Mercury Marauder

Mercury Marauder
Mercury
Years	2003-2004
Production	11,052 Made
Class	Full-size Luxury Sport Sedan
Body Style	4-Door Sedan
Length	212.0 in.
Width	84.5 in.
Height	58.3 in.
Wheelbase	114.6 in.
Weight	4195 lbs
Transmission	4-speed Automatic
Engine	4.6L Romeo Modular V8 DOHC
Power	302 hp @ 5750 rpm
Similar	Mercury Grand Marquis Pontiac Bonneville Buick Park Avenue
Platform	Panther

The Mercury Marauder was produced from 2003 to 2004 by Mercury as a "high-performance" version of the Mercury Grand Marquis.

The 2003 Mercury Marauder was based on the Ford Panther platform, which utilizes a hydroformed steel frame, front rack and pinion steering, and totally revised front and rear suspension with monotube shock absorbers. The Marauder had a naturally aspirated 4.6L DOHC Modular V8 Engine with 302 hp and 318 ft·lbf torque. The Marauder was discontinued in 2004 mostly due to lackluster sales, an incorrect target audience, and a lack of major advertising or marketing of the car. Originally, Marauders were produced in "any color the customer desired, so long as it was black." Eventually, the Marauder was offered in silver, blue, and red, but in limited quantities.

Aftermarket parts availability for the Marauder is high, but expensive due to the low number of orders. Mercurymarauder.net is currently one the largest online community for the 2003-2004 Marauder. Another of the largest Marauder forums is www.MotorCityMarauders.com The Motor City Marauder Car Club is based out of Detroit, Michigan, and is the home of the largest Marauder Club in the World. The Motor City Club annually hosts a National Marauder Meet at the Woodward Dream Cruise which draws around 100 of these rare Marauders from all over the Country. On the Motor City Site, the Project Manager for the Mercury Marauder Program, Steve Babcock, will answer Marauder history and program development questions that anyone may have. This is a great resource of Marauder history from the 60's to present day. Steve Babcock is the man responsible for the development and production of the Marauder.

Trilogy Motorsports in Dearborn, Michigan, outfits Marauders with a custom Eaton supercharger which has put several Marauders into the 11-second 1/4 mile bracket.

A concept convertible model was created, but never entered production. This may have been an homage to the two-door Marauders of the past.

After the Marauder was discontinued, the Ford Crown Victoria LX Sport remained, bearing a similar appearance to the Marauder but powered by the lesser 4.6L 2-valve SOHC V8 engine rated at 239 hp. The LX Sport also includes a softer suspension and different axle ratio then the Marauder. The LX Sport offers smillar exterior and interior features as the Marauder such as the center floor shifter, dual exhaust (LX Sport does not have exhaust tips) and a monochromatic exterior but the LX Sport does have some styling differences. For instance, the LX Sport features wood grain trim on the dashboard and doors, unlike the Marauder, which had Satin Aluminum , a 120 mph speedometer, unlike the Marauder's 140 mph speedometer, and LX Sport's bucket seats are smaller. The LX Sport exterior is also similar at first glance to the Marauder's, but there are differences between the two vehicles; for instance the LX Sport has 17 inch aluminum wheels compared to the Marauder's 18 inch Chrome Wheels.

Total production for the 2003 - 2004 Mercury Marauder was 11,052:

• 2003 - Total: 7839 (328 Blue, 417 Silver, 7094 Black)
• 2004 - Total: 3213 (980 Dark Toreador Red, 997 Silver, 1236 Black)

Photos

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  2003 Mercury Marauder

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  Rear

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  Profile

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  Interior

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  2004 Mercury Marauder

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  2004 Mercury Marauder

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  2004 Mercury Marauder

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  Mercury Signature Waterfall Logo

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  Original Mercury Marauder Winged Messenger Logo

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  2004 Mercury Lineup