Official: Ford 2012 Police Interceptor based on Taurus

[fbrdphreak]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/12/police-interceptor-ford-unveiled/

*Based on 2010 Taurus
*FWD 3.5L V6 model
*AWD Ecoboost 3.5L TT V6 pursuit version
*Strengthened unibody design
*Withstand 75mph rear collision
*Brakes have 60% more swept area than standard Taurus brakes, 20% more mass
*Transmission shifted moved to column
*Same width between front seats to allow re-use of existing equipment
*Rear bench seat is roomier, doors slimmed & have extra wide opening radius
*Available late 2011
*Extensive work to reduce parts costs & working with agencies to upgrade repair facilities to handle unibody

They sure made a lot of changes in order to get a competitor back in the police fleet market, yet pricing is supposed to be comparable to the CrownVic and competitive in the industry.

Has anyone heard anything about the Chevy Caprice's? Are they being adopted at all?

I think the big thing Ford has going for them is the carry over of some CrownVic parts and their working to help upgrade repair facilities. Also AWD will be very popular in the snow states.

I'd be interested to see dimensions compared between this, the Crown Vic, and the Caprice.

 

[brblx]

wait...so they're not making police crown vics any more?

why the hell are they still making grand marquis for fleet sales?

you'd think one would go with the other.

 

[fbrdphreak]

wait...so they're not making police crown vics any more?

why the hell are they still making grand marquis for fleet sales?

you'd think one would go with the other.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/10/ford-police-interceptor-revealed-this-friday/

Ford has stated publicly that it's ending the geriatric Panther Platform Crown Victoria's life in 2011

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

No frame = the fail. Have they not learned that departments that switch to unibody cars inevitably switch back to the Vic.
Unibody cars just can't take the punishment that a real framed car can.

On a side note, did Ford make sure you can jack up these new cars and put twenty fo's on them?

 

[Iron Woode]

No frame = the fail. Have they not learned that departments that switch to unibody cars inevitably switch back to the Vic.
Unibody cars just can't take the punishment that a real framed car can.

On a side note, did Ford make sure you can jack up these new cars and put twenty fo's on them?

Mopar police cars were unibodies and could take loads of punishment.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Have they not learned that departments that switch to unibody cars inevitably switch back to the Vic.

Got a source to back that up?

 

[LTC8K6]

Mopar police cars were unibodies and could take loads of punishment.

I thought I read that the cars and the Hemi were not doing well in police service?

 

[jlee]

I thought I read that the cars and the Hemi were not doing well in police service?

I know they were having transmission problems with the Chargers..other than that, I don't know.

 

[wiretap]

Mopar police cars were unibodies and could take loads of punishment.

My police department begs to differ. They've trashed 3 Chargers so far just from a simple curb hop or going through a median. It was supposed to be a 'reinforced unibody design' as well according to Chrysler. The frequent transmission replacements were a whole additional topic we could talk about.. They've went to using truck framed SUV's and the old Crown Vic. Unibody cars as fleet vehicles are a joke.. you hit rail road tracks at 70mph and the thing bends the wheels up into the wheel wells and the vehicle is trashed.

I can also just imagine the maintenance costs that's going to be associated for these cities and us, the taxpayers. A turbocharged vehicle is going be quite a bit higher on maintenance costs.. especially since Ford is using a newer generation motor that doesn't have a proven track record yet. I've owned several turbo vehicles, and I'm currently driving one, and I'd never consider one for a fleet vehicle just for the sake of the taxpayers. I'd also be hesitant to use Ford's mid-sized sedan AWD platform.. a neighbor has the new SHO AWD and he's had all sorts of problems with the transfer case under normal driving conditions.. not even through his break in period yet. I can just imagine the cops with how they abuse their fleet vehicles.. this is going to be a nightmare.

 

[JTsyo]

*Withstand 75mph rear collision

That's impressive.

 

[CraigRT]

Mopar police cars were unibodies and could take loads of punishment.

Are you talking about the good old days? The Satellites and Diplomats?

Any of Chrysler's recent products aside from the RAM and SRT Challenger are all shyte.

 

[boomhower]

Glad to see they moved the shifter to the column, that is the major issue with the caprice. Most departments recycle their notebooks and can't afford to purchase and touch screen for that car.

We currently use Chargers and that will not change while the current chief is there, he loves them. The maintenance cost has been much higher that the CV's. Mainly due to tires and breaks. Our highest mileage one has 60k-70k so we haven't had any tranny issues.

Personally I like the power but the ride blows. I may chase a car a couple times a year so I will take the better ride the rest of the time. I'll finally be turning in my CV for good in the next couple of months for a new Charger. Kind of looking forward to a new car(mine has a 130k and received a fresh bullet hole a couple weeks ago) but wish it was a new CV.

The AWD version of the Taurus would be nice in the winter but I do heavily question how it is going to work out over the long term. AWD+turbo+unibody+unproven platform= tons of major expense.

 

[dainthomas]

Those Crown Vics are beasts. The Chargers are fail as cop cars, and these look worse.

 

[Vette73]

*Withstand 75mph rear collision

That's impressive.

You do know why that was put in right?

The Crown Vic has issues from the gas tank design that if hit really hard in the rear could cause it to leak and burn up. Several cops got burned badly and some I think died.

 

[Raduque]

That car is HOT. Somebody should make a new Robocop movie with this as his car.

 

[Iron Woode]

Are you talking about the good old days? The Satellites and Diplomats?

Any of Chrysler's recent products aside from the RAM and SRT Challenger are all shyte.

Yes.

The good old days.

Monacos, Furys, Polaras, etc...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Twin turbo SHO engine? Sounds expensive...and costly to maintain.

 

[Vette73]

Twin turbo SHO engine? Sounds expensive...and costly to maintain.

Should not be if its built right and taken care of.

Turbos are not the problem childs they use to be. Today turbos are oil lubed, engine oil circulated, and coolant cooled. That and turbos don't cook oil like they use to let alone updated engine and fuel system designs are also much better able to handle the quick spool ups and extra pressure from turbos.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Those Crown Vics are beasts. The Chargers are fail as cop cars, and these look worse.

Reliability, yes. Durability, yes. Performance, ehh.... They're relatively slow. I talked to some cops who missed their old caprices in the 90s when they switched to the vics because the LT1 in those cars was much more potent.

But, regardless, you can't outrun the radio :twisted:

 

[fbrdphreak]

Should not be if its built right and taken care of.

Turbos are not the problem childs they use to be. Today turbos are oil lubed, engine oil circulated, and coolant cooled. That and turbos don't cook oil like they use to let alone updated engine and fuel system designs are also much better able to handle the quick spool ups and extra pressure from turbos.

Yep, Ford is bragging about how much they beat on the Ecoboost motor:

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29657

I would be concerned about the tranny and AWD though - those are indeed unproven.

 

[kevman]

wow what a piece of crap.

 

[foghorn67]

Twin turbo SHO engine? Sounds expensive...and costly to maintain.

Police Interceptor option. Won't be the mainstream police car.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?

 

[Iron Woode]

It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?

This.

Mopar cop cars were usually built on the B and C bodies.

In the 70's they built one on the A body Dart and then on the F body Aspen/Volare. In the 80's it was the M body Diplomat and Gran Fury.

 

[Throckmorton]

That car is HOT. Somebody should make a new Robocop movie with this as his car.

Robocop is what I thought too. I can't believe how futuristic cars are... That computer is straight out of scifi. This is like the stuff of fantasy of a decade and a half ago.