If the Ford Contour line is dropped in 2001, the SVT Contour will die along with it. But a successor to the SVT Contour gains life in the form of the limited-production 2000 Mercury Cougar S.
The 1999 Cougar S concept car had a 3.0-liter V6 and all-wheel drive, but in production form it's a 2.5-liter Duratec V6 driving the front wheels only. The cylinder heads, camshafts, intake manifold, and exhaust system have all been tuned to develop extra horsepower and torque. Official numbers are 200 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 170 foot-pounds of torque at 5,500. To handle the extra power, the car's suspension and steering system has been retuned.
Our big complaint about the standard Cougar is that it's too slow for what the styling promised. The Cougar S should be better equipped to compete against the likes of the VW GTI and the Mitsubishi Eclipse GT.
The 1999 Cougar S concept car had a 3.0-liter V6 and all-wheel drive, but in production form it's a 2.5-liter Duratec V6 driving the front wheels only. The cylinder heads, camshafts, intake manifold, and exhaust system have all been tuned to develop extra horsepower and torque. Official numbers are 200 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 170 foot-pounds of torque at 5,500. To handle the extra power, the car's suspension and steering system has been retuned.
Our big complaint about the standard Cougar is that it's too slow for what the styling promised. The Cougar S should be better equipped to compete against the likes of the VW GTI and the Mitsubishi Eclipse GT.
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