1998 Lotus Elise vs. 1980 Mercury Cougar
To start off, 1998 Lotus Elise is newer by 18 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 4,184 cc (8 cylinders), 1980 Mercury Cougar is equipped with a bigger engine. In terms of performance, 1998 Lotus Elise (187 HP @ 7000 RPM) has 71 more horse power than 1980 Mercury Cougar. (116 HP @ 3400 RPM). In normal driving conditions, 1998 Lotus Elise should accelerate faster than 1980 Mercury Cougar. With that said, vehicle weight also plays an important factor in acceleration. 1980 Mercury Cougar weights approximately 696 kg more than 1998 Lotus Elise.
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 (264 Nm @ 2200 RPM) has 71 more torque (in Nm) than 1998 Lotus Elise. (193 Nm @ 5600 RPM). This means 1980 Mercury Cougar will have an easier job in driving up hills or pulling heavy equipment than 1998 Lotus Elise.
Compare all specifications:
| 1998 Lotus Elise | 1980 Mercury Cougar | |
| Make | Lotus | Mercury |
| Model | Elise | Cougar |
| Year Released | 1998 | 1980 |
| Body Type | Roadster | Coupe |
| Engine Position | Middle | Front |
| Engine Size | 1796 cc | 4184 cc |
| Engine Cylinders | 4 cylinders | 8 cylinders |
| Engine Type | in-line | in-line |
| Horse Power | 187 HP | 116 HP |
| Engine RPM | 7000 RPM | 3400 RPM |
| Torque | 193 Nm | 264 Nm |
| Torque RPM | 5600 RPM | 2200 RPM |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline | Gasoline |
| Drive Type | Rear | Rear |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors | 2 doors |
| Vehicle Weight | 714 kg | 1410 kg |
| Vehicle Length | 3740 mm | 4960 mm |
| Vehicle Width | 1710 mm | 1810 mm |
| Vehicle Height | 1210 mm | 1370 mm |
| Wheelbase Size | 2310 mm | 2690 mm |
