1968 Mercury Cougar Features A Unique Fastback Design
Read the full story on Backfire News
This custom 1968 Mercury Cougar as a fastback gives a glimpse of what could have been but wasn't. Perhaps back in the day it was understood that only the Mustang could have such a design, but one has to wonder had Mercury created such a thing, how would it have fared on the market. We'll never know for sure.What we do know is this creation from JF Kustoms out of Canada sure looks amazing. The designer said he wanted to build such a car for a long time, he just needed a client who wanted it. When that finally happened, the guy unleased his creative energies and pure magic ensued.
He tells Autotopia LA that he wanted to build the car as a believable concept from the late 60s, from the engine to the paint and interior, but with a bit of modern flair. We think he nailed that vibe.
Under the hood is a Boss 9 big block V8, which pushes about 770-horsepower naturally aspirated. Backing it is a Tremec 5-speed, which is great to see since even a lot of custom classic muscle cars feature automatics these days. There's also a Ford 9-inch, the same thing Chevy guys use.
Interestingly enough, the Cougar has been kept as a unibody. But there chassis has a lot of reinforcing elements, adding torsional rigidity to improve handling. The suspension and subframe were fabricated by the shop, as was the stainless steel, polished exhaust system.
The interior's design shows surprising restraint, considering this build could've been opulent. There are nice details, but it does look like something Mercury might have done in that era, including using wood trim and the same green as on the body. They even added small details like an ashtray.
You really need to watch the video review to fully appreciate this car. Plus you get to see it rip some burnouts and donuts.
Images via Autotopia LA/YouTube
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Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.0 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 10.0 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 9.0 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 155 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 153 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 312 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.99 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 18 mpg 75-mph Highway Driving: 24 mpg 75-mph Highway Range: 380 mi EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 17/14/23 mpg 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE Base/As Tested: $60,865/$73,205 ENGINE DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection Displacement: 307 in3, 5038 cm3 Power: 500 hp @ 7250 rpm Torque: 418 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink Brakes, F/R: 15.4-in vented disc/14.0-in vented disc Tires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS F: 305/30ZR-19 (98Y) R: 315/30ZR-19 (100Y) DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 107.0 in Length: 189.7 in Width: 75.5 in Height: 55.2 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 55/30 ft3 Trunk Volume: 13 ft3 Curb Weight: 3975 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 4.1 sec 100 mph: 9.7 sec 1/4-Mile: 12.5 sec @ 115 mph 130 mph: 16.4 sec 150 mph: 23.2 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.0 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.4 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.8 sec Top Speed (mfr's claim): 166 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 142 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 278 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.07 g EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 17/14/22 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More Features and Specs
