Autoblog

Ford claims victory in latest round of Michigan State Police testing

Jeffrey N. Ross — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:45:00 EST

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

The Ford Crown Victoria relinquished its crown as the top police car when it went out of production last year, but Ford is claiming it still produces the dominant police vehicles on the market. This, following the most recent cop car comparison test held by the Michigan State Police.

While we're still waiting to see the official results for the 2013 model year vehicle evaluations, Ford is saying its new Taurus-based Police Interceptor Sedan and Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility outperformed other cars intended for rigorous police duty.

For the Police Interceptor Sedan, departments that opt for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 will be rewarded with the best 0-60 mile per hour, 0-80 mph and 0-100 mph times of all police cars, including V8-powered models like the Dodge Charger Pursuit and Chevrolet Caprice PPV. New for 2013, the sedan will offer a 3.7-liter V6, and Ford claims this model will have the best braking distance of the bunch. Even the Police Interceptor Utility with all-wheel drive had top acceleration to 60 mph and 80 mph compared to the Chevy Tahoe. Both the Sedan and Utility held the fastest average lap times around Grattan Raceway, the track where some of the testing was performed.

Until the official results come out, we can't fully call this a win for Ford just yet, but it sure does make a good case for the next generation of Ford police cars.

Continue reading Ford claims victory in latest round of Michigan State Police testing

Ford claims victory in latest round of Michigan State Police testing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2013 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor shows its face

Zach Bowman — Wed, 11 May 2011 09:36:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Ford, Police/Emergency

2013 Ford Police Interceptor spy shots - Click above for high-res image gallery

It looks as if the recent update to the 2013 Ford Taurus will translate to the company's new Police Interceptor. Our elite squad of spy photographers have managed to capture a few images of a revamped Interceptor during transport, and while several mules have been spotted with heavy front-end camouflage, this particular car has dropped its gown for the whole world to see. Along with a more aggressive front fascia, the vehicle wears a larger grille than its civilian counterparts to accommodate additional lighting, and perhaps enable better breathing.

Speaking of lighting, Ford looks to have reworked the vehicle's taillights to accept emergency strobes as well. Take this as an official warning - if you see this guy stalking you through traffic, it's probably already too late. Just go ahead and pull on over.

It's unclear exactly what performance modifications will accompany the aesthetic alterations. Still, given that the 2013 Taurus is now available with 290 horsepower from the base 3.5-liter V6 as well as a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder and the mighty EcoBoost V6 with 365 ponies, law enforcement will likely have plenty of options to chose from.

2013 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor shows its face originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 09:36:00 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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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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Charting the Five-Ohs: Next-gen Cop Car Comparo

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST

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

It used to be that every full-line American automaker offered a version of its mainstream full-size sedan to make it appropriate for police duty. By the time 1996 rolled around, the Chevrolet Caprice, which was the last would-be competitor to the standard-setting Ford Crown Victoria, was discontinued, leaving the lucrative police market to the Blue Oval Boys.

The automotive industry took notice, and plans began in corporate board rooms to remedy that situation, and even a few new entrants - most notably Carbon Motors - sprung up with promising designs that eschewed the mainstream production-based sedan design.

In 2005, Dodge rolled out a factory police package for its full-size Charger sedan, and for the first time in a decade the Crown Victoria faced some stiff V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive competition. Then in 2009, Chevrolet announced that its new Zeta platform Caprice would be returning for the 2011 model year packing a strong 6.0-liter V8 of its own.

How would Ford answer this newly mounted competition? Would the aging Panther-based Crown Vic finally get an update? Nope. Instead, Ford just recently announced that it would soon offer a highly ruggedized version of its most recent Taurus sedan, optionally equipped with the stout 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 engine powering all four wheels as seen in the revived Taurus SHO.

We decided to see for ourselves how the three new competitors stacked up against the old guard Crown Vic on paper, and as you can see, there's little to separate each offering on the spec sheets. It should prove interesting to see how police agencies react to these choices, especially since reliability and durability will be mostly unknown factors for the first time in ages. See for yourself.


	Ford Crown Vic	Ford Taurus	Dodge Charger	Chevrolet Caprice
Availability	Forever	Late 2011	2005 - Present	2011
Type	Four-door, body on frame	Four-door, enhanced unibody	Four-door, unibody	Four-door, unibody
Engine	4.6L V8	3.5L V6 Twin-turbo 3.5L V6	5.7L Hemi V8	6.0L V8
Power	250 horsepower	263 horsepower 365 horsepower	368 horsepower	355 horsepower
Torque	297 lb-ft	249 lb-ft 350 lb-ft	395 lb-ft	385 lb-ft
Fuel Economy	14 City / 21 Highway	18 City / 28 Highway (2010 Ford Taurus FWD) 17 City / 25 Highway (2010 Ford Taurus SHO AWD)	16 City / 25 Highway	15 City / 24 Highway (2009 Pontiac G8 GT)
Driveline	Rear-Wheel	Front or All-Wheel	Rear-Wheel	Rear-Wheel
Shifter	Column	Column	Column	Console
Wheels	17-inch steel	18-inch steel	18-inch steel	18-inch steel
Brakes	Four-Wheel Discs	Four-Wheel Discs	Four-Wheel Discs	Four-Wheel Discs
Cop Brakes	Y	Y	Y	Y
Cop Suspension	Y	Y	Y	Y
Cop Cooling	Y	Y	Y	Y
Seats	Front - Cloth Rear - Vinyl Bench	Front - Cloth Rear - Vinyl Bench	Front - Cloth Rear - Cloth Bench	Front - Cloth Rear - Vinyl Bench
Interior Volume	106.4 Cubic Feet	102.3 Cubic Feet	104 Cubic Feet	112 Cubic Feet
Trunk Space	20.6 Cubic Feet	20.1 Cubic Feet	16.2 Cubic Feet	18 Cubic Feet
Special Features	Overwhelming Ubiquity Tough as nails Capable of withstanding 75-mph rear impact	Seats with downsized lateral bosters, cut-outs for utility belts Ford SYNC Safety Canopy(R) side-curtain air bag Rollover protection system Customizable steering-wheel switches Rear doors swing 71-degrees Capable of withstanding 75-mph rear impact BLIS(R) (Blind Spot Information System) Cross Traffic Alert Rear View Camera System Reverse Sensing System	160-mph (certified) calibrated speedometer AM/FM radio with CD player, changer controls, four speakers and clock with auxiliary audio input jack Load-leveling, height-control shock absorbers Independently switched red/white LED dome lamp	Seats with downsized lateral boosters, cutouts for utility belts In-dash touch-screen computer technology Driver information center in the instrument cluster with selectable speed tracking feature

Charting the Five-Ohs: Next-gen Cop Car Comparo originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:00:00 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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