New purpose built police car

Some interesting features...including suicide doors in the rear!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2009/07/04/holmes.super.police.car.cnn

I wonder if it will be sold to the public after the cops are done with it.

mean looking

I would really like to see the performance specs.

96DXCivic wrote: I wonder if it will be sold to the public after the cops are done with it.

Nope. This is a police only vehicle. They are returned to the manufacturer after their lifecycle to be refurbished or recycled.

probably a good chance it is not entirely road legal for non-governmental use.

that'll sure stop me from slowing down every time i see someone in a white impala! no mistaking that thing...

but seriously i always belived the police need something better than a crown vic. honestly, i think its a great idea giving cops more powerful, safe, purpose built cars. and as for specs, i think i heard 300hp? can't remember exactly. its no evo in specs but it sure beats a crown vic.

http://www.carbonmotors.com/machine/specifications there's the specs. i thought it was deisel... 300hp, 420lb/ft. how about "75 mph rear impact crash capability " thats a good idea for highway patrol i suppose.

Rufledt wrote: its no evo in specs but it sure beats a crown vic.

Nothing can out run the Motorola

I like this car though, hope it does all that they say it can for the pirce tag they say it will have (that of an average police packaged car). I really like the rear collision safety. My uncles been rear ended on a traffic stop before, and if it wasnt for the cage in his car keeping the backseat and trunk behind him...well he wouldnt be enjoying his retirement anyways!

Personally I think giving cops purpose-built vehicles only reinforces the undesirable perception that police are some sort of paramilitary unit. I'm worried more that cops will believe that then I am the public.

that car needs to be sporting this:

I went to a presentation at their headquarters about a year ago, back when Carbon Motors was just five guys and they hadn't built a prototype. I was disappointed to hear there wouldn't be a civilian version; IIRC they said a lot of police departments didn't like the way anyone could get their hands on a Crown Vic and play cop with a flashing light. The plan instead is to have some sort of factory remanufactured program for returning and refurbishing old cars.

It does, however, meet all crash test requirement - one thing that Carbon noted is that most cop cars out there nowadays would not pass these tests if you tested them with all the aftermarket parts your typical police department installs.

MadScientistMatt wrote: they said a lot of police departments didn't like the way anyone could get their hands on a Crown Vic and play cop with a flashing light.

so then lets hope they play GM legos and pull off the cop uniform, and replace it with some street clothes and put it out there for us regular joes.

I am all for safety for our men in blue. I hope it makes them less edgy at a routine traffic stop.

I do really like how good the miliage is on them. I can only guess what a crown vic goes through on it's normal patrol duty. Between driving in stop and go traffic, to idling for hours at a time.. it must drink fuel like an alcoholic

mad_machine wrote: Between driving in stop and go traffic, to idling for hours at a time.. it must drink fuel like a recovering alcoholic drinks coffee

there i fixed it.

4cylndrfury wrote:

MadScientistMatt wrote: they said a lot of police departments didn't like the way anyone could get their hands on a Crown Vic and play cop with a flashing light.

so then lets hope they play GM legos and pull off the cop uniform, and replace it with some street clothes and put it out there for us regular joes.

That would be nice - I could use an over the top RWD car with a turbodiesel at a decent price myself. They've hinted if they were to do such a thing, the body style would be different so it couldn't be mistaken for the police version.

Wowak wrote: Personally I think giving cops purpose-built vehicles only reinforces the undesirable perception that police are some sort of paramilitary unit. I'm worried more that cops will believe that then I am the public.

You have to kidding, the cops are professional specialists in traffic law enforcement, outfitting them with a specialized vehicle designed to do the job right is just common sense. Seriously how many professionals out there do not have the correct equipment for the job they do. Have you seen how dangerous the passenger side front seat area can be in a Crown Victoria when the equipment is all installed.

A retrofitted Crown Vic or Impala is not a specialized tool. As a comparison how many mechanics do not have air tools these days, computer techs do not usually use 286s too often, or doctors using a chisel to crack a skull open seems to have gone by the way also. It is time our protectors have suitable equipment.

As for the cops believing they are paramilitary, that is because the police are a paramilitary unit, however they are not military. I suspect you are meaning that the cops will think they are above the rest of the population, but that issue is not going to be changed by a car, it is a matter for correct training to address.

aussiesmg wrote: but that issue is not going to be changed by a car, it is a matter for correct training to address.

I respectfully disagree. Police should not be paramilitary.

Wowak wrote:

aussiesmg wrote: but that issue is not going to be changed by a car, it is a matter for correct training to address.

I respectfully disagree. Police should not be paramilitary.

You mean, an armed force that acts as the active arm of the executive branch of a government to protect its citizens?

Dictionary.com said: par⋅a⋅mil⋅i⋅tar⋅y    [par-uh-mil-i-ter-ee] adjective, noun, plural -tar⋅ies. –adjective 1. noting or pertaining to an organization operating as, in place of, or as a supplement to a regular military force: a paramilitary police unit.

Really too bad there won't be a civilian version...wasn't this car designed by Lotus?

Also strange that it's so big, that thing looks bigger than the new Charger. That extra size could be a hindrance in a pursuit and it doesn't help efficiency either.

heard they want to put the plant in Braselton, close to Road Atlanta...

Can we just get an american made car with a diesel and rwd? I'd like 300hp but would settle for 180hp with 400 lb-ft. Are there any 4 cylinder diesels from the 90s or newer that came to the states? (other than a VW TDi)

I wonder what the total market is for a cop car? I figured you could make one robust car for use as a cop car and a taxi, and make a decent company out of it. Of course, that was before the RWD, V8 Charger came out and the Rondo Taxi concept was unleashed!!!

Considering that the vast majority of taxis purchased new are in metropolitan areas, I don't think that face-melting torque is necessary in city traffic.

MitchellC wrote: Considering that the vast majority of taxis purchased new are in metropolitan areas, I don't think that face-melting torque is necessary in city traffic.

Yeah that's actually where hybrids or pure electrics would be a good choice. Even a cheap battery pack should be enough to putter around the city all day, plus with low enough gearing it will accelerate fast enough to deal with aggressive city traffic.