Here a better explanation of the Plaid car.

xr7 cougar? or rx-7?

The upscale Cougar was the XR7 Iirc those were turbo charged V8s or were they 6s.

I'm doing some searching and I'm seeing that they were 4's.

1997 Mercury Cougar XR7 30th Anniversary Edition
by John Heilig

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE: 4.6-liter V-8
HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 205hp @4250 rpm/280 lb-ft @3000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: Four-speed automatic
FUEL ECONOMY: 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 18.4 mpg test
WHEELBASE: 113.0 in.
OVERALL LENGTH: 199.9 in.
OVERALL HEIGHT: 52.5 in.
OVERALL WIDTH: 72.7 in.
CURB WEIGHT: 3519 lbs
FUEL CAPACITY: 18.0 gal.
LUGGAGE CAPACITY: 15.1 cu. ft.
TIRES: P225/60R16


ENGINES LS - 140 hp MPFI 3.8 (232 cid) V-6; optional 155 hp SEFI 5.0 (302 cid) V-8
XR7 - 155 hp SEFI 5.0 (302 cid) V-8

TRANSMISSIONS 4-speed overdrive automatic (AOD)

BRAKES Front 10.0" disc, rear 9.0" drum
(Rear 10.0" drums with optional towing package and/or XR7)

SPECIFICATIONS Wheelbase: 104.2"
Overall Length - 200.8"
Overall Width: 70.1"
Overall Height: 53.8"
Cargo Capacity - 14.6 cubic feet
Fuel Capacity - 22.1 gallons

CURB WEIGHT LS - 3237 lbs.
XR7 - 3485 lb.

PRODUCTION 99,313 - (LS) - 87.3 percent
14,488 - (XR7) - 12.7 percent
113,801 TOTAL

HOW TO SPOT ONE XR7's are monochromatic with 16-spoke Mustang GT wheels. No discernable differences between the 1987 and 1988 LS models.

Few of us expected the Thunderbird Ford introduced for 1983. It simply did not look like any T-bird we had seen before. Slippery aerodynamic lines, outstanding fit, finish, and workmanship--simply the best the Thunderbird had been in generations. The all-new Thunderbird sported cowl doors with hidden driprails, which reduced cabin noise at highway speeds. At 80 mph, normal conversation could take place without raising one’s voice. Improved Ford Premium Sound, new for the ’80s, made the T-bird a wonderful driving experience. Also new for 1983 was the turbocharged 2.3L four-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection in the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, which had a very sporty persona. It was fun to drive with the standard five-speed transmission and outhandled nearly anything in its class.

It has often been said that the ’83 Thunderbird launched a new era at Ford, with greater attention to quality, fit, finish and driveability. The marque had finally come of age, with integrity it never had before. The ’83 T-bird led to better ’birds to follow. Nineteen eighty-four was little changed from 1983. The ’85-’86 Thunderbirds received redesigned instrument panels, with the horn button back in the steering wheel where it belonged. They were solid value for the money, with lines that will endure for generations to come.

The ’87-’88 Thunderbirds were a refinement of what Ford brought us in 1983, with more slippery lines, composite headlamps, and a taillamp treatment few us will ever forget.


Generation IX, 1989-1997

The ’89-’97 Thunderbirds were undoubtedly one of the more controversial generations because they were very high-tech, but overweight and down on power, and they wore out their welcome quickly with enthusiasts. We like the slippery, aerodynamic ninth-generation Thunderbirds because they were an excellent value for the money and a good-looking automobile. But they didn’t represent the Thunderbird name as well as some of their predecessors. Full independent suspension made these wide-track ’Birds a design to be admired. The Thunderbird SC sporting a 3.8L supercharged V-6 didn’t much impress anyone. So a good many buyers opted for the 5.0L V-8 instead. Marginal sales of Thunderbird SCs lead to the demise of that option early in the ’90s.

The new 4.6L Modular V-8 found the Thunderbird in 1994, making the Ford flagship nameplate a great value at well under $20,000 for a loaded package. Despite a value-added T-bird, Ford decided to call it quits during the ’97 model year, leaving dealers responsible for moving out remaining stock at bargain basement prices.

http://www.albeedigital.com/supercoupe/articles/0-60times.html

0-60 time and 1/4 mile time
1989 Mercury Cougar XR7 SC 7.4 15.7
1990 Mercury Cougar XR7 SC 7.4 15.7
1991 Mercury Cougar LS 9.4 17.1
1994 Mercury Cougar LS 8.5 16.4
1999 Mercury Cougar 7.7 16.0
2001 Mercury Cougar V-6 7.8 16.1

1983 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 9.7 17.1
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe 8.5 16.3
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.4 15.9
1990 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.4 15.8
1991 Ford Thunderbird LX 9.0 16.7
1993 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.2 15.7
1994 Ford Thunderbird LX V6 8.8 16.4
1995 Ford Thunderbird SC 7.0 15.2
1996 Ford Thunderbird LX V8 7.9 15.8
2002 Ford Thunderbird 7.0 15.2


1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP 6.6 15.00
2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP 6.8 15.1
1994 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3100 (auto) 8.8 16.8
2004 Pontiac Grand Prix 6.5 14.9

I think you pretty much got it covered, and I meant Cougar (same as the tbird, different exterior).

I believe any of those cars, MN-12 I think they're called, started in '94 and ran until '97. They could be had with v6, fi v6, and 4.6ltr v8. Several guys have adapted 4.6 kits from mustangs to them and have the v8s pumping out some nice hp. Not too bad considering you can buy those cars for $3000~ with a v8 and manual tranny.

Any word yet if the G6 manual tranny can be fitted to our cars?