I can leave marks like that in my 82 Jetta, and did so quite frequently in the past. The car is at almost 500K now with no major engine work. I beat the [censored] out of that car since I turned 16, and it still runs perfectly everyday. I think a burnout like this isn't going to hurt anything too badly considering how much more well built the Cougar is than an 82 Jetta.
Now try to burn out a figure 8
