Anybody remember the Mercury Marauder? That's OK; neither did most of our staff. Jumping into the full-size muscle car war that started in the early 1960s, the 1963 1/2 Marauder was a more luxurious ride than the Chevy Impala SSs and Ford Galaxie 500s of the day. A 300-horsepower, 390 cubic-inch V8 was standard, but the truly power-hungry checked off the option for the mighty 427 cubic-inch (7.0 liters for those unfamiliar with old-school engine sizes) V8. Consuming huge quantities of gasoline and air through its twin four-barrel carburetors, this brute produced a thundering 425 horsepower. In spite of its charms, the Marauder was never as popular as the big Chevys or Fords.
After disappearing for a few years, the Marauder returned in 1969, with either 390 or 429 V8 power, but by this time the buying public was interested in pony cars (like the Camaro and Mustang) and midsize muscle cars (such as the Pontiac GTO and Chevelle SS396), not oversize, overweight performance cars. Chevy cancelled the Impala SS after 1969, and Mercury dropped the Marauder after 1970.
Fast-forward to 1994 when Chevrolet brought back the Impala SS nameplate, though instead of being affixed to a sporty coupe it was attached to a Caprice sedan that featured the Corvette's 5.7-liter V8 (albeit detuned to a still respectable 260 horsepower) and a tweaked suspension with 17-inch wheels and chubby Goodyears. Produced for only three years, the Impala SS developed a cultlike following among those drawn to the combination of big power and plenty of room for all to enjoy the ride. Thumb through a Hemming's Auto News and you'll see that one of these SSs in primo shape commands strong money. This gearhead never cared for the looks of that car and, along with his colleagues, wondered if and when Ford would produce a hopped-up Crown Victoria — called the XL 500 perhaps? Well, Ford never did respond to the gauntlet thrown down by its arch rival. Until now that is. Nearly 10 years after the Impala SS was briefly resurrected; Mercury brings back its full-size muscle moniker, Marauder, tacked onto a modified version of the Grand Marquis (the uptown twin to the Crown Vicky).
Nothing says "buh-buh-buh-bad" as much as a blacked-out color scheme; in recent history, most muscle cars have worn black (the Buick Grand National and the first batch of those Impala SSs come to mind) and so does the Marauder. Adding to the sinister look are a blacked-out grille and dark tinted headlights and taillights. Massive five-spoke chrome wheels (18-inchers) along with chrome dual exhaust tips finish the car off and the net result is a four-door see-dan that turned heads in exotic-jaded L.A. as if it were J-Lo and Shaquille O'Neal walking down Santa Monica Boulevard buck naked. Wait a minute, that probably wouldn't cause so much as a blinked eye here, but you get the point.
Unlike the '94 and '95 Impala SS, which had its gearshift on the column — about as sporty as a taxicab — the Marauder comes with a floor-mounted shifter along with the buckets and center console. Adding an old-school touch is a pair of Auto Meter gauges for oil pressure and volts. A more modern feature, appreciated by our short and tall staffers alike, is the standard power adjustment for the pedals that allows a proper, relaxed driving position without requiring the vertically challenged to sit too close to the steering wheel.
Instead of fake wood, the dash and doors have, in Mercury's words, "technical-looking dot-matrix gray trim (that) gives the appearance of carbon fiber." Umm…maybe not; it reminded some of us of a close-up view of an old comic strip. Leather seating is standard, and most of us appreciated the comfort of the big, soft eight-way power front buckets which reminded the more fortunate among us of first-class airliner seats. Further setting the Marauder apart from the retirement-community Grand Marquis is the embossed head of the Roman god Mercury seen on the front seatbacks. The downside to the plush seats is that even though they have pronounced side bolsters, the padding is too soft to actually provide serious lateral support. As a result, this car jockey slid around long before the BF Goodrich g-Force T/As did while putting the Marauder's handling to the test.
A 4.6-liter, double overhead cam V8 with 302 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque powers the Marauder. This is essentially the same engine found in the 2001 Ford Mustang Cobra. Don't look for a Hurst stick shift as a four-speed automatic is the only transmission choice (as was the case with that mid-'90s Impala SS), but the unit is beefed up for Marauder duty with a higher-stall torque converter and sends the ponies to a limited-slip, 3.55-geared rear end.
With specs like these, one would expect neck-snapping performance from a standstill, but this is not the case. Typically, multivalve (four valves per cylinder versus two) engines make their power at the mid- and upper ranges of the tach where they really start to breathe deeply, so they usually don't have a lot of pull right off the line. In spite of the husky rumble that issued forth from those twin chrome pipes, the Marauder couldn't spin its tires (unless the brakes were held) when the gas was tromped, an admittedly juvenile but necessary rite of passage for a muscle car. We even looked for a traction control switch, thinking perhaps we could shut it off so we could light 'em up. But nope, the Marauder doesn't yet come with that feature (it will become available later in the year). Of course, part of the blame would have to go to those sticky tires (which spec out at 235/50WR18 in front and P245/55WR18 out back).
Once the four-cam V8 hits its stride (at about 3,000 rpm), the big Merc really gets its groove on and pulls with authority up to 6,000 rpm. Although we were unable to perform instrumented testing, Mercury claims the Marauder will hustle to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, certainly a helluva time for such a big car. Passing and merging power is impressive; the car just jets up the on-ramps and to 75 mph effortlessly.
The tweaked tranny earned praise for its well-rounded performance. Driven sedately, the automatic changes gears seamlessly, but put your foot into it, and the upshifts occur quickly and with a satisfying shove to your backside. And to the delight of our most ardent gearheads, we found that the Marauder will bark those fat rear tires on the one-two upshift if you shift for yourself.
One would expect antilock, four-wheel disc brakes on this car, and it's got 'em. And unlike most cars where just the front discs are ventilated, the rear plates on the Marauder are also ventilated, which help to shed heat more effectively and thus resist fade. The binders are up to the task of keeping the Marauder's velocity in check, and a linear pedal, aside from a slightly soft feel, makes them easy to modulate.
For 2003, Mercury (and Ford) made a number of "under the skin" improvements to its full-size sedan. If you happen to drive an '02 and '03 Grand Marquis (or Crown Victoria) back to back, you should notice the increased precision in the steering as well as a generally more solid feel over the bumps and through the turns. The improved dynamics come about via a new, stiffer frame with hydroformed (seamless) front rails, a redesigned front suspension, the use of Tokico monotube shocks and the replacement of the old recirculating ball steering system with a more precise rack and pinion setup. The live axle rear end features air springs that automatically keep the car level regardless of passenger or cargo load, and front and rear stabilizer bars are fitted to keep the Marauder on an even keel when running through curvy roads.
Taking the Marauder through our sinewy 50-mile drive loop which encompasses tight turns through the canyons as well as fast sweepers and steady freeway cruising, we were impressed by how well this 4,200-pound car handled. With such a soft, comfortable ride we expected the car to fall all over itself once we started pushing it in the turns, but much to our joy, the Marauder handled the curves with ease. Body roll was minimal, and with a neutral attitude and incredible grip from the aptly named g-Force T/As, it was possible to hang with some smaller sport sedans whilst tackling the twisties. The steering is light yet direct, but although the variable power assist feature does provide more weight as the car's speed increases, we'd still like even more heft in the wheel. On rough roads, the Marauder absorbed the imperfections without a shudder and the car felt solid as a rock; evidently, the frame engineers have done good.
Another benefit of the new frame is better crash-worthiness, as those hydroformed front rails are designed to absorb front and offset impacts more efficiently, and the revamped crossmembers along with standard side airbags provide better protection in side-impact accidents. Crash tests for the 2003 Grand Marquis (which again is what the Marauder essentially is) haven't yet been conducted, but last year's model posted five stars (the highest score possible) for both driver and front passenger in the NHTSA's frontal impact test and four stars (for both front and rear seats) in its side-impact test. We would expect the 2003 Grand Marquis/Marauder to bring that side-impact rating to five stars in light of the beefier frame and newly standard side airbags.
Other standard safety features include dual-stage front airbags (whose deployment force is dependent upon the severity of the impact); seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters; and a panic braking feature that automatically provides full braking power when a panic stop is sensed (via a quick jab to the brakes). Additionally, the brakes feature Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) that automatically optimizes front and rear braking power by taking into account weight transfer, such as during aggressive braking.
With virtually every luxury feature standard, the Marauder's option list is brief and includes just three items: a six-disc CD changer, power moonroof (that will have delayed availability) and a trunk organizer.
Around our office, there were two schools of thought concerning Mercury's new muscle car. Those of us who've always liked the idea of a full-size V8-powered, traditional American sedan that looked cool and hauled gluteus maximus thought the Marauder was aces. And it would be even better with more low-end grunt on tap — nothing a supercharger install couldn't fix. But others weren't so enamored, and believed that for $35,000 there were a number of smaller but better-performing sport sedans that would get their checkbook's vote. But we doubt that anyone considering a Marauder is going to cross-shop it with a BMW 330i. And of course, someone considering that Bavarian delight wouldn't be caught dead in a Mercury showroom. But that's no skin off the nose of that Mercury guy; this car has the luxury of having a niche (however small) all to itself, just as that Impala SS did a decade ago.
After disappearing for a few years, the Marauder returned in 1969, with either 390 or 429 V8 power, but by this time the buying public was interested in pony cars (like the Camaro and Mustang) and midsize muscle cars (such as the Pontiac GTO and Chevelle SS396), not oversize, overweight performance cars. Chevy cancelled the Impala SS after 1969, and Mercury dropped the Marauder after 1970.
Fast-forward to 1994 when Chevrolet brought back the Impala SS nameplate, though instead of being affixed to a sporty coupe it was attached to a Caprice sedan that featured the Corvette's 5.7-liter V8 (albeit detuned to a still respectable 260 horsepower) and a tweaked suspension with 17-inch wheels and chubby Goodyears. Produced for only three years, the Impala SS developed a cultlike following among those drawn to the combination of big power and plenty of room for all to enjoy the ride. Thumb through a Hemming's Auto News and you'll see that one of these SSs in primo shape commands strong money. This gearhead never cared for the looks of that car and, along with his colleagues, wondered if and when Ford would produce a hopped-up Crown Victoria — called the XL 500 perhaps? Well, Ford never did respond to the gauntlet thrown down by its arch rival. Until now that is. Nearly 10 years after the Impala SS was briefly resurrected; Mercury brings back its full-size muscle moniker, Marauder, tacked onto a modified version of the Grand Marquis (the uptown twin to the Crown Vicky).
Nothing says "buh-buh-buh-bad" as much as a blacked-out color scheme; in recent history, most muscle cars have worn black (the Buick Grand National and the first batch of those Impala SSs come to mind) and so does the Marauder. Adding to the sinister look are a blacked-out grille and dark tinted headlights and taillights. Massive five-spoke chrome wheels (18-inchers) along with chrome dual exhaust tips finish the car off and the net result is a four-door see-dan that turned heads in exotic-jaded L.A. as if it were J-Lo and Shaquille O'Neal walking down Santa Monica Boulevard buck naked. Wait a minute, that probably wouldn't cause so much as a blinked eye here, but you get the point.
Unlike the '94 and '95 Impala SS, which had its gearshift on the column — about as sporty as a taxicab — the Marauder comes with a floor-mounted shifter along with the buckets and center console. Adding an old-school touch is a pair of Auto Meter gauges for oil pressure and volts. A more modern feature, appreciated by our short and tall staffers alike, is the standard power adjustment for the pedals that allows a proper, relaxed driving position without requiring the vertically challenged to sit too close to the steering wheel.
Instead of fake wood, the dash and doors have, in Mercury's words, "technical-looking dot-matrix gray trim (that) gives the appearance of carbon fiber." Umm…maybe not; it reminded some of us of a close-up view of an old comic strip. Leather seating is standard, and most of us appreciated the comfort of the big, soft eight-way power front buckets which reminded the more fortunate among us of first-class airliner seats. Further setting the Marauder apart from the retirement-community Grand Marquis is the embossed head of the Roman god Mercury seen on the front seatbacks. The downside to the plush seats is that even though they have pronounced side bolsters, the padding is too soft to actually provide serious lateral support. As a result, this car jockey slid around long before the BF Goodrich g-Force T/As did while putting the Marauder's handling to the test.
A 4.6-liter, double overhead cam V8 with 302 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque powers the Marauder. This is essentially the same engine found in the 2001 Ford Mustang Cobra. Don't look for a Hurst stick shift as a four-speed automatic is the only transmission choice (as was the case with that mid-'90s Impala SS), but the unit is beefed up for Marauder duty with a higher-stall torque converter and sends the ponies to a limited-slip, 3.55-geared rear end.
With specs like these, one would expect neck-snapping performance from a standstill, but this is not the case. Typically, multivalve (four valves per cylinder versus two) engines make their power at the mid- and upper ranges of the tach where they really start to breathe deeply, so they usually don't have a lot of pull right off the line. In spite of the husky rumble that issued forth from those twin chrome pipes, the Marauder couldn't spin its tires (unless the brakes were held) when the gas was tromped, an admittedly juvenile but necessary rite of passage for a muscle car. We even looked for a traction control switch, thinking perhaps we could shut it off so we could light 'em up. But nope, the Marauder doesn't yet come with that feature (it will become available later in the year). Of course, part of the blame would have to go to those sticky tires (which spec out at 235/50WR18 in front and P245/55WR18 out back).
Once the four-cam V8 hits its stride (at about 3,000 rpm), the big Merc really gets its groove on and pulls with authority up to 6,000 rpm. Although we were unable to perform instrumented testing, Mercury claims the Marauder will hustle to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, certainly a helluva time for such a big car. Passing and merging power is impressive; the car just jets up the on-ramps and to 75 mph effortlessly.
The tweaked tranny earned praise for its well-rounded performance. Driven sedately, the automatic changes gears seamlessly, but put your foot into it, and the upshifts occur quickly and with a satisfying shove to your backside. And to the delight of our most ardent gearheads, we found that the Marauder will bark those fat rear tires on the one-two upshift if you shift for yourself.
One would expect antilock, four-wheel disc brakes on this car, and it's got 'em. And unlike most cars where just the front discs are ventilated, the rear plates on the Marauder are also ventilated, which help to shed heat more effectively and thus resist fade. The binders are up to the task of keeping the Marauder's velocity in check, and a linear pedal, aside from a slightly soft feel, makes them easy to modulate.
For 2003, Mercury (and Ford) made a number of "under the skin" improvements to its full-size sedan. If you happen to drive an '02 and '03 Grand Marquis (or Crown Victoria) back to back, you should notice the increased precision in the steering as well as a generally more solid feel over the bumps and through the turns. The improved dynamics come about via a new, stiffer frame with hydroformed (seamless) front rails, a redesigned front suspension, the use of Tokico monotube shocks and the replacement of the old recirculating ball steering system with a more precise rack and pinion setup. The live axle rear end features air springs that automatically keep the car level regardless of passenger or cargo load, and front and rear stabilizer bars are fitted to keep the Marauder on an even keel when running through curvy roads.
Taking the Marauder through our sinewy 50-mile drive loop which encompasses tight turns through the canyons as well as fast sweepers and steady freeway cruising, we were impressed by how well this 4,200-pound car handled. With such a soft, comfortable ride we expected the car to fall all over itself once we started pushing it in the turns, but much to our joy, the Marauder handled the curves with ease. Body roll was minimal, and with a neutral attitude and incredible grip from the aptly named g-Force T/As, it was possible to hang with some smaller sport sedans whilst tackling the twisties. The steering is light yet direct, but although the variable power assist feature does provide more weight as the car's speed increases, we'd still like even more heft in the wheel. On rough roads, the Marauder absorbed the imperfections without a shudder and the car felt solid as a rock; evidently, the frame engineers have done good.
Another benefit of the new frame is better crash-worthiness, as those hydroformed front rails are designed to absorb front and offset impacts more efficiently, and the revamped crossmembers along with standard side airbags provide better protection in side-impact accidents. Crash tests for the 2003 Grand Marquis (which again is what the Marauder essentially is) haven't yet been conducted, but last year's model posted five stars (the highest score possible) for both driver and front passenger in the NHTSA's frontal impact test and four stars (for both front and rear seats) in its side-impact test. We would expect the 2003 Grand Marquis/Marauder to bring that side-impact rating to five stars in light of the beefier frame and newly standard side airbags.
Other standard safety features include dual-stage front airbags (whose deployment force is dependent upon the severity of the impact); seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters; and a panic braking feature that automatically provides full braking power when a panic stop is sensed (via a quick jab to the brakes). Additionally, the brakes feature Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) that automatically optimizes front and rear braking power by taking into account weight transfer, such as during aggressive braking.
With virtually every luxury feature standard, the Marauder's option list is brief and includes just three items: a six-disc CD changer, power moonroof (that will have delayed availability) and a trunk organizer.
Around our office, there were two schools of thought concerning Mercury's new muscle car. Those of us who've always liked the idea of a full-size V8-powered, traditional American sedan that looked cool and hauled gluteus maximus thought the Marauder was aces. And it would be even better with more low-end grunt on tap — nothing a supercharger install couldn't fix. But others weren't so enamored, and believed that for $35,000 there were a number of smaller but better-performing sport sedans that would get their checkbook's vote. But we doubt that anyone considering a Marauder is going to cross-shop it with a BMW 330i. And of course, someone considering that Bavarian delight wouldn't be caught dead in a Mercury showroom. But that's no skin off the nose of that Mercury guy; this car has the luxury of having a niche (however small) all to itself, just as that Impala SS did a decade ago.
Add A Comment »
rhemlak says:
08:51 AM, 02/14/2010
When I purchased my 2003 Marauder I opened the air intake W/ a K&N system then opened
the exhaust to 2 1/2". Besides a Super Chip programed to a new 4:11 differential the
problem of not enough low end torque was no more!