1984 Lotus Esprit vs. 1980 Mercury Cougar
To start off, 1984 Lotus Esprit is newer by 4 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1980 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1980 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 3,271 cc (6 cylinders), 1980 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1984 Lotus Esprit (158 HP @ 6500 RPM) has 61 more horse power than 1980 Mercury Cougar. (97 HP @ 4000 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1984 Lotus Esprit should accelerate faster than 1980 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1980 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 263 kg more than 1984 Lotus Esprit.
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, 1980 Mercury Cougar (218 Nm @ 1400 RPM) has 1 more torque (in Nm) than 1984 Lotus Esprit. (217 Nm @ 5000 RPM). This means 1980 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1984 Lotus Esprit.
Compare all specifications:
| 1984 Lotus Esprit | 1980 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | Lotus | Mercury |
| Model | Esprit | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1984 | 1980 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Middle | Front |
| Engine Size | 2174 cc | 3271 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 4 cylinders | 6 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 158 HP | 97 HP |
| Engine RPM | 6500 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 217 Nm | 218 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 5000 RPM | 1400 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 2 seats | 5 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1067 kg | 1330 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4200 mm | 4960 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1860 mm | 1810 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1120 mm | 1370 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2490 mm | 2690 mm |
