1971 Chevrolet Corvette vs. 1972 Mercury Cougar
To start off, 1972 Mercury Cougar is newer by 1 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1971 Chevrolet Corvette. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1971 Chevrolet Corvette would be higher. At 5,769 cc (8 cylinders), 1972 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1971 Chevrolet Corvette (330 HP @ 5600 RPM) has 163 more horse power than 1972 Mercury Cougar. (167 HP @ 4000 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1971 Chevrolet Corvette should accelerate faster than 1972 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1972 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 127 kg more than 1971 Chevrolet Corvette.
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, 1971 Chevrolet Corvette (488 Nm @ 4000 RPM) has 125 more torque (in Nm) than 1972 Mercury Cougar. (363 Nm @ 2400 RPM). This means 1971 Chevrolet Corvette will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1972 Mercury Cougar.
Compare all specifications:
| 1971 Chevrolet Corvette | 1972 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | Chevrolet | Mercury |
| Model | Corvette | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1971 | 1972 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 5733 cc | 5769 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | in-line |
| Horse Power | 330 HP | 167 HP |
| Engine RPM | 5600 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 488 Nm | 363 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 4000 RPM | 2400 RPM |
| Engine Bore Size | 101.7 mm | 101.6 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 88.4 mm | 88.8 mm |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1529 kg | 1656 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4640 mm | 5080 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1760 mm | 1920 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1220 mm | 1310 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2500 mm | 2860 mm |
