Ford’s Mercury division is a brand that some might still feel fondly for despite its closing down around 11 years ago. It just wasn’t a money-maker in the end, but it sure had its day with the Cougar.
That Cougar model went through many changes, but it’s the iconic first-generation pony car with the hidden lights and muscular body that won hearts and emptied its share of wallets.
Today, ironically enough, the fondness for upmarket and ‘premium’-style vehicles is rising and today the Mercury brand could perhaps be more successful than ever.
If the Mercury Cougar got a 2023 muscle car-resurrection, it would look a little different. Instagram renderer JLord8 is here with his take on how that might take shape if it got the green light from Ford.
The Modern Mercury Cougar Render Shares Parts From The Ford Mustang
When you’ve read the title, you know what’s coming but even so, the custom car render sure has more than a little of the classic pony car’s ethos.
That vintage car was a relative to the Ford Mustang and was in fact more of a pony car than muscle car, with an upmarket feel and an image that was hard to resist. In the render, it looks very muscular and long, with a Dodge Challenger-kind of vibe, the waistline and rear are pure modern Ford Mustang though which is where the artist gets his template.
Up front is where the action is and arguably where the 1967-onwards Cougar’s most idiosyncratic and recognizable features lie.
Rendering A Classic Mercury Cougar For 2023 With This Modded Pony Car
Of course, the iconic black grille is here, with the lights presumable behind the classic swiveling doors, without this feature the Cougar would simply be one in name only.
There’s no reason this couldn’t get executed in 2023 with the proliferation of opening-and-shutting grilles such as in modern BMWs. It also has a forward-slanting front grille area up to the hood tip, similarly to classic BMWs of old. In terms of engine choices, the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 makes the most sense.
In the true spirit of being a proper Mercury, this car would come with various features, options, and comfort levels above that of the Mustang, positioning it as a more luxury sports coupe.
Imagine this with a powerful electric powertrain and it could be part of the Ford lineup for next year. However, we'd take ours with a powerful V8 engine and a 6-speed manual transmission.