1990 Mercury Cougars
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Entering
its second year on the all-new MN-12 chassis, the Cougar did not receive
any significant upgrades. In fact, the 1989-90 model years are virtually
indistinguishable. Ford began the two-year cycle for the Cougar beginning
in 1987, so it made sense that no changes would be made for 1990. The 3.8
V6 continued to be the standard motor in the LS, and the supercharged 3.8
V6 was unchanged for the XR7. On the inside, the Cougar could be optioned
with a black interior for the first time in many years. The exterior XR7
monochromatic colors continued to be Black, Bright Red Clearcoat, and Oxford
White.
(left) The 1990 XR7 instrument panel. |
Rumor mills and spy photos
showed that Ford indeed was hard at work with fitting the 5.0 V8 motor
into the Cougar. And unfortunately, it was needed, as the weight for the
new cars became apparent in daily driving. The car was now almost 3800
lbs. and climbing, and every bit of power was needed to propel the cars.
Some said that the base 3.8 was not even adequate to get the car going,
and that the standard power output should be somewhere in the vicinity
of the XR7's motor---roughly 200 horsepower. Ford was aware of the situation
from the start, however, and these concerns were fixed for the next model
year, 1991.
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The 1990 Stroh's
Light IMSA GTO Cougar. This one is V8 eqipped, as noted by the bulging
hood scoop.
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ENGINES
LS - 3.8 (232 cid) V6; 140
hp @ 3800 rpm; 210 lb-ft torque @ 4000 rpm
XR7 - 3.8 supercharged V6;
215 hp @2400 rpm; 315 lb-ft torque @ 2600 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
LS (and option on XR7) -
AOD 4-speed with overdrive
XR7 (standard) - 5-speed
manual
BRAKES
LS - Front 10.8 inch disc,
rear 9.8 inch drum
XR7 - Front 10.8 inch disc,
rear 10.1 inch disc with antilock brakes
GENERAL
Wheelbase - 113"
Overall Length - 198.7
Overall Width - 72.7
Overall Height - 52.7
Cargo Capacity - 14.7 cubic
feet
Fuel Capacity - 19.0 gallons
CURB WEIGHT
LS - 3608 lb.
XR7 (w/5 speed) - 3805 lb.
XR7 (w/auto) - 3834 lb.
TOTAL SALES
LS - 77,084 (all automatic)
- 94.9 percent
XR7 - 4,156 (823 manual,
3,333 automatic) - 5.1 percent
GRAND TOTAL -
81,240
