Mercury Marauder: A Forgotten 4-door with Mach 1 Power

Just like the ‘Terminator’ Mustang Cobra and New Edge Mach 1, the Mercury Marauder had a four-valve V8 and a short production run.

The last-generation Mercury Marauder that popular YouTuber David Patterson, aka ThatDudeinBlue, reviews in one of his latest videos definitely qualifies as a “sleeper.” It’s got more power than other more familiar sedans on the legendary Panther platform, such as the Ford Crown Victoria, but that’s not the only reason it deserves that title.

The Marauder gets sleeper credentials before you even take a look under its hood. According to Patterson, the brand Mercury itself is a bit of an unknown to a lot of the general public. “Ninety nine percent of people who come up to this car still think it’s a Crown Vic with different badges or they call it a Lincoln. They completely forget that Mercury even existed.” It’s not that hard to believe because Ford Motor Company shut down its mid-range brand nearly a decade ago.

Then there’s the Marauder’s short production run. Like the Terminator Cobra and New Edge Mach 1, the Grand Marquis’s jacked sibling was only on the market for the 2003 and 2004 model years.

That’s not the only thing the Marauder had in common with those Mustangs. While Mustang GTs, Crown Victorias, and Grand Marquis of the time used a two-valve-per-cylinder 4.6-liter V8 to get down the road, their high-performance counterparts used a more potent four-valve version (although the Terminator upped output even more with a supercharger). The Marauder cranked out 302 horsepower and 318 lb-ft of torque and routed it through a four-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive.

It’s a shame the Marauder flew so far under the radar because there’s a lot to like about it. In stock form, it has a cool, largely monochromatic exterior color scheme (the flames on the one you see here are aftermarket).

The full-size interior is roomy and comfortable. Patterson is pleasantly surprised by the Marauder’s handling. He says the body roll is “not as bad as I expected. I thought I was going to be having to input, moving the wheel all over the place in order to make this work, but no.”

Without a doubt, the star of the show is the Marauder’s engine. Patterson mashes his right foot down and gives it several opportunities to shine. It doesn’t disappoint. The hotter 4.6, 3.55 rear end, and aggressive shifts from the four-speed auto combine to give the Marauder a liveliness that’s fun to watch. It’s even more of a hoot to listen to. Patterson enjoys it as well. “The sound you get from this is so satisfying. You feel it in your bones.”

It’s especially disappointing that there aren’t more Marauders out there because we know a sure-fire way to make one of them into even more of a sleeper. We’ll sum it up in two words for you: Coyote swap.

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.