1997 BMW 850 vs. 1973 Mercury Cougar
To start off, 1997 BMW 850 is newer by 24 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, 1997 BMW 850 (329 HP @ 4800 RPM) has 161 more horse power than 1973 Mercury Cougar. (168 HP @ 4000 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1997 BMW 850 should accelerate faster than 1973 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1997 BMW 850 weights approximately 295 kg more than 1973 Mercury Cougar. So despite on having greater horse power, its additional weight may have an impact towards its acceleration in comparison.
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, 1997 BMW 850 (490 Nm) has 127 more torque (in Nm) than 1973 Mercury Cougar. (363 Nm). This means 1997 BMW 850 will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1973 Mercury Cougar.
Compare all specifications:
| 1997 BMW 850 | 1973 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | BMW | Mercury |
| Model | 850 | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1997 | 1973 |
| Body Type | Coupe | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Front | Front |
| Engine Size | 5379 cc | 5769 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 12 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | V | in-line |
| Horse Power | 329 HP | 168 HP |
| Engine RPM | 4800 RPM | 4000 RPM |
| Torque | 490 Nm | 363 Nm |
| Engine Bore Size | 85.1 mm | 101.6 mm |
| Engine Stroke Size | 79 mm | 88.8 mm |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Seats | 4 seats | 4 seats |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 1945 kg | 1650 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 4790 mm | 5080 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1860 mm | 1920 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1350 mm | 1310 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2690 mm | 2860 mm |
