Frenchmen and women scouting for a Peugeot 306 S16 or Renault Megane Coupe when speeding away from the scene of a crime may be in trouble when they miss the blue Subaru WRX pulling up behind them. In a fierce bidding war to win a deal to supply four-door AWD police vehicles capable of going faster than 240 km per hour (about 149 mph) at a reasonable price, Subaru has beaten France's domestic automakers for a contract to supply 63 Subaru WRX sedans to the Gendarmerie Nationale. While most countries tend to purchase domestic vehicles, the Renault and Peugeot offerings just weren't up to speed -- literally.

Agents from the rapid intervention brigade, as it's called, will be trained on the Bugatti racing circuit of Le Mans in west France.

[Source: Automotive News]