If you wanted to go fast but had a family or needed a full size car this might have been the car for you.
Mercury priced the Marauder at $29,900 was looking to Sell 15,000 of these cars per year. How did that work out? Well in today’s video we take a look at the 3rd generation Mercury Marauder.
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A transcript, created by AI and edited by a staffer, is below.
[Image: Tony’s Fords and Mustangs]
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Transcript:
Sometime in the early 2000s, someone at Ford decided it was time to build a hot rod again. Mercury appeared at the 2002 Chicago Auto Show with a nameplate that hadn’t been used in over 32 years: the Mercury Marauder. This first concept was a two-door convertible, but it never made it to production.
In 2003, Mercury introduced a production Marauder based on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor — a performance-oriented sedan that anyone could buy. It targeted buyers who wanted a fast car but still needed four doors and trunk space. Priced at $29,900, Mercury hoped to sell 15,000 units annually.
The 2003 Mercury Marauder was released in May 2002 as a 2003 model. Built on the Panther platform, it combined a Crown Victoria Police Interceptor chassis with a Grand Marquis front end, Ford’s performance components, and unique styling touches. The car featured Grand Marquis front sheet metal, Crown Victoria taillights, and a body-color trunk panel. Chrome trim was limited to the wheels and Mercury badges, with the rest finished in black, including the non-reflective headlamp and taillamp surfaces. Exclusive bumper covers housed fog lamps in the front and dual exhaust cutouts in the rear, with “Marauder” stamped into the back panel. Black was the only color available at launch, with Dark Blue Pearl and Dark Shadow Gray added later.
Power came from a 4.6-liter DOHC V8 producing 302 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, borrowed from the 2003 Mustang Mach 1. It was paired with a 4R70W four-speed automatic transmission, a limited-slip 3.55 rear differential, and an aluminum driveshaft. Suspension upgrades included higher-rate coil springs, heavy-duty sway bars, and a wider track for improved stability. Steering was handled by a variable-rate rack-and-pinion system.
The Marauder rode on exclusive 18×8-inch forged aluminum five-spoke wheels with Mercury’s winged head logo in the center, wrapped in BF Goodrich G-Force T/A tires (P235/50ZR18 front, P245/55ZR18 rear). Braking came from larger four-wheel discs with ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, and panic brake assist.
Inside, the Marauder was available only in shades of gray. It came with eight-way power leather bucket seats embossed with the Mercury logo, a floor shifter, and a center console. The dashboard had a gunmetal “dot matrix” finish and white-face gauges, including a 140-mph speedometer, 7,000-RPM tachometer, and additional oil pressure and voltmeter gauges in the console. Standard equipment included an AM/FM CD/cassette stereo with steering wheel controls, an overhead console, and model-specific floor mats. Options were limited to a moonroof, a trunk organizer, and a six-disc CD changer.
Performance testing typically produced mid-15-second quarter-mile times, with a chip-limited top speed of 117 mph. The automotive press gave mixed reviews — praising ride and handling but calling for more power. Car and Driver famously wrote that “hot rodding a Grand Marquis is a little bit like making bourbon out of Geritol.”
Despite early media attention, sales fell short. Mercury sold 11,502 units for 2003, far below its target. For 2004, changes were minimal — a new 4R75W automatic transmission and additional colors, including Dark Toreador Red Metallic and Silver Birch Metallic. Sales dropped further to just 3,214 units in 2004.
Enthusiasts have often speculated that the Marauder’s limited success came down to its engine choice. At the time, Ford offered a supercharged 4.6-liter V8 with 390 horsepower in the Mustang Cobra — an engine many believe the Marauder should have received. Without it, the Marauder never fully delivered on its performance potential.
