Ford's Police Interceptor

I just did something that is the kind of thing which makes my job interesting.  Driving Ford’s new Police Interceptor utility and sedan vehicles through some cone courses out at Citifield in Queens.  That’s where the New York Mets play ball. 

Ford was smart enough to have their old Crown Vics at hand. About 70 percent of the police fleet in America now is Ford Crown Vic.  We drove the Crown Vics first and then got in the new, teched-out police cars. Gradually municipalities will replace those old Vics for new vehicles.  While Chevrolet and Dodge vie with Ford for the cop car business, municipalities are accustomed to Ford.  It won’t be a surprise if they reorder.

We got to do a chase course and spin the wheels around tight corners to experience what is was like to catch a thief.  Our course was less adrenalated—we didn’t have a crime. Expect to see more perp walks now that the force has better performance.

Specially designed and engineered to handle the rigors of police work, the new Police Interceptors are available with efficient powertrain packages that provide more performance and better fuel economy. The powertrains are paired with standard and exclusive all-wheel drive for optimized traction and control.

Fuel economy at idle improves 35 percent on the Police Interceptor sedan and 32 percent on the Police Interceptor utility vehicle.

These cars have some nifty specifications that fit the needs of law enforcement including a seat that is designed with cutouts for guns, heavy duty brakes, calipers, rotors and pads that Ford calls police unique, heavy duty springs and shocks, a spotter mirror and a universal top tray where the radar goes.  It is 75 mph rear crash tested and has safety cell unibody frame with crumple zones.

Back to back with the Crown Vic, both new Police Interceptors made the Crown Vic look old fashioned.  They are faster, tighter around turns and is a world apart in terms of handling.  Ford worked directly with law enforcement in Michigan to get the desired result.  And the vehicles have been designed so that they can be repurposed for other agencies when they are no longer effective for the police force.

Bottom line: it’s going to be much harder to get away.