Driving Impressions

Fire up the engine of the Mercury Marauder and you'll know this is no automotive Kansas. The V8 rumble from the dual exhaust announces that the Marauder is a true American performance car. The all-aluminum 4.6-liter engine was developed specifically for the Marauder, with four-valve-per-cylinder double-overhead camshaft heads. The compression ratio is 9.85:1, requiring premium fuel. All this yields a power rating of 302 horsepower at 5750 rpm. Peak torque is 310 pounds-feet, and comes at a relatively high 4300 rpm. Mercury engineers specified a high stall speed torque converter for the automatic transmission, which means the engine can rev higher, reaching its power band before the automatic transmission transmits power, thus producing quicker acceleration. The engineers also biased the final drive selection, a 3.55:1 rear axle, for acceleration over fuel economy. The Marauder attained an EPA rating of 17 city/23 highway, impressive for a large car, so they obviously didn't go overboard. A limited-slip rear differential is used for better traction with beefy internals for durability. The engine tuning works, as the Marauder accelerates with authority. Very few will be able to kick sand at the Marauder in the local stoplight grand prix. The base Grand Marquis, for example, is rated at 220 bhp, the Grand Marquis LSE at 235 bhp. The 1994 Impala SS produced 260 bhp, and was considered fast for its time. How our expectations change. Still, the Marauder weighs more than two tons, so the engine has its work cut out for it. Drivers who expect the Marauder to smoke its tires at every stop sign will be disappointed. Modern tires are much better than those of the Sixties, providing too much grip for this behavior. You can still spin the tires if you work at it. But otherwise, the power goes into acceleration, not tire spinning. As good as the engine is, the new suspension is even better. Mercury delayed introduction of the Marauder (originally a concept car displayed at the SEMA show in Las Vegas in late 1998) to use the new chassis of the 2003 Grand Marquis. This new frame shared by the Marauder, Grand Marquis, and Crown Victoria has new stronger hydroformed front rails, a new aluminum No. 2 crossmember and is generally more robust for improved stiffness. Chassis rigidity allows better engine and suspension mounting for better handling, and less noise, vibration and harshness transmitted into the body. To this, Mercury stiffened up the Grand Marquis suspension, using special gas-charged monotube shock absorbers and, at the rear, air springs. A new "Gripper" anti-roll bar was used up front for quicker response and a better on-center feel to the steering. How good does it work? We tried the Marauder in two venues. One was the south course at Pocono International Raceway, a combination of the NASCAR Turn 1 high banking and a twisting road course across the infield. The track allowed acceleration onto the banking and a top speed through the big curve of around 100 mph. In almost any other family sedan, if it could go that fast, the tires would be howling in protest. The Marauder was asking for more, balanced front to rear and holding on like a championship square dancer in a power swing-your-partner. Through the infield, the Marauder handled like a sports car, a big sports car. It was easy to place it anywhere on the track, thanks to precise variable-ratio rack-and-pinion steering. The Marauder has what racers call "good turn-in," or transition from driving straight to turning. It also has remarkable transient response, the ability to change from turning left to right and back again. Part of the credit goes to the excellent BFGoodrich g-Force T/A tires, which combine great grip with ride comfort. The only thing marring our attempt at playing Rapid Roy That Stock Car Boy were the seats, which simply lacked the lateral support to counter the lateral force the Marauder can develop, and an imprecise shifter that hobbled att

Final Word

The Mercury Marauder is a performance car and will appeal primarily to the automotive enthusiast. Mercury expects 90 percent of buyers to be male. Not a car nut? Don't buy the Marauder. The Grand Marquis or the Ford Crown Victoria will fill your big-car bill much better, and for much less money. That brings us to another point. We flinch at $35,000 for this car. But the four-door BMW 540i, with a 290 bhp 4.4-liter V8, costs about $55,000. The Lincoln LS with the 252-bhp 3.9-liter V8 lists for about $38,000. Of course, those cars aren't directly comparable to the Marauder, which is the only car of its kind on the market today. No doubt Mercury will sell a passel of Marauders to fans of big American muscle. Ford guys who wanted a car like the Impala SS but would never buy a Chevy finally have something to buy.