Ford announces all-new Police Interceptor for North America

[Fumesucker]

http://www.gizmag.com/new-ford-police-interceptor/14515/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=abc16baba7-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

For the past 18 years, the cop car of choice for North American police forces has been a modified version of the Ford Crown Victoria. And here’s an interesting fact about the Crown Vic: it hasn’t been available to the general public since 2008. Here’s another: it looks like something your grandpa would drive. While police forces like the cars because of their V8 engines, rear-wheel-drive, and easy-to-repair body-on-frame construction, they have become aesthetically and technologically dated. It’s time for a change, so the Ford Motor Company is offering one - last Friday, they revealed a new purpose-built Police Interceptor, which will take over when the Crown Victoria goes out of production in late 2011. The Ford Taurus-based sedan is said to exceed the durability, safety, performance and fuel economy of the Crown Vic.
Performance

The Police Interceptor will have a 3.5-liter V6 engine that “performs equal to or better than V8 engines.” There will be two powertrain options, depending on the needs of individual police forces. The standard version will deliver at least 263hp, at a reported 25 percent more fuel efficiency than the Vic’s 4.6-liter V8. Cops who engage in a lot of high-speed chases, however, might opt for the twin-turbocharged direct-injection EcoBoost engine. It will deliver at least 365hp, supposedly outperforming normally-aspirated V8 police cruisers, while keeping fuel economy and CO2 emissions similar to those for the standard engine.

Inside

The interior will sport features such as front seats that accommodate bulky utility belts, anti-stab plates in the front seatbacks, and a column-shifter designed to keep the console area open and available for aftermarket equipment.
Safety

The Interceptor has been engineered to pass 75mph rear-end crash testing, like the Crown Vic before it. It also has side curtain air bags, to protect front and rear passengers in the event of a rollover or side impact. The vehicle will have oversized brakes and vented 18-inch steel wheels, to enhance braking performance.
Other safety features will include:
The Blind Spot Information System, a radar-based electronic system that alerts the driver to vehicles in their blind spots, or that are approaching from the sides as they’re backing out of parking spaces
A rear view camera system
A reverse sensing system, that alerts the driver to objects behind the car
Electronic stability control, which reduces engine torque and applies selected brakes when wheel slip is detected

[sellitman]

1. I want one

Sounds like a sweet ride.

[Motown_Johnny]

35. I suspect you may one day get a ride in one

:sarcasm:

[Turbineguy]

2. Cool!

I'm gonna go out and drive 85mph right now!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. Own a Toyota do you?

nt

[LWolf]

16. Yes, but the only time it's ever gone 85 mph

is when I told it to, on a long, straight, deserted hwy when I had 1,100 miles to cover in a day.

Here at home, it rarely tops 45 mph, since that's the prevailing local speed limit.

[Maat]

32. +1

HeeHee. Proud Prius owner here - I've enjoyed my 2006 Prius for four years now, without a problem.:)

[LWolf]

33. .

:hi:

I've driven my Toyota through your neighborhood, in years past. ;)

[Maat]

36. Hi, LWolf!

:hi:

[LWolf]

51. Hi right back at ya!

:hi:

[madokie]

4. I'd love to have one of those

twin turbos and all

[FarCenter]

5. Will it do 91 with a New Jersey governor in the car?

May need to beef up the suspension.

[47of74]

6. Police Interceptor? Is that like one of these?

Every time I hear the words police interceptor I think about this...

[formercia]

7. Just remember:

You can outrun a Chevy, you can outrun a Ford, but you can't outrun a Motorola.

[Leftist Agitator]

26. "...but you can't outrun a Motorola."

No, but with the proper equipment and knowledge, you can jam one.

[conscious evolution]

40. I considered designing,building

and selling just such a product many years ago.
It would have also been equipped with a radar jammer also.

[SteveG]

8. Mad Max

Looks a lot like the car that Mel Gibson drove in Mad Max...... just sayin...

[MadHound]

9. Will these be exploding death traps like the Crown Vic,

Or will Ford spring for the big bucks and actually include the one dollar gasket that keeps the gas tank from blowing upon rear impact?

[Mopar151]

12. Specifics, please

I keep hearing about this, but no one ever has specifics. Got a link? or is just more drum beating for Toyota.

[tucsonlib]

13. Here Are A Couple Of Links

http://www.azdps.gov/About/Fallen_Officers/Display/?o=Cruz

http://www.azdps.gov/About/Fallen_Officers/Display/?o=Fink


There are many, many documented cases of Crown Vics bursting into flame when struck from behind.

[MadHound]

17. No, it isn't drum beating for Toyota,

It is seeing how dangerous these cars are for our cops. We've had a couple of troopers in my state killed because of Ford's desire to put money over lives.

You keep hearing about this because it is true. Go google "exploding Crown Vics" and educate yourself. Here are a couple of links that are just the tip of the iceberg.

<http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/06/06/cop-car.htm>
<http://www.crownvictoriasafetyalert.com/purchases.html>

This isn't about one car vs. another, it is about, once again, a car company putting profit ahead of lives.

[Mopar151]

23. Thank you for the cites

But the USA Today cite hardly supports the original post in this subthread, and it's the only one with specifics. Retrofit technology has long been available that could have fixed the Crown Vic's particular problem - but the cost would have made the car cost too much, and cop cars are bought on low bid.

http://atlinc.com/ballistictank.html

http://atlinc.com/pdfs/Racing/2010ATL-complete-catalog-web%2014.pdf

[Mopar151]

24. And the Taurus fuel tank is not the same configuration n/t

[MadHound]

10. Will these be exploding death traps like the Crown Vic,

Or will Ford spring for the big bucks and actually include the one dollar gasket that keeps the gas tank from blowing upon rear impact?

[NightWatcher]

11. they look tiny and cramped. I could barely fit in the Crown Vic with a cage

that guy in the picture looks cramped. Imagine wearing a huge gun belt and trying to get into that little box. In models with a cage in the back you cannot slide the driver's seat back more than an inch or two.

THIS is my speed

[conscious evolution]

41. They will have to cut back

on their doughnut consumption.

[ThomWV]

14. Just one more tool in the Police State - better than that they have a tank I suppose.

[Fumesucker]

15. I just like fast cars..

And the dual turbo version seems pretty hot to me..

[Mopar151]

19. Quick is actually a good thing in a patrol car

Basically, it means that an officer can get an offender stopped quickly, without having to take a lot of chances. The key to maintaining safety in these situations is training and policy - like in most cases of law enforcement excess.
In my opinion, police pursuit training needs to inclued the first thing taught in Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School - knowing when to quit! Students are shown a video, full of crashes, fires, and mayhem - then are taken back through it, and shown where the driver should have thrown in the towel!

One of the cars that match raced Frank when he drove the "Chi-Town Hustler"

[deaniac21]

18. I'll go with the Hemi

[salguine]

20. Somebody's watched "Robocop" a few too many times! Honestly, I can't help but wonder

whether additional features will include stuff like an extra-roomy trunk to hold up to a hundred confiscated protest signs.

[Supply Side Jesus]

38. Try to

:eyes:

[Mopar151]

21. GM quashed this program in NY

When they bought Saab:

[Kalyke]

46. LOL... really... they drive this shit in New York?

I'd get a ticket for laughing my ass off if I got pulled over by this piece of ugly junk.

[Mopar151]

47. You could cross the border into Vermont and get a couple more

I had one of its predecessors (99ems), and it was more than the equal of the local police car....

[Mopar151]

22. A British favorite - Volvo

And an English Ford police model

[Fumesucker]

25. How about this one then..

This AC Schnitzer BMW 123d Polizei car is based on a car provided by BMW to the TUNE IT! SAFE! initiative which is supported by the German Police and Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Road Development. Tuning is synonymous with more power. This year however, more and more companies playing in this field are focused on safety. The AC Schnitzer BMW 123d Polizei is powered by the standard 2.0 diesel engine that has been upgraded and now outputs 241 hp and 480 Nm of torque. This engine, coupled with the 6-speed automatic transmission, takes the AC Schnitzer BMW 123d Polizei from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds.

[JBoy]

27. I'll see your BMW and raise you a Lamborghini

[Fumesucker]

29. I've seen that one before but I couldn't remember if it was a Lambo..

Or a Maserati..

A buddy of mine back a long time ago had a 1970 Plymouth 440 ex cop car, the thing was a beast..

And back in the late 60's Georgia State Patrol had 427 Biscaynes or maybe it was a Bel Air ..

[Codeine]

28. One of our area departments switched to Dodge Chargers

a few years back. Really cool-looking cars in police livery.

[Artie Bucco]

30. I will give Charger's that

They are an tough, bad ass looking car. Distinctive headlights too, many a night I have slowed down think there is a cop car behind me when it only is a civilian Charger.

[Broken_Hero]

31. Same in my current area as well,

most of them are Dodge Chargers, or Chevy Impala's. I know on the NW Arkansas side they got a few Camaro's.

[Motown_Johnny]

34. Now if some communities can afford them......

[UTUSN]

37. Is this available to us civilians? n/t

[NNN0LHI]

43. The Taurus SHO is the civilian version of this

I think the back seats of the police car version is a bench made of a hard plastic or vinyl so they can be washed out with a hose. Not too comfortable for the occupants.

Don

[UTUSN]

44. O.K., thanks!1 n/t

[Edweird]

39. Ford keeps trying to replace popular rear wheel drive cars with front wheel drive.

It keeps not working. (Remember when they tried to replace the Mustang?) Police seem to prefer rear wheel drive, as do most performance oriented drivers. If Ford stops making the crown vic, somebody else will start selling police departments cars. Like Dodge.

[NNN0LHI]

42. I seen about 15 car carriers full of brand new Crown Vics heading south on Rt. 1 the other day

About half were black and whites. Someone is loading up on them.

Don

[Mopar151]

48. They are not the only ones.

GM. in fact, has gone further than Ford in this direction.

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. Ah anti stab plates

true story of how coincidences can get cops all around going WTF? Let alone the EMS personnel that take care of them.

One fine night in two cities, in two countries, a fella was put in the rear seat safely cuffed.

You'd think Houdini was the last person to be able to get out of cuffs. To make a long story short, there two fellas got out of their cuffs and stabbed the driver... sending two squad cars in two cities, in two countries careening out of control.

To say that this heckuva of a coincidence became the talk of the town is to to put it mildly. And yes, it was one of those that make you go... WTF over? Oh and these two fellas went on the lam for a while...

So stab plates, looks like some folks have learned from incidents like those two.

Oh and cities in question, one was Tijuana, the other a small town in Northern Minnesota. I knew of the first since I took care of the officer, the second... oh that was the early days of them Internets and somebody posted it as a curious story from their local paper.

[DainBramaged]

49. The Caprice will kick it's ass all over the interstates

365 HP the pursuit base horsepower (same as base G6GT), with the Camaro SS engine (variant) under consideration.




http://www.chevroletcapriceppv.com/

[Scurrilous]

50. Coming soon to my rear-view mirror.

:thumbsdown: