Doug's version is

 

Although a tad over the top, I really like your design Doug...
Surprise there

Peter

 

DAAAMMNNN now that this sure looks MEAN and a little bit ugly... but i dont mined having one...

 

Thats perfect, thats what they need to build, put a 4.6L in the base, 5.4L in the XR7, and maybe a supercharged 5.4 in a GTE.

 

Lose the grill and side exhaust, and it will be perfect

 

I agree, a Cougar based off the new Mustang would be cool. But, considering the condition Ford is in, I don't think it would be worth the trouble.
I've always liked the old Cougars, and even liked the Cougars when they were based off the T-Birds. I think its a good name plate that has some credibility.
But, IMO if Ford ever expects Mercury to succeed, they need to differentiate products more.

 

I'd put the horse in front of the cart and say FoMoCo, especially Mercury, is in the dire condition it's in BECAUSE they didn't take the trouble to do the proper car investment and development. Rather, they got fat, happy and complacent with the shortsighted strategy of putting pretty much all their eggs in the truck/SUV basket. Worked great for a while during the salad days of cheap oil but that business plan has proved to be none too robust and very vulnerable to changing market conditions.

Now Ford and Mercury find themselves between a rock and a hard place with few truly competitive cars and scarce development resources to quickly and effectively flesh out its product lines.

A D2C-based Cougar -- as an up-market coupe placed above the Stang -- would make a nice halo car of sorts provided that Mercury has both the will and wherewithal to make it happen.

 

Mercury has been dying a slow death since 1961.

Up through the 1960 model year, Mercuries were made with different frames, longer wheel bases and different engines than Fords.

Starting with the 1961 Model year, Mercuries used the same intermal mechanicals, frames & unibodies as Fords. Merc engines also were more like Fords, although there were still some unique displacements like the 410, they were now made by making different combinations of standard Ford parts.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Mercs further degenerated to being essentually Fords with different grilles and tail lights. Without any real differentiation the Merc brand has continued to fade away. In the 90s some feeble attempts were made to give Mercury unique vehicles such as the Villiger and New Edge Cougar, Merc quickly abondoned those vehicles deeming them to be NOT profitable.

While emotionally I'd love to see the Cougar return as a more luxurious version of the Mustang, I just can't see a viable buisiness case that would make a Cougar that is substantially differentiated from the Mustang a profitable vehicle. (longer wheelbase, uinque sheet metal, significantly different interior, etc.)

Last I heard Ford pretty much said the same thing, a Cougar version of the Mustang was a NO GO, although Ford was still considering a Lincoln version as the significant price premium for a Lincoln version could justify the tooling & engineering costs.

 

If the headlight grills angled in vs out I think it would look hella mean!

 

i love your idea doug, thats just plain out mean looking

 

I think they should do it, theres a market segment out there for a car like that, but no ones noticed it yet. Ford has nothing above the Mustang, why not? Thats where this Cougar should come in at, not in the Mustang segment, but in a whole different class above it. The reason this car will sell is because of the baby boomers. They have grown up now, they have jobs, they work hard, they make good money, some of them are getting close to retirement. Many of them have children, and those children have grown up too. So now it's just them, they've gone through their German car phase, and now spending $100,000 on a car just seems ridculous. They want a good ol' American car but they don't want a mustang, they want something nicer, they can afford it, plus they don't want somthing with four doors they don't need it, the kids are gone, and to them having only 2 doors is a sign of freedom. But Ford dosen't make that car, and thats a problem. This is where the Cougar should come in. Its got the freedom of 2 doors, its got that American V8 under the hood, and you can show it off to your neighbor who drives a BMW.

 

I'd buy a retro Cougar. It isn't that retro is in or out. Different is always in style, plain and simple. If every one makes there car look like a Toyota whatever. The first one that makes a car look like something else is a winner. Ford has more bad ideas then good these days. I knew the new Mustang would be a winner. As a matter of fact I have been able to tell the winners from the losers in the Ford world for Years now, many many years. Longer than some of you have been on this earth. They wanted to make the mustang a front wheel drive car. We changed there mind. They still produced it but called it a Probe. Complete failure. We had saved the mustang from a certain death. So what did they do then. Turned around and made a new Probe and put the name Cougar on it. Guess what. Certain death for the Cougar. A death it and the Mercury brand may never recover from. A Cougar off the Mustang platform is just what they need. Its a good platform. Yet we only have the one car on it. I don't even care if its the same wheelbase or not. The cars are getting to large and to heavy as it is. The main thing I would like to see in a new Mercury Cougar Mustang sibling is a luxury car interior. Something plush and comfortable as a Lincoln with Mustang underpinnings. Style will never be out of style. But boring will always be boring.

Just to point out another mistake ford seams to be addicted to. The Fusion is a nice car. It is really sharp for a midsized ford. What is the big plan now at Ford Motor Company. Lets make all Fords look like a Fusion. In other words. Lets cheapen the look until everyone hates it as quickly as possible. Then they'll wonder why sales have fallen off so fast. And then it will have to be replaced with a brand new car on a brand new platform with a brand new name. Ford needs to fire designers who design another cookie cutter car after cookie cutter car. Ford needs to go back to what made Detroit great to begin with. Cars with style. In the good old days people would flock to dealerships to see what the next great design would look like. It didn't matter if they could afford a new car or not. Everyone had to see the new and unique shape of the new car. Today from a side view. I couldn't tell you one manufacturer from another. There all the same. The Mustang is an exception to this.

Well I had more to say. But all I'm doing is ranting at this point. And I suppose I got my point out.

 

amen!

 

Right on BigBlock!!!!!!

 

If Mercury doesn't do something, it'll end up like Oldsmobile... DEAD. They should build it. But it'll take more than one car to turn the Mercury image around to the younger generations. But it can be done. It may be a different price/car category, but I remember when people in their twenty's thought Cadillac's were for old people. Since they changed the body image a few years back, I've met all sorts of of guys 20 to 30 that now dig Cadillacs. Cadillac will be here tomorrow because they made it hip to the people that can afford a Cadillac tomorrow. Mercury needs to do the same in order to survive except that it'll be affordable for guys in the 20's and 30's. And a new Cougar properly done would be a great start to change the image Mercury has. Btw, I'm not classing Mercury with Cadillac together. Just pointing out that a different image approach can work.

Bravo Doug. It looks really sweet and show's the heritage really well. I would've picked it up over my 06 Stang.

I think a Cougar concept could take a sample of of the Mercury El Gato concept as well. The rear end looks sick! It really should've been produced. http://www.carstyling.ru/car.asp?id=2142

 

I thought I'd seen another thread on this. It was on BlueOvalNews: http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums...e=post&id=1566

 

Reality check time, lets assume they make a new cougar based on the mustang chassis... Who would buy a mercury cougar instead of a mustang?

Not me. Mercury is about the most uncool brand in my book. Seriously, it's not needed. A new cougar would not benefit the Mustang at all. I want the designers and engineers to stay focused on making sure the Mustang continues to be the best pony car.

 

I would. And thats exactly why they need to build it. They need to turn mercurys image around.

 

I own a few Cougars right now and a 01 Bullitt Mustang.....if they built it right I'd buy one Neil.....but I'm also 44 and have been driving Cougars since I was 16...maybe I'm the demographic they should target....ya think?

 

I'm 41 and my first car was a 69 Cougar with a 390. Would love to replace that baby with a new one.