Cure Your Cat Scratch Fever With A Supercharged XR-7

"DailyTurismo" (thedailyturismo)
08/14/2014 at 12:44 • Filed to: Daily Turismo, Blog, XR-7

The OG Mercury Cougar was launched in 1967 as an upscale version of the Ford Mustang, offered for consumption at the now derelict Mercury dealers across this great nation. By 1989 it was a fairly large car based on the Thunderbird, but a much better car than that abominable 1999-2002 Cougar.

Find this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! offered for $2,700 in Jonesboro, GA via craigslist.

In its 7th generation, the Cougar underwent a total transformation from the Fox platform to the MN12 (Thunderbird, MkVIII). It was as if the aging Cougar had been given a heart transplant (engine), skin graft (new sheet metal) & bi-lateral hip replacements (IRS) — the only thing that remained were the Cougar badges. The new platform may have been bigger and heavier, but it included a few tricks up the old sleeve that makes it a cool sub $5k car on the market today.

Check the XR-7 option on the dealer spec sheet and you were upgraded to the 3.8 liter supercharged V6, the exact same engine that powered Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 1989, the Thunderbird Super Coupe. It was rated at 210 horsepower and could be attached to a 4-speed auto or 5-speed manual and it was connected to the rear wheels via a sophisticated independent rear axle instead of the ox-cart design from the Fox platform. Actually, the solid axle is not as bad as magazine pundits make it sound; drive a live axle Mustang and a Mk VIII Lincoln back-to-back and you would be hard pressed to notice if someone swapped the rear ends.

This XR-7 is shifted with the 4-speed automatic transmission, but the Elmo hide interior makes up for that shortcoming with pure wow factor. Who wouldn't want to drive around without pants in this thing just enjoying the soft fur on your bare backside...wait.... what if the previous owner had the same idea. ..scratch that...in fact, get a thorough post purchase cleaning on this thing from one of those professional crime scene hazmat teams if you get the chance, maybe new seat covers too.

See a cooler car wearing a supercharged badge? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Originally posted as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

DISCUSSION (9)

Kat Callahan > DailyTurismo
08/14/2014 at 12:50

I lived in Jonesboro for a year, true story. It's... well... The best I can say is it's not the absolute worst ATL suburb but... uh... I moved Midtown, because fuck living outside of the Perimeter.

RotaryLover > DailyTurismo
08/14/2014 at 12:51

I read this as RX-7 at first while the picture was loading up lol.

Rainbow > Kat Callahan
08/14/2014 at 12:58

I actually like living OTP. Just not too far away, though. All of downtown is about half an hour away, if that, but then there's not too much traffic outside of rush hour. But... Yeah, I think ITP would be better...

Kat Callahan > Rainbow
08/14/2014 at 13:02

I went from Jonesboro to Duluth to Berkley Lake to Midtown. ITP all the way. I would live in Decatur or Little Five Points or Cabbage Town (I love those little houses) or many one of the parks, Inman perhaps... But the houses are soooooo expensive.

Rainbow > Kat Callahan
08/14/2014 at 13:09

But Duluth is where Pull-A-Part is! And that absolutely makes it all worth it. Although, I do agree about Decatur. I think I'd prefer to live close to Chamblee, because I love the antiques district.

Kat Callahan > Rainbow
08/14/2014 at 13:11

Decatur is lesbian central. It might just give a bit too much gay overload. Of course Midtown is really gay, too. I used to walk to Blake's pretty often.

Rainbow > Kat Callahan
08/14/2014 at 13:13

I might be wrong, but I think Atlanta is considered the second most gay-friendly city in America (after San Francisco, obviously). So that's not too surprising.

DocWalt > DailyTurismo
08/14/2014 at 14:42

I was really disappointed after I read the title again. I was excited to see a supercharged RX-7 :(

Kat Callahan > Rainbow
08/14/2014 at 17:11

Yup. Unfortunately, GA.