Autoblog

Last Ford Crown Victoria build documented by St. Thomas Assembly

John Neff — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Ford, Police/Emergency, Specialty

Pour a 40 out, dance a dervish or do whatever your people do to celebrate the dead, because yesterday, the final Ford Crown Victoria rolled off the assembly line at St. Thomas Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. Workers from the plant have been documenting the wind-down on a Facebook page, and you can check out some choice build pictures of the last-ever Vicky in our gallery. The final Crown Victoria was a white model with tan interior and optional rear-seat air conditioning for a customer in Saudi Arabia. With the long-serving Lincoln Town Car also ending production, only 250 of the plant's roughly 1,200 workers will be kept through December to help decommission the facility.

On sale for roughly 32 years, the Crown Victoria was a mainstay of the Ford lineup that refused to modernize. Aside from the Lincoln, it was the only rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame sedan left on sale in America. You could get it with a column-mounted shifter. You could order two bench seats and seat six comfortably (front bench seats in passenger vehicles are now officially dead in America). It rode on the oldest continuously produced platform on sale in America, Ford's tough-as-nails Panther platform that was first used back in 1979. Lastly, it always offered a V8 no matter what gas was going for at the corner station. Click through the jump to continue reading...

Continue reading Last Ford Crown Victoria build documented by St. Thomas Assembly

Last Ford Crown Victoria build documented by St. Thomas Assembly originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What the fashionable detective will be driving this fall

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, GM, Police/Emergency

Anybody can buy a cop car. The roadway is littered with clapped-out Chevrolet Caprice cruisers that cause motorists to instinctively to slam on the brakes while the driver rolls smugly on by. Not everybody can pick up a brand-new 2011 Chevrolet Caprice cop car, however, but a few dealers actually have them in stock.

A reader (Thanks, Manzer!) managed to spy one wearing the Detective Package guise - complete with tinted windows - and sent in a few pics of the updated Caprice parked at in a nearby lot. While we are sad because it reminds of the gone-too-soon Pontiac G8, we're happy that we might someday be able to pick up a used one for far less than the nearly $32,000 price tag these command when new.

What do you get for all that coin? Well the average Joe Citizen gets exactly nothing, since you can't officially buy one since General Motors closed a contractual loophole with its dealers that saw a few examples selling to civilian buyers. Johnny Law, however, gets lights hidden in the front grille and rear window, a modest cloth interior and Police Performance mode as part of the Stabilitrak system. The best part lies under the hood, though, as this cruiser comes equipped with a 6.0-liter V8 engine that produces 355 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque.

Do you happen to wear a badge and desire a new ride to stop the baddies? Check out the listings at Jim Ellis Chevrolet in Atlanta, Georgia for a few options to put on your shopping list.

What the fashionable detective will be driving this fall originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:33:00 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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Vauxhall presents an Insignia for the bobbies at UK police expo

Noah Joseph — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:55:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Misc. Auto Shows, Vauxhall, Police/Emergency, UK

Vauxhall Insignia police cruiser - Click above for high-res image

Badged alternately as an Opel (Europe), Vauxhall (UK), Chevrolet Vectra (South America) or Buick Regal (North America and China), GM's Insignia has been gaining traction around the world. But the latest version isn't targeted at private consumers: it's a police cruiser.

Developed with the Intelligent Transportations Systems Working Group of the Association of Chief Police Officers (APCO) in the UK, this Vauxhall Insignia was just recently unveiled at the annual exposition of the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB). Whether the acronyms mean anything to you or not, the Insignia police car packs a new feature called Single Vehicle Architecture. SVA doesn't refer to the car's platform or chassis, but rather to a standardized electronics system that will allow police equipment manufacturers to install all manner of special equipment without having to rewire the entire car.

Examples of equipment capable of installation include automatic license plate recognition systems and data recorders, as well as the usual suspects from sirens to comm radios. Follow the jump for the full press release.

[Source: Vauxhall]

Continue reading Vauxhall presents an Insignia for the bobbies at UK police expo

Vauxhall presents an Insignia for the bobbies at UK police expo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:55:00 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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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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REPORT: Lamborghini Gallardo cop car crashes in Italy thanks to careless driver

Chris Shunk — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Government/Legal, Lamborghini

The Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia is a very capable police cruiser that just happens to also be an extremely desirable Italian exotic. How many police cruisers can go 200 mph while toting a vital organ in its specially made refrigerated storage? While Lambo and the Italian State Police thought of all kinds of neat amenities to make the LP560-4 the perfect cruiser, they neglected to install an idiot detection device and now they're paying the ultimate price.

One of two Gallardo LP560-4 Polizias is ready for the scrap heap after a careless Seat Ibiza driver pulled out of a gas station without first looking for $200,000 police car. The undoubtedly surprised driver of the Gallardo swerved to avoid the oblivious one and smashed into a row of parked cars. The wedge-like Gallardo hit the cars so hard that one vehicle actually ended up on top (see above) of the ultimate Pig-mobile, crushing the front end. Luckily, the police officer and his passenger were unhurt in the incident. Ironically, the police issue Gallardo was on its way home from a safe driving seminar when the accident occurred.

What a bummer. The cop driving the car was one of 20 officers specially trained to handle the Gallardo's awesome V10 power. Now that the world's neatest police cruiser is scrap-worthy, he'll likely have to go back to driving a Fiat. Thanks for the tips, everyone!!

Gallery: Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Polizia

[Source: Guardian | Image: YouReporter.IT]

REPORT: Lamborghini Gallardo cop car crashes in Italy thanks to careless driver originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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South Yorkshire police enlist Mitsubishi Evo X in the force

Frank Filipponio — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Mitsubishi, Police/Emergency, UK

Click above for high-res image gallery of the Police Evo X

The South Yorkshire police just added a ten to their squad. No, that's not a sexist statement about some new hire, it's a reference to the new Mitsubishi Evolution X they just added to the fleet. Joining an already-intimidating Evo VIII and IX in the motorpool is a specially equipped X that should help keep the Road Crime Unit (RCU) ahead of the baddies. The Evo X should be more than adequate for tracking down drug dealers and car thieves by itself, but deployed as a pack, the trio of Evos will probably scare scofflaws into simply giving up the chase.

The new Evolution X squad car will also be fitted with an onboard Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, which allows officers to "check who the vehicle is registered to and if there is anything remotely suspicious about the vehicle." So it even does a bit of detective work, too. This sounds like just about the perfect pursuit and apprehend vehicle. While it's no Lamborghini LP560-4, it's no i MIEV either. Looks a bit like that Carbon Motors E7, but it's a proven platform with SUPER ARREST POTENTIAL! There's a full press release after the jump and a small gallery of high-res pics available below.

Gallery: South Yorkshire Police Evolution X

[Source: Mitsubishi]

Continue reading South Yorkshire police enlist Mitsubishi Evo X in the force

South Yorkshire police enlist Mitsubishi Evo X in the force originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Calling all cars: Carbon Motors purpose-built police car

Dan Roth — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:03:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Police/Emergency

Checker did it with taxi cabs a generation and a half ago, but since then, purpose-built working cars haven't been produced in mass quantities. Carbon Motors thinks it's about time the fuzz get their own purpose-built ride, instead of being forced to modify a civilian car. Law enforcement agencies have kept Ford's Panther platform alive long past its expiration date, but even that is winding down. Carbon's E7 looks to step in and fill the niche that the eventual phasing out of the Panther will provide (nevermind that there's been some adoption of the even tighter quarters of the Chrysler LX cars). Police need cars that are tough and economical to run and maintain. With those criteria, it's easy to see why the Crown Victoria is the Queen of fleet. They take a pounding, they're relatively cheap, and they're big enough to hold the constabulary essentials and leave room for perps, even if there's precious little elbow room for Officer Krupke.

Carbon's got to make a case for a niche application, limited production vehicle with some expensive hardware. A twin-turbo diesel inline six is not as cheap a power unit as Ford's long-serving and robust (let's not talk about valve guides and seals, please) modular V8. The aluminum spaceframe that Carbon designed as the basis of the E7 is also not cheap, but the tradeoff for the high cost componentry is a 250,000 mile durability spec. By the time Crown Vics reach that kind of mileage, they're no longer cruisers - usually having long been handed down to less demanding city departments. The car looks like vaporware currently, though there's plenty of CG eye candy at the Carbon Motors website for dreamers to feast upon. Hey, fire trucks are manufactured by niche producers that charge a bundle for vehicles that serve forever, and it could make sense for police departments, too. It all comes down to how durable the cars actually are, how expensive they are to run and maintain, and how much the initial cost is. You know, just a few minor numbers to run.

[Source: Carbon Motors via Paul Tan]

Gallery: Carbon Motors E7 police car

Continue reading Calling all cars: Carbon Motors purpose-built police car

Calling all cars: Carbon Motors purpose-built police car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Volvo V70 Police Car debuts in UK

John Neff — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:34:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Europe, Volvo

click above image for high-res gallery

While Michigan cops are switching over from Crown Vics to Impalas, the UK police are holding fast with their police cruisers and have debuted the redesigned Volvo V70 in police spec with a new livery. Volvo touts the V70's interior space and increased payload capacity of 724kg (up from 539kg in a standard model) as reasons why bobbies in the UK favor the V70, telling us that these features "ensure that the vehicle can safely transport all the equipment necessary for modern policing, including heavy firearms when the situation demands." Boo-yah. So don't go approaching any V70s that look like this in the UK if you're itching for a fight. Chances are they're packing a lot of heat in their rear underfloor lockable storage area.

[Source: Volvo]

Gallery: Volvo V70 UK Police Car

Continue reading New Volvo V70 Police Car debuts in UK

New Volvo V70 Police Car debuts in UK originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden VE Commodore protects, serves Aussies. Still goes fast, too.

Alex Nunez — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:06:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, GM

Click image for 3-shot hires gallery

Even the cops in Australia have it over us. While we wait (impatiently) for the Pontiac G8 to start rolling off transport ships originating from the island continent sometime next year, the new VE Commodore is now entering fleet duty as a police interceptor. Holden released a trio of shots showing full-dress VE Commodore SSes ready for duty on the undoubtedly long stretches of road running through the Outback in Australia's Northern Territory. Boy, we would burn through a lot of gas if we were Australian police officers on patrol out there with one of these as the "company car."

[Source: GM Holden via The GM Source]

Gallery: Holden VE Commodore SS Police Car

Holden VE Commodore protects, serves Aussies. Still goes fast, too. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Citizen review of Charger police cruiser

John Neff — Fri, 05 May 2006 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Dodge

No doubt many of you have already begun seeing Dodge Charger police cruisers patrolling your neighborhoods. As soon as Michelle Wingard of Amherst, OH (population 14,000) saw a Charger with a light bar trolling in her neck of the woods she made a B-line to the precinct to get a closer look. Thanks to the openness of the Amherst Police Department the resulting article is a terrific look at how officers are reacting to the new sheriff in town.

If the law boys in Amherst are anything to go by, the Charger police cruiser is a big hit with its 5.7L HEMI V8, spacious interior and tight-yet-comfortable handling. The only niggle one sergeant mentioned was the car's habit of briefly pausing when quickly shifting into Reverse, which Wingard witnessed first hand as the officer turned the car around to chase down a speeding Ford Escape on their test drive.

Kudos to Wingard for a great read that comes off less like overthought automotive journalism and more like talking to your best bud about cars.

[Source: NewAgeMusclecars]

Citizen review of Charger police cruiser originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 May 2006 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit fuzz first with hydrogen fuel cell cop car

John Neff — Sun, 09 Apr 2006 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Daimler

Well, it's not actually the Detroit police. Those brave souls would do well to soldier on with their heavily armored Crown Vics. It's actually the campus police of Wayne State University in Detroit who have received the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered police vehicle in the world. The vehicle will operate in and around the campus and serve as a "learning laboratory" for WSU students enrolled in the country's first masters-degree program in alternative energy.

The campus po-po's paddy wagon is based on DaimlerChrysler's innovative F-Cell hydrogen vehicle, which has a 100-mile range and a top speed of 85 mph. The electric motor develops 88 horsepower, just enough to run down jaywalkers and truant students. Sixty mph is reached in 16 seconds or next semester, whichever comes first.

[Source: DaimlerChrysler]

Detroit fuzz first with hydrogen fuel cell cop car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Apr 2006 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Charger fitted for NYPD uniform

John Neff — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:36:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Dodge

You may remember a post awhile back on the NYPD agreeing to buy a fleet of 15 Chargers, five V6 models and ten with the HEMI V8, for a pilot program set to commence this summer. Well here are snaps of the first one outfitted for duty mere moments after the decals were applied.

Autoblog reader Max sent us a link to a forum titled NYPD Rant where a few photos of the car are being hosted. The forum's audience is made up entirely of boys in blue, so it's great fun to read their reactions to what may become the newest member of the force.

The real cops of NYC apparently don't expect to see any Chargers on the street until their bosses are done driving them around town between photo-ops, and they worry about back-seat room in the Charger, as well as that sunroof under the light bar. Most officers, however, would forego the Charger if it meant an annual salary that's larger than the cost of their cruiser.

Charger fitted for NYPD uniform originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Mar 2006 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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