The Mercury Maurader has sold so poorly that originally it was thought they would sell between 12,000-18,000 units a year but in reality they only sold 2910 units in 2002. Even with all the rebates and 0% financing its still not selling well but im would be willing to bet thats because the Maurader is not really that fast and is in desperate need of a supercharger.

Does the Maurader's $34,000 (only $28,000 after rebates) price suggest what the next performance RWD V8 Impala is going to sell for in 2006?

Heres the current price of the Mauarader @ http://www.carsdirect.com/build/opti...&restore=false

 

It won't be more expensive than the GTO, which traditionally has been a bit on the high end pricewise.

For what Maurader promised, it underdelivered. I won't say it was a dog, but I suspect a Grand Prix GTP is quicker.

 

Do we really know for sure that the Impala will go back to v8 rwd?

 

The 2004 GP GTP base price is under $27,000 ($25,000 after rebates) makes it a pretty good performance value and it will most likely outperform the V8 Maurader and the 94-96 V8 Impalas.

GTP pricing @ http://www.carsdirect.com/build/opti...&restore=false

 

Even after digging around for an article I wrote, I can't even say that will happen.

Chevrolet will have a RWD sedan, but it can be a new model (while a redesigned FWD Impala continues) just as easily as it can be a redone RWD Impala.

To tell the truth, it's too early to tell, and GM will have the manufacturing ability to go both ways.

 

The problems with the Marauder are as follows:

-Too few beans for the price. The car should have been far less expensive or had the 390HP cobra engine at the same price.

-It was called "Marauder" but wasn't any faster than your basic V6 Accord.

It's too bad they are killing it. It was a neat car. They should have just accepted that they were going to sell 3,000 a year and put the cobra engine in it, so people would say "holy S***, look! A Mercury Marauder!" when they saw one.

 

If the Marauder had a LS1 or Hemi class engine and was about $30,000 even, it would have sold SOOO MUCH better.

I think it looks good, a few more color choces would have helped too. (Marauders are only black)

 

There are no rebates on an '04 Grand Prix...

So there is no word on whether we get RWD MCs and Impys for '06? Well that could blow my plan to buy an '06 MC SS if no Camaro looms near

 

I agree with you on both points here. At that price, they might as well have gone all the way, limited production, and it would have been a "special" thing to see rather than an underpowered giveaway. Every road test that I read said it doesn't even feel like it has the horsepower that it actually does, let alone enough to be a real "modern muscle car" which is too bad because I like the looks of it and the whole concept. You'd have think that if they were going to borrow an idea Chevy had almost a decade ago that they actually could have done it better, but I guess not.

 

Actually there are rebates on 04 Grand Prixs- not only does that cardsdirect.com link show a portion of the rebate but while I was on my sunday cruise and got a chance to stop the local pontiac dealer and sit in the 04 grand prix and they are offering a $3500 rebate on the new 04 grand prix as we speak.

I do have to admit the interior in the 04 grand prix is the best i have ever seen in a pontiac.

 

I was driving behind a silver colored one just a few days ago...

 

I think they also come in Silver and Blue.

 

I thought it was only black the first year and then 04 they would be silver, black and dark blue.

I guess they started making the new colors early.

 

The Marauder's price was right - it's the performance that was wrong. It could barely compete with an 8-year-old Impala SS, much less the sort of cars that are currently on the market (such as the G35, Accord, Altima, WRX, RSX, etc.). Low 15s were pretty fast in '94, but not anymore - even V6 family cars run 14s.

Sounds like the '05 Marauder should be "adequate", from what I've heard - I hope the rumors are true, even though I'm a bowtie fan. I would also assume that any serious future RWD effort from GM would include plenty of power, as it's clear that Chrysler doesn't intend to mess around with inadequate engine choices when they start playing in the RWD sandbox again.

 

Doubtful.