If you compare the 7th and 8th generation Mercury Cougars, you’ll likely swear these were siblings with different parents. The cars are dramatically different despite being just one generation apart, but it tells an important story about how hard Ford was working to transform the brand’s identity. The Cougar was no longer a rear-wheel drive personal luxury coupe but a replacement for the discontinued Ford Probe and a way to bring younger shoppers into the showroom. Very few of these Cougars have survived in decent condition, and this 1999 model listed here on craigslist is a rare exception.

Recently, Honda reintroduced the Prelude namesake, and the initial response has been underwhelming among enthusiasts. The hope that the car would put a compelling sport compact back into Honda’s lineup have been seriously dashed, as the car is already looking like just another hybrid-powered commuter with some sporty details and no real performance credentials (it doesn’t help that dealers have been price-gouging the heck out of them.) The Cougar, to its credit, paired the snorty and powerful Duratec V6 with an available manual transmission to make it an impressive performed right out of the gate.

However, it was still not a huge seller. It was a tough job to suddenly get younger shoppers interested in the Mercury brand with the first model since the Capri that could reasonably expect to catch the eye of a younger buyer. While some kudos need to be given to the higher-ups at Ford for completely overhauling the Cougar’s identity, it seems unfair to place all of the burden of attracting younger buyers on one model, and a brand-new one at that (Cadillac has struggled under a similar strategy.) The Cougar shown here was clearly loved by its caretaker, however, with leather seats and exterior cosmetics both appearing to be in excellent condition.

And what a color combo, too – it seems possible that whoever owned this car first placed a special order for one equipped in this scheme and with loads of options. While the automatic transmission is a bummer, it’s also not uncommon; finding one of these in good shape with three pedals is approaching unicorn status. The V6 pushed out a healthy 170 b.h.p., and when equipped with the 5-speed manual, could reach 145 miles per hour with the factory sport package, which raised the maximum speed from 115. This may be a sport package car as it features the optional 16-inch wheels, but it’s hard to tell for sure. Regardless, it looks like one of the best 8th-generation cars on the market today. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the find.