1981 BMW 520 vs. 1981 Mercury Cougar
To start off, both 1981 BMW 520 and 1981 Mercury Cougar were released in the same year (1981). Therefore the support and the availability on parts for both vehicles should be relatively similar. At 3,797 cc (6 cylinders), 1981 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1981 BMW 520 (123 HP @ 5800 RPM) has 9 more horse power than 1981 Mercury Cougar. (114 HP @ 4000 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1981 BMW 520 should accelerate faster than 1981 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1981 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 136 kg more than 1981 BMW 520.
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, 1981 Mercury Cougar (237 Nm @ 2600 RPM) has 67 more torque (in Nm) than 1981 BMW 520. (170 Nm @ 4000 RPM). This means 1981 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1981 BMW 520.
Compare all specifications:
| 1981 BMW 520 | 1981 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | BMW | Mercury |
| Model | 520 | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1981 | 1981 |
| Body Type | Sedan | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 1991 cc | 3797 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 6 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 123 HP | 114 HP |
| Engine RPM | 5800 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 170 Nm | 237 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 4000 RPM | 2600 RPM |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 4 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1220 kg | 1356 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4630 mm | 4960 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1710 mm | 1810 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1430 mm | 1370 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2630 mm | 2690 mm |
