New CHP interceptor Ford SUV

[Takumi]

Why don't the really rich towns get x5m's or cayenne turbos?

Some do have higher-end vehicles converted to interceptor form, but not necessarily SUVs. Prince William and Fairfax, two affluent Virginia counties in the suburbs of DC, each have an undercover Nissan GT-R interceptor.

[roadfro]

Folks, let's keep this discussion on the topic of the new CHP vehicles. Leave discussion on how police should do their job/enforce non-traffic laws for PMs or the Off-Topic board. Thanks.

--roadfro

[Henry]

What would you have them drive? 

MI

Crown Vics.

Smart cars, honestly...those blistering 0-60 times which mimic continental drift make it fair.

Crown Vic is out of production.

Plenty of police SUVs out there in the South, and likely any other place where there's rough terrain.

Am I the only one who thinks it's crazy that the Crown Vic is no more, but the Caprice is back again?

[cpzilliacus]

Am I the only one who thinks it's crazy that the Crown Vic is no more, but the Caprice is back again?

The vehicle being marketed by GM to police agencies in North America with the Chevy Caprice PPV badge is really not related to the "old" Chevy Caprice that GM stopped building in about 1995 or 1996. 

This "new" Chevy Caprice is really a LHD Holden WM Caprice, built in Australia where GM Holden Ltd has been building cars for many decades.

[mc78andrew]

Why don't the really rich towns get x5m's or cayenne turbos?

Some do have higher-end vehicles converted to interceptor form, but not necessarily SUVs. Prince William and Fairfax, two affluent Virginia counties in the suburbs of DC, each have an undercover Nissan GT-R interceptor.

That is awesome.  I now have serious respect for those counties.  Lets hope they never have to use them as a hostile chase at the speeds that car can travel makes me want to stay at least 2 or 3 counties away!

Wonder why they chose those the Nissan GT-R?  I would have loved to be in the procurement meeting where you decide which 100k sports car you are going to buy and then soup it from there.  My job sux compared to that! 

What would you convert to a police interceptor if you could? 

[pctech]

BRPD seems to be moving to the Dodge charger as their police car of choice. I'm not sure what La. SP are purchasing now.

[formulanone]

Why don't the really rich towns get x5m's or cayenne turbos?

Some do have higher-end vehicles converted to interceptor form, but not necessarily SUVs. Prince William and Fairfax, two affluent Virginia counties in the suburbs of DC, each have an undercover Nissan GT-R interceptor.

That is awesome.  I now have serious respect for those counties.  Lets hope they never have to use them as a hostile chase at the speeds that car can travel makes me want to stay at least 2 or 3 counties away!

Wonder why they chose those the Nissan GT-R?  I would have loved to be in the procurement meeting where you decide which 100k sports car you are going to buy and then soup it from there.  My job sux compared to that!

They have to be busting one hell of a counterfeiting ring to cover those $5,000-10,000 GT-R brake jobs. Never mind any engines or transmissions toasted, which aren't covered by warranty when used in the line of police duty.

[Henry]

Am I the only one who thinks it's crazy that the Crown Vic is no more, but the Caprice is back again?

The vehicle being marketed by GM to police agencies in North America with the Chevy Caprice PPV badge is really not related to the "old" Chevy Caprice that GM stopped building in about 1995 or 1996. 

This "new" Chevy Caprice is really a LHD Holden WM Caprice, built in Australia where GM Holden Ltd has been building cars for many decades.

Hmm, I find it quite odd that the Caprice and Impala are built off different platforms now. Even 13 years after its 2000 reintroduction, I still don't feel comfortable with the fact that the Impala is a FWD car now.

[formulanone]

Hmm, I find it quite odd that the Caprice and Impala are built off different platforms now. Even 13 years after its 2000 reintroduction, I still don't feel comfortable with the fact that the Impala is a FWD car now.

I've read the new one is a vast improvement, but the GM10/W-body model handles like a truck...too heavy for the front wheels, but to be fair, it was also a body architecture that debuted in late-1987, and not designed for a 3500+ pound vehicle.

[bugo]

I wish Chevy hadn't brought back the Impala and Malibu names for their current cars.  The SS should be the Impala SS (or the Chevelle SS), the Caprice police car should be offered to the public as the top of the line luxury sedan, the Impala should be the Lumina, the Malibu should be the Corsica, and the Cruze should be the Cavalier. 

[Brandon]

I wish Chevy hadn't brought back the Impala and Malibu names for their current cars.  The SS should be the Impala SS (or the Chevelle SS), the Caprice police car should be offered to the public as the top of the line luxury sedan, the Impala should be the Lumina, the Malibu should be the Corsica, and the Cruze should be the Cavalier. 

Hell, why not call the Cruze the Vega while we're at it?

[Takumi]

Wonder why they chose those the Nissan GT-R?  I would have loved to be in the procurement meeting where you decide which 100k sports car you are going to buy and then soup it from there.  My job sux compared to that!

As I understand, they're used to combat street racing. As to why they chose the GT-R, I think cost was a factor. A 2013 GT-R costs about $93,000, while other similarly powered cars (M5s/6s, Vipers, higher-end Mustangs and Camaros, etc.) cost thousands, if not tens of thousands more.

What would you convert to a police interceptor if you could? 

I'm partial to an early Honda/Acura NSX. Preferably a lighter-weight Type-R.

[FightingIrish]

I wish Chevy hadn't brought back the Impala and Malibu names for their current cars.  The SS should be the Impala SS (or the Chevelle SS), the Caprice police car should be offered to the public as the top of the line luxury sedan, the Impala should be the Lumina, the Malibu should be the Corsica, and the Cruze should be the Cavalier.

Lumina? Corsica? Cavalier? I think GM would prefer that the public forget those nameplates.

As for Impala and Malibu on FWD cars, that's where the industry has gone. Hell, Japanese compact cars used to be RWD. I know. I once owned a '76 Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi). Granted, people in the southern states still love 'em, but RWD only goes so far in a Rust Belt winter.

[SignBridge]

I read in another forum that California Highway Patrol had a specific reason for choosing the Explorer over any of the police package sedans currently offered. The reason was that CHP carries a larger amount of equipment in their cars than many other police depts. And that none of the police-sedans now made by the big 3 could handle the weight load of all that CHP equipment. So they went with a vehicle that could handle the weight as well as all other requirements that CHP needs.

An interesting comparison is the New York State Police who are testing all 3 American police-sedans now offered. (Dodge Charger, Chevy Caprice, Ford Taurus) Each Troop seems to have been issued one of each type for evaluation. Other police depts. in my area seem to be mostly going with the Ford Taurus.

Re: those small European police sedans, it beats the heck out of me how they are suitable for police use, especially given the standard European practice of 2 officers per car. Must be cramped with a computer in the car too.

And BTW, New York City PD has bought a fleet of Nissan Hybrids which are cramped and are not standing up well to the rigors of 24/7 police use. We could have predicted that, but the City is trying their best to save money.

[formulanone]

And BTW, New York City PD has bought a fleet of Nissan Hybrids which are cramped and are not standing up well to the rigors of 24/7 police use. We could have predicted that, but the City is trying their best to save money.

Yet, there's plenty of use for the police to use a hybrid, such as events where they'd keep a squad car pointlessly idling for two hours, wasting gas to patrol a barricade protecting a town parade from a side road.

Not that I've ever seen that before, no sirree. 

[Scott5114]

The McClain County (OK) Sheriff's department has a few pickup trucks in their fleet. Try figuring out a use case for those...

So does Wagoner County.  I've talked to several Wagoner County deputies and they told me the top speed of their trucks (Ford) is 96 MPH.  That's a good cruising speed for me.

Did they say why they had pickups? I had assumed it was because McClain County had some sort of macho redneck thing going on but Wagoner County is somewhat more urbanized.

[bugo]

The McClain County (OK) Sheriff's department has a few pickup trucks in their fleet. Try figuring out a use case for those...

So does Wagoner County.  I've talked to several Wagoner County deputies and they told me the top speed of their trucks (Ford) is 96 MPH.  That's a good cruising speed for me.

Did they say why they had pickups? I had assumed it was because McClain County had some sort of macho redneck thing going on but Wagoner County is somewhat more urbanized.

Trust me, parts of semirural Wagoner County is as redneck as it gets.

[pctech]

I think I saw one of the new Chevrolet(Holden) SS police cars here. It was an EBRSO unit.

[cpzilliacus]

I think I saw one of the new Chevrolet(Holden) SS police cars here. It was an EBRSO unit.

The Maryland State Police has quite a few of the Holden Caprice cars out.

As best as I can tell, all of them are marked in the standard MSP drab green and black.

[corco]

Hmm, I find it quite odd that the Caprice and Impala are built off different platforms now. Even 13 years after its 2000 reintroduction, I still don't feel comfortable with the fact that the Impala is a FWD car now.

I've read the new one is a vast improvement, but the GM10/W-body model handles like a truck...too heavy for the front wheels, but to be fair, it was also a body architecture that debuted in late-1987, and not designed for a 3500+ pound vehicle.

Those W-Body Impalas are some of the best built cars on the market though. I'd say it was easily the best car on the market for the price, if you're a person that doesn't care about things like driving dynamics and just want an appliance that can haul people around in comfort. Really reliable, well built, pretty good on gas, really cheap to repair, and you could buy them for nothing.