1996 Mercury Marauder owners manual 1997 Mercury Marauder owners manual
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Jumping into the full-size muscle-car war that started in the early 1960s with Chevy Impala SSs and Ford Galaxie 500s of the day roaring down the streets and puncturing the eardrums of innocent bystanders, Mercury's "Marauder" nameplate first appeared on slantback versions of the 1964 Monterey, Montclair and Park Lane two- and four-door sedans, powered by a huge 425-cubic-inch V8 that made up to 427 gross horsepower. 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. A new Marauder arrived in 1969 riding a shorter wheelbase and sporting a "tunnelback" rear window design. It came in standard and X-100 trim, with either a 390 cubic-inch V8 or a 429 big block V8 making 360 gross horsepower. The Marauder survived through 1970, but then died due to slow sales and disinterest in performance-tuned large cars. This time the buying public was engrossed with 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. 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 resurrects the Marauder as a tweaked and massaged version of the Grand Marquis sedan. This isnt the first time that a recipe calling for a big engine, fat wheels and black paint has revived interest in a relatively staid and conservative box-on-wheels. The new Marauder caters to the same crowd of aging, buy American, muscle-car aficionados as the Impala, and should easily perform the task of raising Mercurys brand awareness as the marque struggles to remake itself. There are other sub-$40,000 sedans that are more nimble, more refined and more prestigious. But none of them offer the emotional satisfaction of this modern-day muscle car. Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options: The 2003 Marauder comes just one way: fully loaded and painted jet black. The options list is limited to a moonroof, a trunk organizer and a six-disc CD changer. Powertrains and Performance: The Marauder is powered by an all-aluminum DOHC 4.6-liter V8 making 300 horsepower 5,750 rpm and 310 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. It breathes through a true dual-exhaust system with chrome-plated pipes. A four-speed automatic transmission with a high-stall speed torque converter drives the rear wheels through a 3.55 rear axle with limited-slip differential. Massive 18-inch five-spoke wheels are shod with sticky BFGoodrich g-Force T/A tires (P235/50ZR18 in front and P245/55ZR18 in back). Safety: With its basis on the Grand Marquis, the 4,165-pound Marauder is large and heavy. Federal crash testing of the Grand Marquis has resulted in a five-star rating for frontal impacts and four-star ratings for side impacts. The 2003 Marauder comes standard with four-wheel disc antilock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and panic assist (which applies the brakes full-force when a panic stop is detected). Also standard is the Personal Safety System (advanced restraint and airbag systems) and seat-mounted side airbags.