1988 Lotus Esprit vs. 1973 Mercury Cougar
To start off, 1988 Lotus Esprit is newer by 15 year(s). Which means there will be less support and parts availability for 1973 Mercury Cougar. In addition, the cost of maintenance, including insurance, on 1973 Mercury Cougar would be higher. At 5,769 cc (8 cylinders), 1973 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1988 Lotus Esprit (172 HP @ 6500 RPM) has 4 more horse power than 1973 Mercury Cougar. (168 HP @ 4000 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1988 Lotus Esprit should accelerate faster than 1973 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1973 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 474 kg more than 1988 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, 1973 Mercury Cougar (363 Nm @ 2400 RPM) has 142 more torque (in Nm) than 1988 Lotus Esprit. (221 Nm @ 5000 RPM). This means 1973 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1988 Lotus Esprit.
Compare all specifications:
| 1988 Lotus Esprit | 1973 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | Lotus | Mercury |
| Model | Esprit | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1988 | 1973 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Middle | Front |
| Engine Size | 2174 cc | 5769 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 4 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 172 HP | 168 HP |
| Engine RPM | 6500 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 221 Nm | 363 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 5000 RPM | 2400 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 2 seats | 4 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1176 kg | 1650 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4350 mm | 5080 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1870 mm | 1920 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1160 mm | 1310 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2440 mm | 2860 mm |
