First Look: 2003 Mercury Marauder
By Jack Keebler
It took them long enough. Mercury finally put a production date on the rowdy Marauder. Motivated by a 300-hp 32-valve DOHC V-8, this fast-lane five-passenger transport arrives next summer as an '03 model. Based on the staid-to-the-bone Grand Marquis, the new Merc boasts a brassy Mustang Cobra-like exhaust note, a high-stall torque converter in its four-speed automatic, and racing-style instrumentation, including a 140-mph speedo, a 7000-rpm tach, temperature and oil pressure gauges, and a voltmeter.
It rolls on a performance (firm) suspension with 18-in. tires mounted on chrome alloy wheels. Shocks, springs, and stabilizer bars all are unique, say project managers Steve Babcock and Bill Dear. Reports from the '99 SEMA show, where we first saw the Marauder, said that the beast would pack the longer stroke 5.4L SOHC V-8. But Mercury insiders say they quickly realized that engine wouldn't fit. Instead, the Cobra's DOHC 4.6 has been tweaked with a special low-restriction exhaust and what are described as "truck cams" to pump up bottom-end grunt. A 3.55:1 rear axle with limited slip further ensures that this cruiser will launch with the appropriate enthusiasm. Naturally, it initially will be offered only in black, but two more colors eventually will be added to the options list.