Mercury Marauder
The nearest thing to driving a police car
By Michael Binstock
Acorn Automotive Editor

Watching a police chase on TV is fascinating. It holds the attention of millions of viewers—watching a car, truck or van being followed by a swarm of black and whites. I tend to focus on the squad cars, and I bet many of us have wanted to drive a police cruiser just to see how it performs and handles.

Ford’s Mercury division will allow you to get behind the wheel of the all-new 2003 Mercury Marauder, a car that’s the closest thing to a police interceptor that civilians can drive. Based on the Grand Marquis, the Marauder shares the motor, transmission and suspension with Ford’s police package cars. It also delivers a 1960s’ American muscle car experience with contemporary driving dynamics, comfort, safety and low emissions.

The Marauder name was first introduced back in 1963 as a performance package and then as its own nameplate in 1969. The 2003 Marauder sedan is powered by a normally aspirated, all-aluminum 4.6-liter DOHC V-8 with four valves per cylinder that produces 302 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 318 foot-pounds of torque at 4,300 rpm. Premium unleaded fuel is fed to the engine through a dual-bore 57-mm throttle body and high-flow fuel injectors. The compression ratio is 10.1:1. This is a powerful engine that moves a very heavy car very fast.

To reduce exhaust back pressure–and to make a bold visual and auditory statement–the engine has two-inch diameter high-flow stainless steel exhaust pipes through the hot end and 2.25-inch tailpipes out of the muffler with three-inch stainless steel tips. Under acceleration, the exhaust note is aggressive, with the unmistakable sound of a large American V-8 engine. However, overall sound levels are very subdued when cruising, creating a surprisingly tranquil cabin.

Marauder uses a heavy-duty four-speed transmission with overdrive that allows the driver to really work the torque through the gears. For amazing off-the-line performance, Mercury added a reinforced 111 1/2-inch high stall speed torque converter with a heavy-duty one-inch, one-way clutch.

The Marauder chassis is capable of delivering a combination of ride, handling, braking and safety performance unattainable in the muscle car era. At the core is a frame that resists twisting and bending and allows the suspension components to operate more efficiently. It also limits the transmission of noise, vibration and harshness into the body structure.

To reduce front suspension lateral compliance for crisp turn-in with reduced body roll, the Marauder uses a 28-mm solid front stabilizer bar system. This system provides enhanced on-center steering response and better high-speed lane change stability, used in police high speed driving techniques.The rear air springs help maintain the car’s ride height even when the trunk is fully loaded and are very effective at absorbing minor road imperfections.

The combination of air springs and monotube dampers also is effective at managing the unsprung mass of the solid axle, which keeps the rear of the vehicle firmly planted during cornering on rough roads or washboard surfaces. A 21-mm solid rear stabilizer bar, which uses rubber bushings, further improves body roll and tracking.

To put the power to the ground, the Marauder features specially selected 18-inch x 8-inch, eight-spoke forged aluminum-alloy wheels shod with ultra-high-performance BFGoodrich g-Force T/A tires. The P245/55WR18 rear tires have a higher aspect ratio than the P235/50WR18 front tires to give the car a muscle car rake. The rear tires also have a slightly larger contact patch for maximum traction under acceleration. These tires have an asymmetrical tread with sidewall inserts to enhance steering response. In addition, the steel belts are reinforced with spiral-wound nylon to provide high-speed durability while minimizing weight and optimizing ride quality. The image of the Roman god Mercury is cast into each of the wheel caps to further communicate the car’s personality and heritage. Marauder also features 12.0-inch ventilated front and 11.6-inch ventilated rear brake rotors, and twin-piston front and single-piston rear calipers.

The body of the Marauder is finished in only one color, a black gloss paint. Non-functional areas of the headlamp units are blacked-out, and the tail-lamp bezels are dark-tinted to continue the serious but understated appearance.

Unmistakable but subtle performance cues include the high output Cibie fog lamps integrated into the fascia, the three-inch polished exhaust tips and the Marauder name embossed on the rear bumper.

The inside of the car is pure luxury. Dual eight-way-power reclining bucket seats are appointed in rich dark charcoal leather with classic French seam stitching derived from vintage Marauders. The seats have extra padding for better thigh, lumbar and shoulder support.

Power adjustable accelerator and brake pedals are standard to help accommodate taller and shorter drivers. Modern, technical-looking dot-matrix gray trim gives the appearance of carbon fiber and accents the instrument and door panels.

A leather-wrapped floor shifter highlights the floor console area that flows into space for two cupholders and a storage bin for CDs and cell phones.

The satin-aluminum gauges include a 7,000-rpm tachometer that redlines at 6,250 rpm. The 140-mph speedometer has a red-lit Marauder graphic and high-performance oil-pressure and voltmeter gauges are located just in front of the shifter.

My test car had a 100-watt Alpine AM/FM/CD/cassette player with an additional six-CD changer in the trunk. Four speakers and a rear subwoofer provide excellent sound quality.

This is a big car with lots of passenger room but with a trunk that is partially occupied by a full size spare, the sub-woofer and the cross member cladding that cuts down on space.

With all its size and power, the Marauder is an easy car to drive, and on the freeway, it seemed as if traffic just melted away in front of me.

Could it be that in a rear view mirror it looks just like a "you know what"?

Vista Lincoln Mercury has a Marauder available. Go be like Broderick Crawford.