I was behind a used Crown Vic "Police Interceptor" today, and it got me thinking...has anybody ever seen any kind of performance numbers on these things? 0-60, 0-100, 1/4 mile, skidpad, etc. etc.... I've heard alot of speculation, but I've never seen the magazines or anybody actually do any performance tests on them. I'm wondering if they would actually make a good performance bargain (cheap, rwd, V8, probably been drivin hard but also well maintained).

 

I'm pretty sure there are performance tests from Car and Driver. I remember reading an article a few years ago.... something like ~300hp V8 (??) with a lot of torque, but I remember they're decently quick.

 

Try outrunning one and when they stop you ask them the performance numbers.

I am not thinking they are well maintained, or at least not my local ones, since I see them all the time parked at the station, and never parked at any local shop for work.

 

200-amp generator (provides additional electrical capacity for police equipment)
Air conditioning
Aluminum drive shaft
Audio - Standard stereo delete
Axle (Choice of 3.27 Non-Limited Slip Axle or 3.55 Limited Slip Axle)
Battery saver
Body-on-frame, RWD construction
Conventional spare tire
Engine - 4.6L 250-hp SEFI V8 with overhead cam
Engine, power steering and transmission oil coolers
Fail-safe engine cooling system
Floor covering - Heavy-duty rubber
Front and rear stabilizer bars
Fuel tank - 19-gallon capacity
Heavy-duty suspension and frame
Light bar connector
Mirrors - Power sideview
Seats - Cloth bucket with driver's-side power lumbar support (vinyl rear seat)
Speed-sensitive, variable-assist, power rack-and-pinion steering
Stainless steel dual exhaust
Tilt steering wheel
Transmission - Automatic 4-speed
Wheels - 16" steel
Windows - Power

 

Sport Compact Driver tested several police-use vehicles, and the numbers were disappointing. Well, actually, good for us.

The fastest was the LS1 Camaro, clicking off the 1/4-mile at mid-14's, and the common Crown Vic Interceptor ran it in like high 15-second range, if I remember right.

 

Do a google search for p71 interceptor, and you'll find a bunch of webpages on the cars...

 

the p71's are stout, but aren't that quick, A friend in HS had one and my first gen would pull a car or so on it when it was stock. Car had a gob of torque though. There use to be a p71 club out here and the guys had some serious fast cars, but most were swapped motors and a lot of carbbed motors

 

I service the local troopers cars and have spent roughly 1500 miles behind the wheel of various crown vic. police intereceptor's and they are NOT fast. They are capable of fairly high speeds, but there rolling acceleration is poor, from a stand still its not bad, but not good either. Brakes are fair at best, the handle like a normal crown vic., they do have V rated tires but are loaded to the gills with computers and weight so its a wash. If you have a car running less then a 7 second zero to sixty, you'll be able to give a crown vic a run for its money. The difference is the cops(most of them) are trained to push the car to its limits and do it often.

Not really related but an interesting story about driving with an officer of the law.... He was driving I was sitting shotgun, he was doing 85 in a 55, while talking on his cell phone, clipping his finger nails and weaving in and out of traffic driving with his knees- that's impressive.

 

^ thats stupid not impressive.

 

I asked a cop I saw to pop the hood so I could take a look, he said no.

When I had my Civic, Cop cars seemed pretty fast, now, not so much. Although tireguy was right when he said they really know how to drive. I still think they should make the new Hemi Charger a police vehicle...

 

Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor Package

2006 Dodge Charger Police Package

Chevrolet Impala 9C1 Police Package

 

I've driven all the regular cop cars

04 P71 CV
03 9C1 Impala
02 Camaro
02 Intrepid

The Camaro was the fastest
The Impala, & Intrepid seemed to be quick.
The CV was slow as hell
The regular police cars have the same performance as their civilain models. Some may handle or brake better though.
The new ones from Dodge will have some balls though if they ever make them.

 

There's a shop right by where I work that services Police cars... as well as Fire trucks...

 

The Dodge has 18" wheels... how is that practical on a police car? I think even Ford is going up to 17" wheels. The tires are dang expensive at that point, plus I would think if the vehicle has to go "off road" at all they'd want a taller sidewall.

 

the tires are 225/60/18... the sidewall is big enough...

And there could easily be a 16" or 17" steel wheel made for it.

 

They are already using Magnum R/T's back home.... along with an array of Z28's, a Z06, and even a Lotus Esprit V8 TT. I never could understand what a police department needs a 90k+ supercar for.

 

My dad has a crown vic and I can tell you that police aren't driving them for their power. You can sit in those seats for 8 hours straight and take no punishment at all on your back and legs. They have to be the most comfortable seats out there- just ask a new york city cab driver.

 

I would imagine it wouldn't really be a big deal for those initial acceleration #'s to matter much anyway.

They spend most their days taking down SUV's and old ass cars anyway. Well... according to "World's scariest police videos" 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7

 

....it does seem that way most times.

 

The FL HW patrol has an array of high performance cars. Most of their fleet are Camaro's. They also have a few supercharged Marauders, & CV's. I've seen a new Mustang Cobra, & a Z06.
In states like FL where ther's a ton of straight HW with the limit being 70. They need cars like that. The regular CV doesn't cut it.

 

if those were my taxes i'd be complaining up a storm cus that's unless it's an undercover vice car.

 

even if it was a forfeiture car they should have sold it and put the money to better use.

 

I don't disagree...............But say you were a cop and you repo a lotus and your 2 options are to 1) Auction car to use money for something more useful, or 2) Use as your cop car. I think most people would choose to keep it. Very wrong but also very right

 

my 00 TL-P outran and outhandles 2 Crown Vics and paddywagon on a windy dirt road.
and using the foot-style E-Brake is a bitch when trying to take on sharp turns.

 

Yeah but then you get every cop in the precinct fighting for who gets to drive it.

 

I think someone higher up in the chain would probably get to decide who drives it and who doesn't, I am sure not any old peace officer would get to drive it just becaue they wanted to.

 

I'd need to have one of these.

http://www.automobilemag.com/photo_g...ar/index1.html

 

Those sport compact guys must not know how to drive. How do you get an auto LS1 into mid 14's only. Unless it has tons of weight on it. My use to be stock Trans Am, ran low-mid 13's.

 

the crown vic 0-60 is about 9sec with all the equipments on(they are ass heavy and wing drag) and has a top speed of 130mph

the impala with 3.8 V6 outperforms the Crown Vic's V8, by offering similar performance...however it's FWD which some police they don't like

in Toronto there aren't any Dodge around so i cannot tell

In toronto area all the police cars are Crown Vic, and i asked one of my cop frd why. he told me in toronto they need 2 cops patrolling at night shifts, and the impala is not as roomy as the Ford so they opt for the Ford although Impala is a little better

however the outer toronto area used a mixed of Impala and Ford, and the Ontario Hwy patrol police use mostly Impala for hwy crusing

 

The CV is rather large also. Big cities like NYC use the Impala more for their smaller size. I almost never see a NYPD CV anymore.

 

IMO, it's not as much speed performance that increases on the PI cars....They beefen up most of the components to handle the beatings they take (Suspension, radiators, oil coolers, etc...)

 

they did a test recently and all the popular cruisers .. ie. impalas, caprices, crown vics, were all running mid 17s, and one in the 18s i think

now highway patrol ss camaros and the cobra r that fhp has .. now thats another story

 

It was a B4C Camaro Z28 that had already been in service for a while. So it has the extra equipment which makes it even heavier, and you can imagine the abuse it's been through.

 

I was coming home one day going northbound on Woodward Avenue which is like the main road through the Metro Detroit area. My house is about two miles away from the police station, and I saw these two red Z28's in my rear view mirror, HAULING MAJOR ASS.

I was like, "Sweet, two Z28s going at it!!"

As they came up on me and the traffic in front of me (no traffic behind me), they slowed down, and I looked over. Both of the drivers were in uniform and laughing their asses off. It was obvious that they were racing each other.

Great to know that my parents' tax dollars (I don't make enough to pay taxes yet.. still in school) are going to fund the racing habits of irresponsible police officers. I thought about reporting it, but I figured no one would believe my word against two police officers' and I would only be putting myself on the cops' shit list. So I didn't bother reporting it.

Their Suburban cop cars are fully loaded with DVD players in the headliner, moonroof, everything. I've always wondered why a police cruiser would need all those options. But hey, at least I will get to watch a movie in the back of the Suburban on the way to jil if I ever get arrested.

 

LOL there's no need for such powerful police cars

coz nowadays nbody will try to run away unless it's a stolen car or sth, i would never try to run away in my own car and end up spending time in jail

even u try to get away they do have helps coming

 

Hehe, a few weeks ago, my friends and I were heading to the local hang-out spot, and we jumped on the highway and blasted by this cop doing like 110. I saw the lights come on, so I radioed my friends and said gun it. We took it up to about 130, got off the highway and went to the spot. The cop never stood a chance. But if we had stayed on the highway longer, I'm sure other units would've caught us.

 

Maintenance and spare parts on an Esprit TT would be a nightmare. I'll bet the parts have to be shipped from England and that most mechanics wouldn't know their way around a car like that.

 

Good move, it woulda been WAY dumb to go rat on cops to other cops.