SVT and Marauder

[dok]

Autoweek on line has an interview with John Coletti, director of Ford's SVT operations. He briefly mentions the Marauder. Here is that section:

The Mercury Marauder is not selling as well as expected. Has the Special Vehicle Team been asked to fix it?
It's a Mercury brand. I'm working on the next SVTs right now. What does the Marauder need? More power. I'm leaving behind the engine in the Mustang Cobra and Lightning. Either one of these would make that an absolute kick-ass car. We are leaving stuff on the parts shelf that can do the job.

If you want to see the rest of what he has to say, here is the link:

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autow eek&cat_code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=00834102

[merc406]

Is their an out spoken person for the Marauder? , Phil Smoker isn't saying much after the advertizing blitz they put on before it came to the show rooms.

[Bigdogjim]

He did not say much. We all know that the MM needs more power.We know Roush did the engine for Mercury, not SVT ,yet he says it's a Mercury brand? Then why did SVT do the Lincoln Aviator? Double speak? Don't think you will ever see the SVT logo on a Mercury dealership....He also said that he does not want to see his vehicles all over the place. Ha! Mercury beat him on that one!
Big Dog

[Macon Marauder]

Originally posted by Bigdogjim
He did not say much. We all know that the MM needs more power.We know Roush did the engine for Mercury, not SVT ,yet he says it's a Mercury brand? Then why did SVT do the Lincoln Aviator? Double speak? Don't think you will ever see the SVT logo on a Mercury dealership....He also said that he does not want to see his vehicles all over the place. Ha! Mercury beat him on that one!
Big Dog

Yeah, hard to tell from the written word sometimes, but the article gives me the impression that he can't be bothered.

I think he's also making a mistake if he seriously discounts the viper-powered ram as competition for the Lightning.

Ford can't afford to get all smug now - not even at SVT.

[MAD-3R]

Al he has to go on is their published numbers, hence the "sandbagging" comment. He's not discounting it, he just feels it should be performing BETTER then Mopars numbers are saying.

[Macon Marauder]

Originally posted by MAD-3R
Al he has to go on is their published numbers, hence the "sandbagging" comment. He's not discounting it, he just feels it should be performing BETTER then Mopars numbers are saying.

Maybe so, but the way he asnwered the question "sounded" to me like a non-answer. And are those really Mopar numbers?

Here's what Edmund's says: "The truck burns rubber in a pretty impressive way, with Dodge claiming a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of 5.0 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds at 106 miles per hour."

Funny - that's what Mr. SVT was expecting...

[prchrman]

Man do I envy John C.....what a job... make cars go fast and handle...make big bucks...we pay to do that...

[RF Overlord]

in Willie Anglin's sig:
Ageing is inevitable but you can always stay immature.

ROFL, Willie...when my wife asks me (frequently): "Aren't you a little OLD for that...?" I always tell her: "You're never too old to be immature!"... Nice to hear someone else say it, though...

:lol:

[Diocles]

According to SVT: "Coletti's team fit the SVT Lightning concept with an all-aluminum, 5.4-liter DOHC supercharged and intercooled V-8 engine conservatively rated at 500 horsepower and 500 foot pounds of torque (SAE net). "

Of course the key word here is "concept." The concept Lightning also has a 6-speed manual transmission. There will be no '04 Lightning but will reappear in its 3rd generation form in '05.

[CanMar]

I thought it was interesting the statement. "Its a Mercury".... Like it was a diesese or something!

[SergntMac]

Originally posted by CanMar
I thought it was interesting the statement. "Its a Mercury".... Like it was a diesese or something!

Getting "petty" comes naturally, when you have to share top dog status, just read some of the posts here...