Hmm...this is not good news at all for enthusiasts. I hope Ford doesn't scrap the whole program based on this initial information. This is the kind of information that allows bean counters to have the power they have to stifle future products that we enthusiasts would like to see.

We can only hope they do come through with that blown version and it really does sell. If it too falls on its face...I dont think we're gonna see a RWD V8 sedan any time soon from GM.

-Rich

 

I couldn't agree more. I hope Ford doesn't give up on it either. I'm actually surprised that sales have fallen so short of expectations.

The ones I've seen on the street have such an understated sinister look to them......I can't believe more poeple aren't buying them.

 

I think the Mercury Marauder is one sharp looking car...
I have seen a few on the streets, they do kind of have a sinister look to 'em.
I also agree that they are underpowered, but then again to much HP is never enough!!

 

On a related note...how is the Infiniti M45 "the import that thinks it's a muscle car" doing in sales? I picked up an issue of Money magazine the other week and an ad for the car touted it as "the muscle car with intelligence" or something like that. The car does have 345hp from a V8 and they claimed 0-60 in about 6.7 seconds. Not TOO shabby. However, it is NO muscle car...

-Rich

 

Just a thought picking up where INTENSS and KIZZ left off, I think that the problem is that the Marauader tried to be an Impala SS, while the standards have changed the past few years.

9 years ago, the idea of a big sinister looking, 265 horse sedan was awsome, but in today's market, a good FWD Nissan Altima can out run that same Impala SS in acceleration. Instead of adjusting the Merc's horsepower for today's market, the Marauder is (depending who you talk to) is either no faster, or is slightly slower than the SS was. The car looks good, but what's the point when you have cheaper, run of the mill family sedans that are actually quicker?

The Marauder is made in low enough quanities that Ford could have went with a 5.4, or better yet, the Lightning's supercharged engine and had about the same impact the Impala SS had a decade ago, without worrying about a drag on milage standards.

It's supposed to get a supercharger along with Thunderbird (same engine??) within a year, so maybe things will be different soon.

 

Ford claims the 5.4 liter block was too tall to be accomodated. Better yet, the supercharged Lightning engine puts out too much torque for Ford's light duty automatic. The Lightning uses the higher capacity automatic from the Superduty, but it required some redesigned internal sheetmetal. Ford was stuck with the alluminum DOHC 4.6 that's shared with the Lincoln Aviator and 2003 Mach I.

The Marauder is pretty pokey for a $35,000 car, but offering the 300hp engine as an option on the Crown Vic wouldn't have been a bad idea. At very least, Ford could have fitted a decent driveshaft so the Marauder's top speed could have been greater than the current embarrasing 118mph figure.

 

"....and too many customers see it as just another Grand Marquis."

This is supposed to be a revelation?

 

Exactly right! In 1994 a 260hp 4-door car was very rare! Only cars that had more power was a Caddy STS or some versions of Mercedes or BMWs high end cars.
The ImpalaSS massive low-end torque was were the ImpalaSS power was at. Though the ImpalaSS also had good top end.

Now 9 years later there are V6s putting out that kind of power. What Ford should have done with the Marauder was to take it to the next level. Instead they made a car that is actually slower than an ImpalaSS. I also think that the Maruader is overrated in its 302 hp rating.
There is not any I've seen on the street around here. I think the Ford dealer here has the same one that they got back in the summer.

 

They don't know how to make use of an N/A V8. I wish GM would bring back a real Impala SS (and both B-Bodies for that matter) and show them how its done right.

 

Right on!.....I was just out for some pizza tonight..SSmokin em' in my 96 That car has loads of off the line torque, and still surprises many who challenge. I drove the Mercury, and its just not there, super nice ride though.

 

While I believe the Impala SS had the right oomph for its time, the more important thing is that it had panache.. it had flavor, it had the seduction factor.. STYLE. It didn't just look like a repainted Caprice, it gave the impression of a sinister force all its own.

The Marauder is not only underpowered for today's market which is the main problem, but it looks like a black Grand Marquis with shiny wheels. Ford police cars look more mean than the Marauder :P All flash no dash just doesn't get me there.

The main reason they decided to produce it is because they knew 1) that the Impala succeeded in becoming an instant classic and 2) that most buyers would equate the marauder with the Impala SS. To a large extent it has worked, but a side by side comparison relative to each car's era shows dramatic shortcomings in the Mercury.