Autoblog

GM considering RWD wagon and ute for U.S. market

Scott Burgess — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, Australia, Rumormill

The General wants more rear-wheel drive vehicles in its lineup and has plans to bring a few more to America, including a sedan and possibly a wagon and sport utility, according to Car and Driver.

GM already sells a rear-wheel-drive Chevrolet sedan in the U.S., but only sworn law enforcement officers are allowed to drive it: The Chevrolet Caprice PPV.

Now, GM will reportedly build a civilian offshoot of the the PPV and market it as the SuperSport sedan, as we reported last week. Under the hood would be GM's 6.2-liter V-8 creating more than 400 horsepower. That SuperSport badge will also go onto Chevrolet's NASCAR entry next year.

Car and Driver reports that after the V8 SuperSport launches, a milder 300-plus-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 model will follow. By 2015, when the rear-wheel-drive Zeta platform is improved, production of this vehicle (as well as the PPV) will come to America, thus opening up the market for more police car sales, as some local governments can only buy American-made cruisers.

Furthermore, GM is considering building a rear-wheel-drive wagon as well as a sport-utility (read: ute) model. The updated Zeta II platform can handle both vehicles, especially since the next-generation Camaro will be shifting to the new Alpha platform that will underpin the Cadillac ATS and next-gen CTS.

Really, all of these vehicles are derivatives of the Pontiac G8, which is still on sale as the Holden Commodore in other markets. It was, arguably, the best Pontiac ever made. Bringing cars, wagons and utes like that to America, under any name or brand, is an immigration policy we can fully endorse.

GM considering RWD wagon and ute for U.S. market originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 May 2012 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why haven't you seen many new Chevy Caprice police cars? GM delays.

Zach Bowman — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Work, Chevrolet, Police/Emergency, Australia

The sun has long since set on the Ford Crown Victoria and the big sedan's Police Interceptor variants, but many parts of the country still haven't seen the next-generation of pursuit vehicles take to the street. In the case of the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle, that's because General Motors has hit a delay in providing the Holden-based sedans. According to the DuPont Registry, the delay is two-fold. Shipping from Australia is taking longer than expected, and Chevrolet dealers aren't outfitting the vehicles quickly enough to satiate demand.

The report quotes Deputy Chief Jeff Undestad of the Largo Police Department in Largo, Florida as saying his office waited more than eight months for GM to deliver their Caprice Patrol Vehicles to the dealer. Undestad should consider himself lucky. A neighboring department waited 10 months for its new patrol cars. Chrysler, meanwhile, usually takes two to three months to deliver its police-duty Dodge Charger models.

GM, meanwhile, says that the company is working to address the shipping issues. The company now has a pool of Caprice Patrol Vehicles at port, which should help trim the wait time.

Why haven't you seen many new Chevy Caprice police cars? GM delays. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy boasts about Caprice PPV performance in Michigan State Police test

Zach Bowman — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:32:00 EST

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

General Motors has a reason to preen over the results of the Michigan State Police vehicle evaluations. The Chevrolet Caprice PPV managed to eclipse its competition in top speed and braking tests. The Caprice PPV managed to scoot down from 60 miles per hour in just 125.8 feet, which is a full four feet shorter than the equivalent Ford Interceptor Sedan. Likewise, with a top speed of 154 mph, the protect-and-serve Bowtie boasts a top speed that's 6 mph faster than the 148-mph Interceptor. While that's impressive, we're more terrified by the fact that the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV managed to ratchet up an astonishing 139 mph. That's what we call a flying brick.

The Chevrolet PPV Sedan gets its power from the company's 3.6-liter V6 engine and lays it to the pavement by the miracle of good, old-fashioned rear-wheel drive. While Ford claims that the company's forced-induction V6 garners better fuel economy with equivalent performance, it will be hard for most law enforcement agencies to brush past the PPV's taller top end and shorter stopping distance. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Chevy boasts about Caprice PPV performance in Michigan State Police test

Chevy boasts about Caprice PPV performance in Michigan State Police test originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Submit your questions for Autoblog #248 LIVE

Dan Roth — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:15:00 EST

We record Episode #248 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #248

[UStream] Interact LIVE at UStream - 10PM Eastern on Monday, September 5, 2011
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Submit your questions for Autoblog #248 LIVE originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: First batch of 2012 Chevy Caprice police cars hitting the streets

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:46:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, GM, Police/Emergency

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above for high-res image gallery

Do you own a fast car? Does your inner conscience often lose control of your right foot? If so, dear speeder, we have an important Public Service Announcement you'll be keenly interested in:

The first batch of Australian-built 2012 Chevrolet Caprice PPV police cruisers has reportedly made it to the States. So says Automotive News, who reports that the tally is currently very small (just 23 were sold in May to unidentified law agencies), but more are clearly on the horizon - AN helpfully reminds that police car sales can average 65,000 to 70,000 units when the economy isn't in a funk.

So, all you horizon scanners out there on the lookout for the Boys in Blue (or is that the boys in the black and whites?), you've got one more silhouette to burn into your brains. Take a good look at the Chevrolet in our high-res image gallery below, and commit it to memory. You have been warned.

(Or, ya know, you could just obey the posted speed limits...)

PSA: First batch of 2012 Chevy Caprice police cars hitting the streets originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tour the LAPD's new Chevrolet Caprice PPV with Translogic

Zach Bowman — Tue, 24 May 2011 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Safety, Technology, Videos, Chevrolet, Police/Emergency

Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above to watch video after the jump

By now, you've probably committed every detail of the new generation of police cruisers to memory. With so many potential successors to the Ford Crown Victoria throne, it pays to know exactly which models to look out for on the road, especially if you dabble in extra-legal speeds. The guys from Translogic recently got the chance to get up close and personal with the new Chevrolet Caprice PPV courtesy of a tour by the Los Angeles Police Department. Along with getting the full scoop on what the vehicle has to offer in terms of officer and criminal comfort, we're also introduced to some of the killer tech on board the new cruiser.

Officers are now treated to an easy-to-navigate touch screen that handles everything from HVAC controls to advanced crime-fighting tech. License-plate recognition software combines two front-mounted cameras with a criminal database to alert officers of potentially threatening drivers and an additional super-sensitive infrared camera can even detect a perpetrator's footsteps at night. Go go gadget awesome.

Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

Continue reading Tour the LAPD's new Chevrolet Caprice PPV with Translogic

Tour the LAPD's new Chevrolet Caprice PPV with Translogic originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA Sheriff's Department tests new police cruisers, compiles findings in 174-page report

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 16 May 2011 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Police/Emergency

2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car - Click above for high-res image gallery

Curious about the latest crop of cop cars? The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department - which undoubtedly has good reason to be interested in such machines - has released a bit of data to help clue you in on the newest cruisers. California's Boys in Blue put 15 vehicles through rigorous testing, and they ended up with a rather large stack of results. How large are we talking?

174 pages.

We thought cops hated paperwork, but it appears the movie industry has again lied to us. Those 174 pages are filled with stats on all 15 test vehicles, officer insight into vehicle performance and results from the various types of tests applied.

We'll be honest... we've only skimmed. We're not quite ready to take a deep dive into this particular PDF, however, it's available for you to peruse at the LA County Sheriff's Department website, should you have some time to kill.

LA Sheriff's Department tests new police cruisers, compiles findings in 174-page report originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car... barely

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST

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

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV -- Click above for high-res image gallery

The numbers are in, folks. This year's Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation pitted Ford's Jurassic Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (the new Taurus-based Police Interceptor was reportedly on hand, but its numbers won't be included until next year), Chrysler's 2011 Dodge Charger Police Pursuit model and General Motors' Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish. And let's just say the results are closer than you might think.

For instance, as pointed out by the proud parents at Chevrolet, the Caprice did, in fact, manage to set the best acceleration times to 60 miles per hour and 100 mph. But... and there's always a but... the 2011 Charger was pretty much neck-and-neck with the Caprice. In fact, the Charger was quicker to 20, 40, 50, 70 and 80 mph. So, which one is really quicker? Pretty much a photo finish, if you ask us.

Also, top speeds between the two competitors were within spitting distance: 148 mph for the Caprice and 146 for the Hemi-powered Charger. There's plenty more intriguing data as well, such as the fact that the new Pentastar V6-powered Charger was, on average, almost exactly as fast around the race track as its more powerful V8-powered sibling, and both were about a second behind the Caprice in the lap time derby.

And what of the old stalwart? Ford's age-old Crown Victoria did its best, but was still over two seconds behind at 60 mph and a woeful 10 seconds afield by 100. Top speed for the Vic was 129 (with a 3.27 rear end, which was even slower in acceleration tests than its 3.55-equipped brother), and its lap times were well behind that of the Caprice and Charger.

Braking tests also favored the new Caprice and Charger. Chevy's entry posted a projected 60-0 stopping distance of 128.3 feet and the Charger managed to come to a halt in 133.9 feet (133.2 with the V6). For comparison, the Crown Vic needs 141.6 feet to haul itself down from speed.

One final note: If acceleration is really what an officer is into, perhaps he should consider a switch to two wheels. Kawasaki's Concours 14 ABS Police bike hit 100 mph in under 10 seconds and the BMW R1200 RTP did the deed in under 12. See the complete preliminary testing results here at the link below.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Source: Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation]

Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car... barely originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy Caprice outperforms Ford and Dodge police cars in official test... or does it?

Dan Roth — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Specialty

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV -- Click above for high-res image gallery

The police vehicle market is flush with new iron from all quarters, making the results of this year's Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation hotly anticipated. Ford brought its new Taurus-based Police Interceptor, Chrysler had the 2011 Dodge Charger Police Pursuit model, and General Motors showed up with the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle. Preliminary results of the performance and dynamics testing put the Caprice PPV on top of its rivals, says GM, but there's a catch.

Chevrolet is touting the unofficial test outcome (final results will be released later this year) as proof of the Caprice PPV's superiority. Being quicker to both 60 and 100 mph and offering shorter stopping distances are performance attributes that officers appreciate, as is a 6.0-liter V8 and a chassis that handled Grattan Raceway with the best average lap time. Thing is, despite the fact that Ford's forthcoming Taurus-based cruiser was on-hand and competed in the tests, GM only compares its new Caprice to the ancient Crown Vic. The reason? The Blue Oval's new PI won't be available for more than a year. According to the blokes at Jalopnik who were on-hand for the shootout, the Caprice was actually bested by the AWD Taurus PI in braking and lap times, but GM has fashioned the 'not available yet' loophole to create victory (nevermind that the Caprice isn't on the streets yet either).

Of course, good performance numbers aren't all there is to police work, or departments would patrol in Corvettes. Chevrolet says the Caprice PPV leads in interior space and thoughtful touches like seats designed to accommodate officers' equipment belts. All of this, GM says, adds up to an open-and-shut case for the Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle. You'd expect no less from a press release (posted after the jump), but clearly, the real victory in the race to replace the Crown Victoria has yet to be determined.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Sources: General Motors, Jalopnik]

Continue reading Chevy Caprice outperforms Ford and Dodge police cars in official test... or does it?

Chevy Caprice outperforms Ford and Dodge police cars in official test... or does it? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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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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Chevrolet Caprice police car to patrol America's streets beginning April, 2011 [w/video]

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Police/Emergency

Chevrolet Caprice PPV -- Click above for high-res image gallery

Attention perps: You'll have a new patrol vehicle roaming the streets come next April. That's the month General Motors says its Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle will finally hit the local precinct. Those models will apparently all be of the detective package variety; Chevy's police package will officially go on sale in June of 2011. Ordering for the detective cars will commence in October of this year, while those officers looking forward to the police package will need to wait until next January to place their orders.

For those unaware, the new Caprice will feature a rather traditional layout, with seating for two officers in the cushy front seats and two less lucky individuals in the rear behind a full-width prisoner partition. Motivation comes from a 355-horsepower 6.0-liter V8 engine sending those ponies to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

We've wrangled up a full gallery of high-res images below and pasted a video along with the press release after the break.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

Gallery: Chevrolet Caprice PPV at Chicago Auto Show

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Chevrolet Caprice police car to patrol America's streets beginning April, 2011 [w/video]

Chevrolet Caprice police car to patrol America's streets beginning April, 2011 [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV Detective package details uncovered

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Police/Emergency

2011 Chevrolet Caprice Delective Package - Click above for high-res gallery

A new generation of police cruisers is afoot. We've already seen the likes of Ford's Taurus-based Police Interceptor up close, and we've even seen General Motors opens the floodgates with a full raft of images of its Caprice PPV. While Ford has opted to use its EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 for high-powered police action, Chevrolet has taken a more traditional approach, fitting the Caprice with a 6.0-liter V8 cranking out 355 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

We already knew what to expect for the standard police-spec Caprice, but we've been extra curious about the special "Detective package" that adds some plainclothes stealthiness to the Caprice, especially as it seems to hint at what the oft-rumored civilian version of this car might look like. It's available in seven different colors (we'll just stick with black, thanks), uses all the same mechanical underpinnings as the standard Police PPV, and for the moment at least, remains unavailable in a retail model for John Q. Public.

Be sure to scroll through the gallery below to check out the entire PDF of the Caprice PPV's features.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Technical Manual

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Source: General Motors via GM Inside News]

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV Detective package details uncovered originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago 2010: Chevrolet rolls out Caprice Police Car

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Concept Cars, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Police/Emergency

Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above for high-res image gallery

Late last year, General Motors announced that it would build a Zeta-based Police Car for North American duty. Though there was already a perfectly good Pontiac G8 available before GM decided to shutter the brand, this Zeta would be based on the longer version of that platform as used by the Holden Statesman and be known as the 2011 Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicle.

Well, what do you know. Chevy brought just such a vehicle to the Chicago Auto Show, and we managed to snap off a series of photos to share. According to the personnel manning the booth, the Caprice PPV is still in concept form, complete with a refurbished Toughbook panel from Panasonic attached to the center console.

Being a long-wheelbase Zeta, the Caprice PPV has plenty of room for a divided cockpit with what appears to be a plexiglass barrier protecting the driver and front passenger from whatever or whomever happens to be confined to the rear. Other interesting tidbits include a number of storage locations, including one for weapons between the two front seats.

We're sure the cops will appreciate the E85-compatible 6.0-liter V8 and the 355 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque it puts out. Now if only GM could find a way to put just such a Caprice (or, would that be a proper Impala SS?) in every single Chevrolet dealership around the country, they may really be on to something.

Gallery: Chevrolet Caprice PPV at Chicago Auto Show

Chicago 2010: Chevrolet rolls out Caprice Police Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pics Aplenty plus VIDEO: Chevrolet Caprice PPV on patrol

John Neff — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Police/Emergency

Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above for new high-res images or click here for video

It occurs to us that as much as we want to test the just-announced Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicle [official details], the only chance we might have is from the back seat. The new police cruiser from General Motors has been designed specifically to woo precincts away from the Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor, and does so with seats designed to accommodate an officer's belt, a humongous optional in-dash screen for electronics (at right) and a 355-hp 6.0-liter V8 to chase down the baddies.

The Caprice PPV, which really isn't a Pontiac G8 at all but rather a left-hand-drive version of the long-wheelbase Holden Statesman, was announced late last night, but this morning General Motors has provided more images of the cop car along with video of it in hot pursuit, lights blaring and siren wailing. Click below to view new high-res images in the gallery or follow the jump for the first video of the only Zeta-based RWD sedan you can't buy in the U.S.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Pics Aplenty plus VIDEO: Chevrolet Caprice PPV on patrol

Pics Aplenty plus VIDEO: Chevrolet Caprice PPV on patrol originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The cops get a Zeta sedan: GM unveils 355-hp Chevy Caprice police car

Alex Nunez — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:50:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Holden, Police/Emergency

Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Click above for high-res image gallery.

Well, it's official. General Motors has resurrected the Australian-built Zeta sedan for North America, only this time around, it's just for the cops. Set to arrive in your local muni's police fleet in 2011 is the Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicle (PPV). First thing's first: it is not the Holden Commodore, a.k.a. Pontiac G8 (rest in peace). It's a left-hand-drive version of the long-wheelbase, Zeta-platform Holden Caprice/Statesman. Many of you already know that this car is also sold in the Middle East as, you guessed it, the Chevy Caprice. Also, as had been rumored - you can't buy one. It's a fleet special only, and we can envision fistfights breaking out over these at police auctions in a few years.

The Caprice Cop Special gets an E85-compatible 6.0-liter V8 dishing out 355 horsepower and 385 lb/ft of torque, and as you'd expect, the engine's duly ruggedized for police duty with oil, transmission and power steering coolers, along with a heavy duty alternator. And yes, the brakes and suspension are uprated. Cue the Elwood Blues litany whenever you're ready.

Inside, it's obviously outfitted with all the toys, including seats designed to accommodate officers' gun/equipment belts, a front-seat computer, and all the other stuff you'd expect to find in a police car. And since the fuzzmobile's based on the LWB sedan, there's plenty of room in back for you to relax should you find yourself involuntarily sampling the rear passenger seating. Actually, with your hands locked up behind your back, it probably won't be that comfy after all. Check out more photos of the Caprice PPV in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Source: GM]

Continue reading The cops get a Zeta sedan: GM unveils 355-hp Chevy Caprice police car

The cops get a Zeta sedan: GM unveils 355-hp Chevy Caprice police car originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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