AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2011 CHEVROLET CAPRICE POLICE PATROL VEHICLE

On The Cover Review: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle

Chevrolet basically gave up their police fleet business to the Ford Crown Victoria in 1997 after the demise of the rear-wheel-drive Caprice.  Front-wheel-drive Luminas and Impalas loosely filled the gap in the interim, but they were never a threat to Ford’s dominance.  Chevrolet does make a rear-drive Caprice for several foreign markets, however, and in 2011 it looks as if this car is going to come to the U.S. strictly for police applications just in time for the aged Crown Victoria’s discontinuation.  The Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle is similar to the much-lauded Pontiac G8, another car that won’t be available anymore thanks to the shuttering of the Pontiac Division.  It will be a bit longer and better-suited for police use, though, and powered by a Corvette-derived 6.0-liter V8 producing 355-hp.  Right now, there are no plans to sell this car to the public.  Of course, right now General Motors is in no position to introduce a performance-enriched rear-wheel-drive sedan whether it would sell or not, lest they appear to be spending tax money on something harmful to the earth.  That climate could change in a few years, however, and if people decide they want this car in their own driveways—you never know what might happen.

Comments

[TheDriver959]

That is incorrect. No police car gets that kind of total performance treatment, before or after purchase. High performance brakes are factory equipment on police vehicles, along with items like brake ducts, skid plates, high output alternators, heavy duty batteries and high performance suspensions. Superchargers cause engine failure when run like a police vehicle is run. Police vehicles also use regular gas, not premium.

The closest thing to a performance-modified police vehicle (when compared to it's regular civilian model) is the current Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, which has a modified intake and dual exhaust, allowing 250bhp and 298lb/ft compared to a Crown Victoria LX that has 224bhp and 265lb/ft. There are no "cop chips" or "cop engines", nor does any police department invest in modifying a vehicle that will be out of service in two years or less. If it didn't come from the factory that way, the cops don't change it. Police Charger, Police Tahoe and Police Impala all use factory parts from other models in their lineup (with the exception of the Tahoe's suspension) and that's it. No high-performance gizmos or anything. I know, because I privately own a 2004 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, and I have worked in the General Motors plant where the Chevrolet Impala is built. The most done to these cars is the addition of extra oil and transmission coolers for how long the cars sit there doing nothing.