The venerable Ford Crown Victoria, the vehicle platform preferred for use by American police and taxi fleets -- and practically no one else -- is finally slated for a ground-up replacement.
After 15 years, the old, heavy, rear-drive Crown Vic will receive a full makeover for the 2012 model year, using a platform based on the Ford Taurus. That means scenes like the one below, which Telstar Logistics snapped at the California Highway Patrol's vehicle-preparation facility in West Sacramento, will soom be a thing of the past:
The 2012 Police Interceptor makes some big changes -- most notably, a switch to front-wheel drive, with all-wheel-drive available as a option. MotorAuthority details the powertrain specs:
The new Police Interceptor will also be available with a standard V-6 engine and front-wheel drive, however. The only sure way to tell the difference on the road? Try to outrun one. Not that we recommend that. The standard Police Interceptor gets a 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 with E85 capability, improving efficiency by 25 percent over the current Crown Vic version. The EcoBoost V-6's 365-horsepower and 350-pound-feet of torque make the upgraded Interceptor even more imposing in high-speed pursuits. A six-speed automatic transmission is fitted to both models.
Ford's new Police Interceptor won't have the cop beat all to itself; it will also face competition from the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV), which hits the streets in 2011. But if you suspect Ford will try to maintain it's 75 percent share in the cop market, then here's the headlight pattern you'll want to learn to recognize in your rear-view mirror:
Police departments like big cars with big engines and rear wheel drive that are cheap to buy. That's why the Crown Vic has been so popular. Front wheel drive and V6 engines are already a negative, and I bet this won't be cheap. Dodge has already been making inroads with the Charger, and the new Chevy follows the classic route. But without a RWD platform to build on, Ford doesn't have a choice but to hope they can salvage some of the market based on loyalty over utility.
Posted by: Oliver Babbish | 14 March 2010 at 01:25 PM
oh..wicked sick! is this for real..this is so cool..this would want me to become a police..
Posted by: Hektor | 14 March 2010 at 10:48 PM
Speaking of headlights, those appear to be HID projector lenses. I've often wondered when the Man would start using these vastly superior lights. If it's true, it's going to start being MUCH more difficult to detect police vehicles in the rearview at night :-(
Posted by: gzay | 17 March 2010 at 05:49 PM