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The latest Italian police car comes from... Lotus? [w/videos]

If the Italian Polizia di Stato (state police) need to get somewhere in a hurry, they've got a Lamborghini Gallardo at their disposal. But what about the national Carabinieri? Not about to left behind, the para-military police turned not to one of their own domestic sportscar-makers, but to the UK. (Or to a foreign-owned automaker based there with mostly Italian management.)

The Carabinieri have taken possession of not one Lotus Evora S, but two. One will be stationed in Milan and the other in Rome, but both are fitted with all the latest equipment, including a portable refrigerator for the rapid transportation of organs and blood for medical emergencies.

The hand-over at the Carabinieri headquarters in Rome followed advanced driver training at Lotus headquarters in Hethel, England, and the two cars are on loan to the service for two years. Follow the jump for the press release and trio of videos, and check out the images in the high-res gallery for a closer look.

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Italian Military Police Adopt Lotus Evora S
The Carabinieri select British manufacturer Lotus to provide rapid response vehicles in Rome and Milan

As Italy celebrates 150 years of unification, Group Lotus celebrates an exciting cooperation with the country as two Evora S models have been selected for a very special military duty. The headquarters of the Carabinieri in Rome played host to the event where two bespoke Lotus Evora S cars were handed over by Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar.

The Arma dei Carabinieri, a division of the Italian army, play a similar role in Italy to Scotland Yard in the UK and work with the civilian police to provide a crucial service to the public. The Evora S models will be made available to the units based in Rome and Milan.

In preparation for the two year stint with the Carabinieri, both Evoras have been equipped with some of the very latest voice recognition technology including the EVA (Enhanced Vehicle Automation) system. A special portable refrigeration compartment has been fitted behind the front seats which will allow for the rapid transport of vital organs and blood required during medical emergencies.

Commenting at the handover event Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar said: "We are extremely proud to be working with such an iconic and professional organisation as the Carabinieri who play an integral role in Italian society."

"Everyone knows that Italy has more than it's fair share of high profile sports car manufacturers so it is a real honour for a relatively small British brand to be in this position. The feedback from the driver training on the Evora S at our test track was very positive, it's such a responsive car to drive, I think the teams in Rome and Milan are really going to feel the benefit of working with our product."

Carabinieri spokesperson, Colonel Marco Minicucci said: "Our special Lotus Evoras combine the very best of our technology with excellent British engineering from Lotus. Not just anyone can drive these cars, we carefully selected some of our team to attend a driver training session at the new test track at Lotus' headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk where they learnt all about the very special characteristics and incredible potential of the cars."

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