Autoblog

Report: Authorities skeptical of Ford's new Police Interceptor at testing event

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Police/Emergency

2012 Ford Police Interceptor testing - Click above for high-res image gallery

Michigan law enforcement officials have gathered to run a rodeo with the Ford Police Interceptor, Dodge Charger Pursuit and Chevrolet Caprice police car. The last horse standing will be trying to slide into the spot left by the Ford Crown Victoria, which sold about 50,000 units per year before going out of production. Ford doesn't have the inside line on replacing its standard bearer, though, because the Taurus-based Police Interceptor is front-wheel drive, and that makes some officers skeptical.

An officer's remark that "It is a whole different driving system" symbolizes the wariness, with concerns not only about cost and complexity, but just being able to drive the thing in the way officers are accustomed. The competition is rear-wheel drive, and in the case of the Caprice - which ran the police fleet show until it went out of production - there's more interior room. All the cars have their give-and-take, although the Ford is the only offering with all-wheel drive. Final results from the weekend's testing will be announced in December.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

Photos by Steven J. Ewing / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: Authorities skeptical of Ford's new Police Interceptor at testing event originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor reports for duty

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Ford, Police/Emergency

2012 Ford Police Interceptor - Click above for high-res image gallery

Last month, Ford pulled the cover off of its all-new 2012 Police Interceptor, the Taurus-based cop car that will be hitting the streets of America near the end of 2011. Now, we've had the chance to see the new cruiser in the flesh, and might we say, it'll look pretty menacing when it shows up in your rearview mirror.

The 2012 Police Interceptor will be available with a 3.5-liter V6, in naturally aspirated and twin-turbo EcoBoost variants. The base engine will be available with front- or all-wheel drive, while the top-end models with the turbocharged engine will only use all-wheel drive. Naturally, six-speed automatics are standard across the board, but the shifter is now column-mounted, leaving more room along the center stack for the police-spec equipment.

Inside, Ford has stripped away a good deal of the Taurus interior to make it more livable for both officers and criminals. Up front, the seats have been re-contoured to provide space for the cop's utility belt, and in back, the doors now open a full 71 degrees, making ingress and egress easier for baddies. What's more, the space between the two front seats is the exact same spec as the outgoing Crown Vic, meaning police fleets can simply transfer their old equipment into the new cars.

We're pretty eager to see these new cruisers hit the roads (so long as they aren't tailing behind us). Furthermore, Ford has plans to create a utility-oriented Police Interceptor (read: Flex-based), so we'll look for that to debut later this year. Click through the gallery below to see high-res shots of the new Police Interceptor from all angles.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

Pics Aplenty: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor reports for duty originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Work, Ford, Police/Emergency

2012 Ford Police Interceptor reveal - Click above to watch the video

Earlier today, Ford unveiled its next generation Police Interceptor (they'd rather you not call it a Taurus) at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway before a group of police agency fleet buyers. The event was webcast live, but you can now watch a replay as Ford president Mark Fields and vehicle line director Scott Tobin explain the process of developing the new cruiser and how it differs from a civilian Taurus.

The Dodge Charger has been stomping all over the Crown Vic and Impala in recent years during the annual Michigan State Police vehicle test, but that process could end this year when the new ~~Taurus~~ Police Interceptor hits the track. The 365-horsepower Ecoboost-powered Interceptor should be right up there with the Dodge and may well provide better fuel economy to boot.

Ford isn't talking price yet for the new cop cars, but it aims to make it competitive with the rest of the class, and a claimed 25-percent boost in fuel economy compared to Crown Vic should help ease the pain of transitioning. Check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

Video: Watch the live reveal of the 2012 Ford Police Interceptor originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Ford, Specialty

2012 Ford Police Interceptor - Click above for image gallery

The Ford Crown Victoria has been the chariot of choice (well necessity really) for police officers and cabbies all over America since the demise of its numero uno competitor, the Chevrolet Caprice, back in the mid-'90s. The Crown Vic and its ancestors have been around with a minimum of mechanical changes since roughly the same time as the Model T, or at least it seems that way. However, in recent years the Crown Vic has been increasingly challenged by the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala. Even more troubling for Ford is the impending arrival of a new rear-wheel-drive drive police car from Chevrolet based on the departed Pontiac G8.

At a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas today, Ford finally took the wraps off a new generation Police Interceptor model based on the 2010 Taurus. The new car has big shoes to fill as the Crown Vic has accounted for 70 percent of all police vehicle sales over the past five years. Read on for more on the new Police Interceptor.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced

Officially Official: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor unveiled, second utility model announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: First images of Ford's new Taurus-based Police Interceptor revealed!

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:10:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Ford, Specialty

2012 Ford Police Interceptor - Click above for high-res image gallery

Later today, Ford will officially unveil its new Police Interceptor at a private fleet sales event in Las Vegas, but the first images of the new vehicle were posted this morning on the company's website. As has been rumored for some time, Ford will be adapting the Taurus to take over for the aged Crown Victoria, which is finally being euthanized in September 2011.

At this point, we don't have any mechanical details on the new cop car. We wouldn't be surprised if Ford offers the Interceptor in two forms: a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 version with front-wheel drive could serve for all those local applications like liaison officers, supervisors, etc. where extra performance is not needed. The true Interceptors for highway patrol applications will probably use the SHO powertrain with the 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6 and all-wheel drive.

This twin-turbo cop car would provide the first real performance challenge to the increasingly popular Dodge Charger while likely getting much better fuel economy (not to mention GM's upcoming V8-powered, RWD, Zeta-based cruiser), and we presume that the Blue Oval will field the new units with the obligatory upgrades, including a more robust suspension, cooling system, electrical system and, hopefully, brakes. We should have all the answers for you around lunch time.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

[Source: Ford]

BREAKING: First images of Ford's new Taurus-based Police Interceptor revealed! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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