Photo: al3x.blend / Instagram
Once upon a time, Ford’s legendary Mustang had a pony counterpart from Mercury. Then, it occurred to Blue Oval head honchos the Cougar should become a muscle contender. But, over time, the performance desire got lost in translation.
Although it lived a long and fruitful life throughout no less than eight generations, Mercury’s Cougar isn’t as beloved as other classics. Perhaps it’s because Ford played with the conventions. It first acted as a pony car sibling to its Mustang. Then it became a muscle car to replace the brand’s Cyclone.
Further down the line, it morphed into a split series that had lots in common with either Ford’s Gran Torino Elite or the iconic Thunderbird. Afterward, the Fox Body downsizing trend also hit the Cougar series and it again changed counterparts, mixing and matching with the Granada as well.
A final couple of generations were a hodgepodge of different strategies. Its MN12 platform worked well for Mercury alongside Ford’s Thunderbird and Lincoln’s Mark VIII. Meanwhile, the eighth and final iteration came in 1999 after a short hiatus and became entirely forgettable.
Such a mess, right? Well, one classic Mercury Cougar example might shine brightly like a Northern star. That’s courtesy of Alexandre Gouraud, the virtual artist better known as al3x.blend on social media. Coming – like many other pixel masters – out of a period of dark designs, this “Polar” project is “based on Mercury Cougar, with some modifications.”
A first-generation Cougar, by the looks of the stylish hidden-headlights slotted grille (see BMW, this is the proper way to play this design item), this Mercury was probably nicknamed “Polar” because of its decidedly minimalist, almost all-white body shade. It is entirely appropriate for the polar regions because it would easily blend in with all the snow.
But the covered rear wheels, as well as the looks of the front setup along with all the aerodynamic changes made us think about an even more fitting environment: the Bonneville Salt Flats. Naturally, that’s just wishful thinking. But do allow us the opportunity to dream about this Polar Cougar possibly sporting a GT500-swapped 5.2-liter supercharged V8 with 760 horsepower and getting ready for a cool high-speed run.
Further down the line, it morphed into a split series that had lots in common with either Ford’s Gran Torino Elite or the iconic Thunderbird. Afterward, the Fox Body downsizing trend also hit the Cougar series and it again changed counterparts, mixing and matching with the Granada as well.
A final couple of generations were a hodgepodge of different strategies. Its MN12 platform worked well for Mercury alongside Ford’s Thunderbird and Lincoln’s Mark VIII. Meanwhile, the eighth and final iteration came in 1999 after a short hiatus and became entirely forgettable.
Such a mess, right? Well, one classic Mercury Cougar example might shine brightly like a Northern star. That’s courtesy of Alexandre Gouraud, the virtual artist better known as al3x.blend on social media. Coming – like many other pixel masters – out of a period of dark designs, this “Polar” project is “based on Mercury Cougar, with some modifications.”
A first-generation Cougar, by the looks of the stylish hidden-headlights slotted grille (see BMW, this is the proper way to play this design item), this Mercury was probably nicknamed “Polar” because of its decidedly minimalist, almost all-white body shade. It is entirely appropriate for the polar regions because it would easily blend in with all the snow.
But the covered rear wheels, as well as the looks of the front setup along with all the aerodynamic changes made us think about an even more fitting environment: the Bonneville Salt Flats. Naturally, that’s just wishful thinking. But do allow us the opportunity to dream about this Polar Cougar possibly sporting a GT500-swapped 5.2-liter supercharged V8 with 760 horsepower and getting ready for a cool high-speed run.
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