Tuesday 7th January 2003

Mercury Messenger

Another stylish coupe unveiled in Detroit

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[MEMSDesign]

Yuck. Don't like it at all.

[apache]

shades of Stratos perhaps? which can't be a bad thing, back end is a bit confused though

[danmangt40]

I see some 60s stingray in there. I think this could be turned into a really gorgeous production vehicle. Lord knows Mercury needs a new image. Lincoln doesn't have a coupe right now, and the mountaineer was just rendered mis-range by the new aviator. Mercury needs a high-profit, high-image product, and this could be it, although looking at the daring headlights... I can't help thinking that this car looks like it was produced just to let the public know that mercury is still in business, and this is another empty promise. the mustang, GT, thunderbird SC, 427 all represent more pressing and feasible projects. the messenger is just another compuer-generated blip on the radar.

[Johnny Freon]

Hope you're wrong Dan as I think it looks really good, especially the side profile which does indeed remind one of a Stratos. The rear does need a little work. It is not an outlandish concept either, in fact looks quite realistic.

I do wish the American makers would just get over the V8 fetish already (or at least convert to flat cranks so they don't sound like a jackhammer in an empty warehouse), I can see this thing with a twin turbo V6 - yum!

J

[PetrolTed]

Interesting that you're not into the V8 thing Jonny. We can't get enough of them here.

[Johnny Freon]

I think the trouble is there's far too many of them here and most car guys around here are into muscle cars; thus me always being a bit perverse, was attracted to small-displacement engines instead.

I'd cheerfully trade you guys a shipload of '60s musclecars for a shipload of Lotuses, Caterhams, and Nobles

J

[katem]

interior looks like 70's star wars....

[Twin Turbo]

No thanks....I much prefer the new Mustang concept.

I know the side window profile is very "Stratos", but then Pininfarina also copied this for the recent Ford Start (I think that was what it was called) concept. Didn't like that either.

[Kezlar]

I think the mercury messenger is the bomb! I'll buy it today if it were in the dealer ships.

[Kezlar]

I think it's the bomb! I'd buy it today if it were in the dealerships.

[mikeylad]

i think it WILL bomb. which is a shame cos its pretty. ford couldn't make a decent sportscar if Porsche gave them a 'Make a Good Sportscar Kit' and included a load of engineers and designers with it.

Hopeless. Ford should stop making dull cars and great concepts. Maybe they should have the respective teams working in the same office and sharing a water-cooler and bog. Its like two different companies at the moment.

[GavinPearson]

I don't necessarily agree about the statement couldn't make a decent car - the GT will be, and the Mustang is, it's just that the criteria for judging it are different. The competition crieria in the USA is mostly the drag strip, so a live rear axle and 4.6 V8 provide the ingredients to make it successful.

>> Edited by GavinPearson on Monday 26th May 02:29

[mikeylad]

point taken gavin,
i was referring to FoB, really, but acknowledge that Ford can (and do) make a decent sportscar for the US market.

A follow-up question. is there anything besides 'cubes' and styling required for a good American Sportscar?

[GavinPearson]

If you get a chance to read Car and Driver or Road and Track you'll see that the performance oriented mag journos do look for cornering ability too.

I think there are a core of people just as interested in fast European machinery as most PHers, the problem is the accessability to it is lower and the price is a lot higher. So people go with what they can afford. Hence people buying Mustangs / Camaros and drag racing them, and having a Corvette to solve the mid-life crisis.

I have a Lotus / Morgan / intersting European Cars dealer half a mile from my house. He wanted $60,000 for an Elise (GBP 40K). Secondhand machinery loses value a lot slower than that in the UK. So economics, not attitude are a large factor in the situation.