[cougarbass99]

look at Mercurys current line-up and see if you notice a trend...
Mountaineer
Mariner
Montego
Marauder
grand Marquis
Monterey
Milan (the sister car to the new ford fusion)
*Messenger (concept)
*MC2 (original cougar concept)
*Meta one (concept)

look at what Ford is also starting to do with its newer cars...
Focus
Freestyle
Freestar
Five hundred
Fusion (new for 2006)
*Fairlane (concept)

this is just something i was thinking about and thought i would bring it to the table. what possible names could mercury have used to make the cougar a little less of an outcast among the rest of its vehicles.

see what "M" names you can come up with!

 

[AEMCougar]

Mistake?

Lol, for real though. I cant picture the Cougar being named anything else unless it underwent a drastic change. It just looks so damn much like a cougar.

 

[theandysho]

Mercury MantaRay

Mercury Mezmerize

???


A name wouldn't save a car unless you re-did everyhting as well

 

[Rikenbomb]

Ford Funderbird? Ford Fustang? :shrug:

Perhaps they can't get away with all of their lineups? Interesting idea though.

 

[LostRacer]

How about badging it Ford instead...

 

[azbobbybooshay10]

You know I have wondered for a while if they had named it something else originally, if maybe it would have survived?

Mercury Monsoon?

 

[EricF]

Ford Falcon... of course that steps on the Aussie falcons.. but look those cat eyes could be bird eyes too...

 

[cougarbass99]

i know the name had nothing to do with the cougar's discontinuation but its kinda funny how all the names now for mercury vehicles start with M. as for ford, the exceptions there lie in the mustangs, crown vics, thunderbirds, rangers and the suv's but you can see whats happening with the newer vehicles.

 

[JScullin]

An extra 30hp from the start would've helped save the name. There should be certain standards a company adheres to when using or resurrecting a long standing name (GTO, Charger, Cougar, Maurader, Grand Prix...). Nowadays (and even w/the Cougar) they're just selling a car on the name alone (or an engine) and thinking little about it's heritage and what people will think of when they hear the name. 2 new cars that I think do well is the new Mustang and the 300c Hemi, and the sales of them show that the cars design has done the name justice. Cars like the GTO, Charger & Maurader are panned for either being a rehash of other cars or disgracing a name because of 4 doors & no MTX option.

When you think "Cougar" you think of the Mustang's sister car. Matched in brute muscle and a menacing appearance. Not FWD, V6/I4, 150bhp and weighing as much as a small truck. A lot of people I think were put off by that, and it may have done better under another name. But in Ford's defense the car was intended for a 4 year run that was to stretch the life out of a tried & true platform (Mondeo/Contour/Mystique). We should be so lucky that the car was so unique on the outside as well as the interior! How many interior components can you match to seeing in other Ford vehicles? The radio, switches & dials. Everything else was designed uniquely for the car whereas a lot of cars would've shared the same vents, dash panels, seats & some exterior components.

 

[GrandMasterKhan]

well put Jscullin,

of course proper advertising is the key here. I didnt see ANY cougar commericals air on TV.

 

[cougarbass99]

never

 

[Pyro81]

Agreed. If there was any advertising it was very little and i can't remember it.

 

[BBOX]

Scully and GMK make GREAT points. If Ford had done it right, there would be no need for 3L "swaps" because the uprated V-6 would have been the 3L V-6. Ford always seems to be lacking in the horsepower wars - the Cougar should have been lining up toe-to-toe with the Eclipse and the Celica on the showroom floor. It certainly had the best styling of the group. Imagine if Ford had put the kind of effort in to the Cougar as it did in to the Focus.

 

[ND4SPD]

well the Focus was an attempt to sway the honda civic crowd IMO... and ford just wont giveup that market. infact there is a Saleen Focus parked outside a ford dealership over here which gets lots of attention from the 'kids'

The cougar I felt was always there to compete with those FWD 2 door coupes... like the tiburon, celica (not gts) eclipses etc...

 

[Rikenbomb]

Well put J Scullin.

One cannot disagree that the Cougar certainly has styling that was beyond its time. I think it still is given what is on the road still.

Horsepower definitely was lacking and should've been 3L from the factory. But Ford didn't want to step on the "Mustang's" Toes and kill Mustang sales. Like they ever could.

 

[cougarbass99]

i've heard the mustang theory from the begining, and i think its the plain and simple truth. if ford had given the cougar a better engine then it would have definitly hurt the sales of the mustang, mostly the v6 mustangs. the cougar's style was definitly ahead of its time, it still fits right in with the cars being made today and in some cases still looks better than most cars out there. if the proper marketing and advertising would have been done and a little more power given to it...

...who knows

 

[JScullin]

I think the Mustang theory is B.S.

Ford gets the money in the end. Why would they not offer 2 cars of equal performance for equal value?

EDIT:

Someone like me who hated the previous Mustang's design would've benefited if they like the Cougar's design yet wanted power. Seems that if you want a powerful sports car and want to stick with Ford you only have the Mustang. Would've kept someone from going to another brand possibly.

 

[Moraki]

My understanding is that William Clay Ford, grand son of Henry and current CEO of Ford, is a huge fan of the Mustang. And in being so moved by it does not want to see any in company compition in the form of sporty / fast 2 doors in the same price range. He only alows the T bird because its double the base price of the Mustang. And of corse the GT ... 140 grand...

 

[nadthomas]

Originally posted by: Rikenbomb
Ford Funderbird? Ford Fustang? :shrug:

Perhaps they can't get away with all of their lineups? Interesting idea though.

Mercury Mougar

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

 

[ElNino]

The Mustang problem hit the nail on the head, IMHO. Ford likes to use smaller engines to eck more HP than other companies, but will gimp it's own cars to keep them from stealing the 'stang's thunder. I personally deplore it. There are so many things that could have been, should have been, but weren't or were lowered in HP because of the 'Stang.