A Mercury Cougar may not seem like the logical choice for a person attempting to leave a memorable impression on the world of modified cars, but for the savvy enthusiast who is looking to do something different, it may be the best move you could ever make.

Car shows are full of Mustangs. Camaros and Corvettes are as populous as the streets they roam. And if you're looking for Civics, you're bound to find them in large volume. So if you plan on purchasing a vehicle that is attractive to the masses, you need to prepare for an inevitable outcome: You're going to spend a lot of money trying to outdo the herd just to put yourself in a position to win those coveted plastic trophies.

Going the sleeper route, therefore, has its advantages. You can compete in show classes where judges are jaded by repetition and are looking for fresh blood or just a change of pace. Sometimes that's all that's needed to topple the big boy with the $10,000 paint job and a blower on his trailer queen Mustang.

Like many cars from the past, the Cougar rose up from its own ashes only to reincarnate in the form of a subcompact sports coupe, replacing the previously popular two-door coupe version. Everything about the Cougar was new, down to its own platform, upon which rested a dual-overhead-cam 24-valve 6-cylinder Duratec engine. That was enough to attract Stilianos Pigiaditis, who received the eighth-generation Cougar in 1999 as a 16th-birthday present from his parents.

Pigiaditis wasted no time slapping on a body kit. When he first took the car to a local show, like many before him, the sights and sounds of extraordinary vehicles shaped the direction he would take his own. That direction included beefing up the engine with a direct swap, representing the most radical of changes to this stock sleeper. Pigiaditis found his power supply courtesy of Ford's Special Vehicle Team, which helped in the upgrading to a SVT 2.5-liter Duratec V-6 with Ford's SVT cylinder heads and cams, supported by an SVT upper and lower intake and SVT throttle body and cable.

Pigiaditis wasted no time slapping on a body kit. When he first took the car to a local show, like many before him, the sights and sounds of extraordinary vehicles shaped the direction he would take his own. That direction included beefing up the engine with a direct swap, representing the most radical of changes to this stock sleeper. Pigiaditis found his power supply courtesy of Ford's Special Vehicle Team, which helped in the upgrading to a SVT 2.5-liter Duratec V-6 with Ford's SVT cylinder heads and cams, supported by an SVT upper and lower intake and SVT throttle body and cable.

Stats box »  Engine: SVT 2.5 L Duratec V6 »  Horsepower: 300 »  Performance: SVT cylinder heads and cams, SVT upper and lower intake, SVT throttle body, MSDS shorty headers, Fidanza aluminum flywheel, Stage 3 clutch, Borla catback exhaust, B&M shorty shifter »  Wheels: 17-inch Konigs with BF Goodrich G-Force sport tires »  Exterior: V-style body kit with high-rise spoiler, painted headlights and taillight covers »  Interior: Pioneer in-dash DVD head unit, two 7-inch headrest monitors, two 7-inch sun visor monitors, 5,000 Watt Audiobahn chrome flame amplifier, two 12-in Audiobahn subwoofers in band pass box, Audiobahn door speakers, 50-farad capacitor, 0 gauge wiring kit, leather seat swap, charcoal carbon fiber wrapped door panels and speaker box, two-tone painted dash panels and console, chrome dash kit

Not wanting to sacrifice swagger for speed only, Pigiaditis maintained the existing green paint job, but had a friend two-tone the vehicle to include a charcoal color along the ground effects. With the addition of a switch box, the car can be manipulated to hug the pavement on multiple air bags.

The interior features a competitive sound system complete with a Pioneer in-dash DVD head unit, headrest monitors with 7-inch screens, and a 5,000-watt amplifier to send the music firing through two 12-inch Audiobahn subwoofers.

What do you drive? A 1999 Mercury Cougar.

Why do you drive it? It was my first car.

What makes this car so special? It's one of a kind. I haven't seen another like it.

What is your most memorable driving experience? Driving to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NOPI Nationals in 2007 and taking home second place in the Ford class.

What was the first car you owned? This Cougar.

What music are you currently listening to in your car? Lil Wayne.

And your first ticket? What was it for? A speeding ticket for doing 80 mph in a 45 mph zone.