1990 Mercury Cougars

 
 
Entering its second year on the all-new MN-12
chassis, the Cougar did not receive any
significant upgrades. In fact, the 1989-90 model
years are virtually indistinguishable. Ford began
the two-year cycle for the Cougar beginning in
1987, so it made sense that no changes would
be made for 1990. The 3.8 V6 continued to be
the standard motor in the LS, and the
supercharged 3.8 V6 was unchanged for the
XR7. On the inside, the Cougar could be
optioned with a black interior for the first time in
many years. The exterior XR7 monochromatic
colors continued to be Black, Bright Red
Clearcoat, and Oxford White.

(left) The 1990 XR7 instrument panel.

Rumor mills and spy photos showed that Ford indeed was hard at work with fitting the 5.0 V8
motor into the Cougar. And unfortunately, it was needed, as the weight for the new cars became
apparent in daily driving. The car was now almost 3800 lbs. and climbing, and every bit of power
was needed to propel the cars. Some said that the base 3.8 was not even adequate to get the car
going, and that the standard power output should be somewhere in the vicinity of the XR7's
motor---roughly 200 horsepower. Ford was aware of the situation from the start, however, and
these concerns were fixed for the next model year, 1991.
 
 

The 1990 Stroh's Light

IMSA GTO Cougar. This
one is V8 eqipped, as
noted by the bulging hood
scoop.

ENGINES
LS - 3.8 (232 cid) V6; 140 hp @ 3800 rpm; 210 lb-ft torque @ 4000 rpm
XR7 - 3.8 supercharged V6; 215 hp @2400 rpm; 315 lb-ft torque @ 2600 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
LS (and option on XR7) - AOD 4-speed with overdrive
XR7 (standard) - 5-speed manual

BRAKES
LS - Front 10.8 inch disc, rear 9.8 inch drum
XR7 - Front 10.8 inch disc, rear 10.1 inch disc with antilock brakes

GENERAL
Wheelbase - 113"
Overall Length - 198.7
Overall Width - 72.7
Overall Height - 52.7
Cargo Capacity - 14.7 cubic feet
Fuel Capacity - 19.0 gallons

CURB WEIGHT
LS - 3608 lb.
XR7 (w/5 speed) - 3805 lb.
XR7 (w/auto) - 3834 lb.

TOTAL SALES
LS - 77,084 (all automatic) - 94.9 percent
XR7 - 4,156 (823 manual, 3,333 automatic) - 5.1 percent
GRAND TOTAL - 81,240

      MN12 Mercury Cougar Model Info

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