1970 Mercury Cougar vs. 2006 Panoz Esperante
To start off, 2006 Panoz Esperante is newer by 36 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1970 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1970 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 5,769 cc (8 cylinders), 1970 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 2006 Panoz Esperante (305 HP @ 5800 RPM) has 138 more horse power than 1970 Mercury Cougar. (167 HP @ 4000 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 2006 Panoz Esperante should accelerate faster than 1970 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1970 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 115 kg more than 2006 Panoz Esperante.
Both vehicles are rear wheel drive (RWD) - it offers better handling in dry conditions; in addition, if you are looking to drift, both vehicles do the job better than front wheel drive vehicles. With that said, do keep in mind that many other factors such as speed and the wear on your tires can also have significant impact on traction and control. Let's talk about torque, 2006 Panoz Esperante (434 Nm @ 4200 RPM) has 71 more torque (in Nm) than 1970 Mercury Cougar. (363 Nm @ 2400 RPM). This means 2006 Panoz Esperante will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1970 Mercury Cougar.
Compare all specifications:
| 1970 Mercury Cougar | 2006 Panoz Esperante | |
| Make | Mercury | Panoz |
| Model | Cougar | Esperante |
| Year Released | 1970 | 2006 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Convertible |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 5769 cc | 4589 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | V |
| Valves per Cylinder | 2 valves | 4 valves |
| Horse Power | 167 HP | 305 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4000 RPM | 5800 RPM |
| Torque | 363 Nm | 434 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 2400 RPM | 4200 RPM |
| Engine Bore Size | 101.7 mm | 90.2 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 88.8 mm | 90 mm |
| Engine Compression Ratio | 8.6:1 | 9.8:1 |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Transmission Type | Manual | Manual |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1650 kg | 1535 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5840 mm | 4730 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2000 mm | 1870 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1340 mm | 1360 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2860 mm | 2700 mm |
