Florida Man Attempts to Sell Mercury Cougar as Bugatti Veyron
The trend of creating budget replicas of luxury cars isn’t new; many have seen their share of unfortunate copies, such as the Ford GT40 built on a Pontiac Fiero frame. However, an extreme instance of this trend has surfaced in Florida, where a resident has attempted to disguise a 2002 Mercury Cougar as a multi-million-dollar Bugatti Veyron. The audacity is truly astounding.
This unusual vehicle, humorously dubbed "Cougatti," was initially listed on Craigslist in Orlando for $125,000. It has since made its way to Car Export America with an increased price tag of $128,000—about $12,000 more than a brand-new Mercedes-AMG GT coupe. The inflated price is matched only by its questionable instrument cluster, which shows an odometer reading of 129,239 miles and a speedometer that ambitiously goes up to 280 mph. Photos reveal the speedometer allegedly at 130 mph, a claim that seems implausible for a standard Mercury Cougar, although a Cougar enthusiasts’ site, CougarDB, suggests it is within the realm of possibility.
The vehicle’s dubious performance is further compounded by its stripped-down gauges, which retain the original Ford design but are ironically adorned with Bugatti decals. Billboards and other notable features, such as a clock from a Chrysler 300 decorated with Bugatti logos, raise eyebrows, especially since they haven’t bothered to remove the Chrysler emblem.
The interior of this supposed hypercar tells a story of its own, far from the luxury expected of a seven-figure vehicle. The mismatched leather seats reflect a lack of attention, with the back seats—absent in a real Veyron—showing signs of neglect, and the center console appearing dirty and worn.
In an unexpected twist, this car shares its home garage with a rare Mercedes-Benz R-class minivan. It’s unclear whether this minivan is the highly coveted R 63 AMG variant, but considering only a couple of hundred are believed to exist, it’s unlikely.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect is the owner’s age; despite a reputation for dubious car modifications usually attributed to Baby Boomers, evidence suggests they belong to a younger generation. The images shared of the vehicle’s driveway include Snapchat graphics, hinting at youthful ownership and a penchant for ‘hater’ comments.
While it may be a coping mechanism for the owner, it’s essential to refrain from pretending that a 17-year-old Mercury Cougar with 129,000 miles can fetch six figures. The market simply does not support such a valuation.
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