1979 Mercury Cougar vs. 2003 Panoz Esperante
To start off, 2003 Panoz Esperante is newer by 24 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1979 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1979 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 4,942 cc (8 cylinders), 1979 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 2003 Panoz Esperante (318 HP @ 6000 RPM) has 184 more horse power than 1979 Mercury Cougar. (134 HP @ 3400 RPM) In normal driving conditions, 2003 Panoz Esperante should accelerate faster than 1979 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1979 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 585 kg more than 2003 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, 2003 Panoz Esperante (426 Nm @ 4750 RPM) has 90 more torque (in Nm) than 1979 Mercury Cougar. (336 Nm @ 1600 RPM). This means 2003 Panoz Esperante will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1979 Mercury Cougar.
Compare all specifications:
| 1979 Mercury Cougar | 2003 Panoz Esperante | |
| Make | Mercury | Panoz |
| Model | Cougar | Esperante |
| Year Released | 1979 | 2003 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 4942 cc | 4601 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 8 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | V |
| Horse Power | 134 HP | 318 HP |
| Engine RPM | 3400 RPM | 6000 RPM |
| Torque | 336 Nm | 426 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 1600 RPM | 4750 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1855 kg | 1270 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 5480 mm | 4480 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 2010 mm | 1860 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1340 mm | 1360 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2910 mm | 2720 mm |
