1986 Lotus Excel vs. 1972 Mercury Monterey
To start off, 1986 Lotus Excel is newer by 14 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1972 Mercury Monterey. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1972 Mercury Monterey would be higher. At 5,769 cc (8 cylinders), 1972 Mercury Monterey is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1986 Lotus Excel (180 HP @ 6500 RPM) has 16 more horse power than 1972 Mercury Monterey. (164 HP @ 3800 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1986 Lotus Excel should accelerate faster than 1972 Mercury Monterey. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1972 Mercury Monterey weights approximately 753 kg more than 1986 Lotus Excel.
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, 1972 Mercury Monterey (383 Nm @ 2000 RPM) has 159 more torque (in Nm) than 1986 Lotus Excel. (224 Nm @ 5000 RPM). This means 1972 Mercury Monterey will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1986 Lotus Excel.
Compare all specifications:
| 1986 Lotus Excel | 1972 Mercury Monterey | |
| Make | Lotus | Mercury |
| Model | Excel | Monterey |
| Year Released | 1986 | 1972 |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 2174 cc | 5769 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 4 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | V |
| Horse Power | 180 HP | 164 HP |
| Engine RPM | 6500 RPM | 3800 RPM |
| Torque | 224 Nm | 383 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 5000 RPM | 2000 RPM |
| Engine Bore Size | 95.3 mm | 101.6 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 76.2 mm | 88.8 mm |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Transmission Type | Automatic | Automatic |
| Vehicle Weight | 1177 kg | 1930 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4380 mm | 5720 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1820 mm | 2030 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1020 mm | 1380 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2490 mm | 3160 mm |
