with the exterior differences and wheels, it even has a rake to it that reminds you of a muscle car.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Originally posted by blichy
It isn't as big and heavy as the Marauder. They are bringing the Holden Monaro over from Australia and badging it as a Pontiac (basically).

he's right, except if I remember correctly, Chevy is only offering it with an automatic and a detuned 5.7 ls1 engine to around 302hp. The main problem their having in bringing it over is improving the quality and using different plastics that they say are designed to handle the changing weather in the us, although I would think Austraila would have much more extreme conditions (hot)

 

[blichy]

Originally posted by SaleenEXP
Except the new Marauder/Crown Vic/Town Car ect...ride on a new chassis and a bunch of suspension improvments.

Sorry, but the Panther platform has been around for a LONG time! One of the nice things about it is that it has paid for itself many times over. There have been updates to suspension and new steering, but it is the same old platform.

For the GTO, GM is presently saying it will be offered with 4-speed auto, or 6-speed manual.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Originally posted by blichy
Sorry, but the Panther platform has been around for a LONG time! One of the nice things about it is that it has paid for itself many times over. There have been updates to suspension and new steering, but it is the same old platform.

you right about the Panther platform, maybe I should have clarrified that, I meant that it has an "enchanced" frame from previous versions, my bad. For 2003, the Marauder along with the Town Car ect ect, get a new, light weight, and stronger hydroformed steel for the front rails, the number two crossmember (for the steering rack, control arms, engine mounts ect) is now made of cast aluminum, and a light and stronger crossmember that ties the frame together from behind the A-pillar.

Also the recirculating ball steering from the Panther cars was replaced by a rack and pinion design w/ speed sensitive variable assists, also weighs 22lbs less than the Panther one.

Might as well just post some specs from MM&FF:
Front - Tokico monotube coilovers and a 28mm "Gripper" stabilizer bar
Rear - Tokico monotubes w/ a 21mm solid stabilizer bar with air springs.

Rolls on BFGoodrich stock, P245/55WR18's for the rear and P235/50WR18's for the front.

4300LBS with 3.55 gears and high-stall torque convertor ect.

1/4, using no powerbrake, 14.77 at 95.07mph

Track - it did awsome compared to mustang, 1:38.87 WITH 5 PEOPLE ABOARD , 1:33.85 with one person and testing equipment, an automatic Mustang GT did that same track in the same day at 1:30.28, not that much faster than a Marauder.

Two things I think they should change is taking the Mercury emblems off the front grill and rear trunk and replacing them with the Mercury "Gods-Head" emblems and throw in 4.10 or 4.30 gears which are a must on a 4.6 dohc engine.

 

[blichy]

No prob, didn't mean to sound like an a@@ if it came off that way...

A friend of mine was working on the Marauder convertible for about 2 months before the program was cancelled--too bad, would have been a great car! Rumour is that the next MY Marauder should be looking at a supercharged engine.

When we were out at the test track with some Bondurant people, they preferred the Crown Vic to the Mustang in the slalom (this was about 5 years ago).

 

[SaleenEXP]

no prob

I remember hearing about that also, the convertable Marauder was suposed to use a sohc 4.6 instead of the dohc, but it would be a supercharged version pumping 335 hp. Kinda sucks their not going going to make it now though.

They should have dropped the 03' Cobra engine in the Marauder along with 4.30 gears and maybe a 3500rpm stall convertor hehehe, now that would be one sick car

I loved driving it though, it was amazing just how stable it was and smooth no matter what kind of bump you hit when going fast, but throw it into a turn and it grips like on rails, and I'm obsessed with the sohc and dohc engines. They way they sound is incredible, the Marauder sounds exactly like a luxurious Cobra, and the power is delivered so smoothly in a pin you to the seat type of way

I love Mercury, as I'm getting an 03' Mounty now, but I think they should have removed the Mercury badges and in place of them use the Gods-Head emblem.

 

[Rhett]

Do you guys think 4.10's on a marauder would hurt its top end too much to make it worth it? Maybe not with that much power...???

I was thinking 3.73s with that engine would rule, but then that's not much different than 3.55.