SEMA Show: Stealthy Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Concept

A [supposedly] stealth concept version of Ford's Police Interceptor will make its world premiere at this week's SEMA Show in Las Vegas. As cool as it may look though (minus that worn-out driver's seat...), somehow we can't see this interceptor being very stealthy as those massive 22-inch alloy wheels and blacked out grille are bound to capture motorists' attention on the road.

Said to be inspired from the SR-71 Blackbird, the original stealth airplane revealed in the 1960s, Ford's Police Interceptor study also gets a large boot spoiler adorned with bead lights painted black, smoked tail lamps and tinted windows while the body was lowered an inch.

Ford doesn't say what's hiding under the hood, but the production Police Interceptor sedan model will be offered with two powertrain options, an E85-capable normally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 engine delivering at least 280 horsepower and a turbocharged version with direct-injection and at least 365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Read More

British Driver Receives Driving-Ban after Jamming Police Speed Gun

Bad news for drivers in Norfolk, UK: if you use a laser jamming device to evade hand-held speed guns you may receive a thirty day driving ban.

In a landmark court decision, a 21yo man had his driver's license suspended after he admitted to willfully obstructing a police officer by fitting laser jamming equipment to his Vauxhall Astra. The man was also fined £100 (US$157) and had the offending equipment confiscated by Norfolk Police.

Ten other drivers are waiting for their days in court over similar offences, though the devices are not illegal in Norfolk or anywhere else in the UK (yet). The Plods only became aware of the high-tech devices when they pulled over a Porsche 911 Turbo on the A47 trunk road in March this year.

Sgt Geoff Bowers, one of the road traffic officers spearheading the crackdown on high-tech jammers, had this to say:

"People using laser jamming devices have no regard for speed limits and, therefore, put themselves and other road users in danger."

The devices can be bought off the internet and can cost up to £500 (US$783). Feel free to add your two cents about the matter in the comments.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Telegraph

Read More

BMW Gains UK Police Approval, Announces 330d Saloon Interceptor

Good news for police officers bad news for tax-payers in the UK; Hyundai (see here) is not the only maker to be approved as a key supplier for all 52 Police forces around the country by the National Policing Improvement Agency. BMW has also received the agency's blessings, which means the Bavarian firm's cars and motorcycles will become standard issue to the UK's Policemen and women as part of the four-year deal.

Crime fighters in blue will be able to get behind the wheel of cars such as BMW 330d Saloon and Touring, 530d Saloon and Touring, all variants of X1, X3 xDrive20d, X5 xDrive30d and xDrive40d, while the R1200 RF-P Police bike is also on the menu.

Aside from the latest 5 Series models, which are an all-new addition to Police fleets, BMW also announced a specially modified 330d Saloon Interceptor as its High Performance Pursuit Vehicle.

In civilian form, the 330d comes with a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six diesel delivering 245HP, which accelerates the sedan from 0 to 62mph [100km/h] in 6.1 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph [250km/h].

According to BMW, the UK Police force-spec 330d Saloon Interceptor features special upgrades but the company said it couldn't reveal full technical details of the car "for security reasons".

Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK, said: "This is excellent news for BMW and shows the breadth of appeal of the products we sell. We have a very strong commitment to the 'Authorities market' throughout the world and have a very close relationship with the UK's Police forces. Orders for BMW Police vehicles started as long ago as the mid 1970s in the UK. This latest news reaffirms our commitment to 21st Century policing."

And just so you know, the Bavarian firm said that some of the BMW police vehicles will be unmarked and perform "less visible policing roles."

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Read More

VW Offers Chattanooga Police Jetta SportWagen TDIs to Keep Residents / Speedsters Safe

Now we've officially seen it all; a body-kitted German station-wagon running on a [relatively] small displacement four-cylinder diesel engine as a Sheriff's Department patrol car. And all thanks to VW's decision to donate two custom-made Jetta SportWagen TDI vehicles to the law enforcement departments of the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County.

The donation was made as part of Volkswagen's ongoing efforts to reach out to the community of Chattanooga, where the German automaker is building a $1 billion plant that will produce among other cars, the New Midsize Sedan (NMS) starting from next year.

Volkswagen said its engineers and designers overhauled the white Jetta SportWagen to incorporate special features including custom-built enclosures and mounts that hold all the communications and emergency lighting gear in place.

The car gets a body kit with front and rear aprons, and side skirts as well as 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 225/40 18" Goodyear Eagle GT All Season tires.

Under the hood, the Jetta SportWagen features VW's 2.0-liter TDI clean diesel four-cylinder engine with 236 ft.-lbs. of torque, that returns up to 42 miles per gallon on the highway.

Official Statements:

"Volkswagen is thrilled to be able to provide technologically advanced Jetta SportWagen vehicles to both the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County police departments to help keep the area safe while driving in a reliable, versatile and stylish vehicle," said Frank Fischer, Chairman and CEO of Volkwagen's Chattanooga

"This generous gift is much appreciated and will be a welcomed addition to our expanding Chattanooga Police Department," said Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield. "We applaud Volkswagen for their continued investment in our community."

"Since Volkswagen announced their billion dollar investment in Hamilton County they have demonstrated numerous times their willingness to be a good corporate neighbor," said Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey. "Today's gift of two law enforcement vehicles is further proof of Volkswagen's commitment to Hamilton County and we thank them for their generosity."

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Read More

Hyundai Becomes Preferred Supplier for UK Police

Bob Dylan once said, "The Times They Are A-Changin'." If you lived in Britain in the 1950s and '60s, you'd see custodian helmeted policemen driving around in Morris Minors and Ford Anglias. In the '70s you'd see mustachioed policemen driving around in Ford Consuls and Rover 3500s. Then the '80s rolled around and there were policemen and women cruising around in Rover SD1s and Land Rovers.

Then, starting from the late 1980s, something strange happened. Rover - one of the most British of carmakers - started rebadging Hondas. In the 1990's, Germans, who had lost the War, began buying all of Britain's beloved marquees. And the UK Police, who had always bought British before, began buying Mitsubishis. The world had gone mad.

Now, in 2010, Hyundai has been awarded 'preferred supplier' status by the National Association of Police Fleet Managers. That means the UK Police Forces can buy Hyundai's new vehicles.

It's a big sales and publicity boost for Hyundai. Each year, 2,000 cars are acquired by London's Metropolitan Police and a further 7,800 are acquired for work outside the city.

Managing director of Hyundai UK, Tony Whitehorn, said: "Anyone buying a car needs to make sure that they are getting the best possible package for their money. That's especially true when you are buying thousands of vehicles and spending taxpayers' money! The quality, reliability, resale value and performance of Hyundai vehicles has shone through and they've been given the green light to carry a blue light."

Hyundai said the most popular vehicles are expected to be the i20, i30, ix35, Santa Fe and iLoad van. Can you imagine an i20 police car? Doesn't the mere thought of it make your skin crawl?

For the time being, here's an ix35 / Tucson in police livery. It's an okay looker, though doesn't look half as smart as a Land Rover in the same outfit. Maybe I'm just bitter. Oh well, at least Officer Plod will have iPod integration and ESC as standard. That'll show them hoodlums whose boss.

By Tristan Hankins

Read More