Employees of Ford’s St. Thomas Assembly Plant drove the first 2003 Mercury Marauder off the assembly line during a Job One ceremony, marking the return of the vehicle. The original Marauder was a muscle car during the 1960s. The 2003 Marauder’s features include: - Aluminum 4.6-litre dual overhead cam V-8 engine producing 302 horsepower and 310 foot-pounds of torque; true dual exhaust. - Four-speed automatic transmission with a high stall speed torque converter and 3.55 rear axle with limited-slip differential. - Performance suspension, 18-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels shod with high-performance all-season tires (P235/50ZR18 front and P245/55ZR18 rear). - 140-mph (225-kph) speedometer, 7,000-rpm tachometer, temperature and oil pressure gauges and voltmeter. - Leather-trimmed cabin; five-passenger seating with “Marauder” embroidered in the floor mats, center console with floor-mounted shifter. - Monochromatic exterior design with body surfaces finished in gloss black paint; dark-tinted headlamp and tail lamp bezels; “Marauder” embossed in the rear fascia and fog lamps integrated into the front fascia. Marauder becomes the eighth model built at St. Thomas Assembly, located between the shores of Lake Erie and London, Ontario. St. Thomas Assembly has produced more than 7 million vehicles since it opened 35 years ago. St. Thomas Assembly continues to be the global source for Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis. The 2003 Mercury Marauder will go on sale at dealerships in the United States this summer and in Canada this fall.