Gone from the inside of the Marauder are the front bench seat and the column shifter, replaced by a pair of leather-trimmed buckets and a floor-mounted shifter in a custom center console.
Also missing is the normal package of gauges from the factory, replaced by a silver-faced gauge arrangement and an instrument panel trimmed with "Satin Tech" material.
As for the pair of concepts based on the front-drive Cougar hatchback, one is more about performance style and the other more about performance substance. Eliminator takes Cougar's New Edge shape and plays it up with readily available aftermarket parts, making it a do-able project on a one-of-a-kind basis. Primary contributions to Eliminator's look came from Inform Designs, which did the ground-effects package as well as the rear spoiler and scooped hood, and PPG, which covered it all in Harlequin Chrom-O-Flair paint.
This is the paint that changes colors depending upon the light and angle of view, which a Ford PR man once famously described as being the perfect paint job for a getaway car. Cougar S is supposed to appeal to today's hot-rodders, who love to take compact cars with small-displacement engines and pump them up.
Accordingly, Cougar's normal 2.5-litre V-6 has been enlarged to 3.1 litres and now develops 215 horses, which travel through a 5-speed manual shifter to drive all four wheels. There are also better brakes, from Brembo, on the Cougar S and body parts that are meant to improve the car's aerodynamics as well as its appearance. Since Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering team played a big role in designing both these Cougar-based concepts, it's likely that these models (but particularly the S) presage some low-volume version of the sporty car. When that will happen remains to be seen, but we can pretty much guarantee that it will.