1993 Mercury Cougars
The
1993 Cougar XR7 |
Ford had begun an interesting campaign in the early 1990's----called one-price shopping. Essentially, the number of models for a particular car were cut in half, but the options lists for the remaining model/s increased. This would ensure that the cars would be very well loaded standard, and that since fewer specialty parts were needed, costs could be cut dramatically. And, since the profit margin for each car would be roughly the same, the car's price was basically non-negotiable, hence the term one-price shopping. There was much success with the Taurus and Escort with this program...so, Ford decided to try it with the Cougar and Thunderbird. The T-Bird shrank from four models to two (LX and SC), and the Cougar shrank to ONE model---the XR7.
On paper, this was a good
move. However, the XR7 (now known as "Cougar XR7") was NOT the XR7 of the
previous years---the sport model performance was gone. No adjustable sport
suspension, no 16" wheels, nothing carried over. It was now the old LS
with the XR7 name. Fortuantely, the engines carried over (3.8 V6 standard,
5.0 V8 optional). New 15" wheels were offered to replace the 16" wheels
of the previous year. Also, the roof trim, outside mirrors, and door handles
were painted body color. No other exterior or interior changes were made.
The Cougar also received remote keyless entry, replacing the keypad mounted
above the door handles. The steering wheel received a new center section.
Interior
shown in optional
Ebony Black leather. |
One may wonder why this is the only year that broke up the 2-year cycles for Cougar upgrades. It was known for some time that the new 4.6 SOHC V8, just introduced in the 1992 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car, was making its way into the MN-12 chassis. Originally, it was supposed to be for the 1993 year; however, production delays, engine bay modifications, and EPA certification prevented that from happening. The all-new interior was also running behind schedule. So, Ford decided that the 4.6 would make the cut for 1994, and the interior would be a nice way to introduce that to the market. The 1993 model was meant to be a stop-gap carryover model ONLY.
ENGINES
Base - 3.8 (232 cid) V6;
140 hp @ 3800 rpm; 215 lb-ft torque @ 2400 rpm
Optional - 5.0 (302 cid)
V8; 200 hp @ 4000 rpm; 275 lb-ft torque @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
XR7 - AOD 4-speed with overdrive
BRAKES
XR7 - Front 10.8 inch disc,
rear 9.8 inch drum (10.0 inch disc brakes available with ABS)
GENERAL
Wheelbase - 113"
Overall Length - 199.9
Overall Width - 72.7
Overall Height - 52.5
Cargo Capacity - 15.1 cubic
feet
Fuel Capacity - 18.0 gallons
CURB WEIGHT
XR7 (w/V6) - 3512 lb.
XR7 (w/V8) - 3666 lb.
TOTAL SALES
N/A