2003 Mercury Marauder VT

In the mid '90s, Chevrolet resurrected its legendary Impala SS nameplate in the form of an attitude-laden, LT1 V-8-powered, aggressive-looking muscle sedan. The short-lived '94-'96 Impala SS engendered an enthusiastic following that continues today.

Mercury picked up on the formula this year by offering the muscular Marauder. Oddly enough, it hasn't caught on like the Chevy did, despite having more horsepower, a tighter suspension, and a beefier wheel/tire package than the Impala SS. As soon as the Mercury hit the showrooms, sales flagged (we hear the program is unofficially cancelled). To have succeeded, we feel the Marauder needed to be more aggressive still: more punch, better brakes, and even more attitude. And that's where VT Competition comes in, filling our wish list in Costco-size portions.

The first step in VT's tuneup program is more power--as in a lot more. Buyers can choose from three engine-upgrade combinations: a Paxton-supercharged stock V-8, a naturally aspirated stroker V-8, or a stroked and blown V-8. Naturally, we tested the double-whammy package.

VT starts by removing and disassembling the stock 4.6-liter DOHC V-8. A forged-steel long-stroke crankshaft teams with Oliver billet rods attached to custom-machined JE forged pistons. A Paxton Novi 2000 centrifugal supercharger packs 12psi boost through an aluminum, suitcase-size front-mounted intercooler before it pressurizes the now-5.0-liter engine.

A free-breathing air inlet and Pro-M 80mm mass air meter improve flow on the intake side; the rest is handled by Random Technology's high-flow catalytic converters mated to a custom 2.5-inch stainless-steel dual-exhaust system. The result is a blaring, wicked sound, but one that may be a bit too raucous for a corporate exec taking clients to lunch.

VT's chassis dyno tests reveal 430 rear-wheel horsepower--an impressive 85-percent increase over the stock Marauder. The result moves the 4200-pound muscle sedan 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds. Stomping the brake pedal from 60 will halt the VT in just 129 feet, thanks to easy-to-modulate Baer Racing alloy calipers clamping two-piece, cross-drilled 14-inch rotors.