In the last part of Need for unlimited speed – Part 8 nicknamed Police vs. Racers – several new police vehicles were introduced, including a wide-bodied, racing-inspired Porsche 959 S.
While NFS Unbound isn’t exactly a ‘sim’ racing game, you’d be forgiven for dismissing such a car as something fun rather than something you’d see in the real world. And you’d be right; as far as we know, no police force in the world has been able to find the US$300,000 required to buy one (when it was new). That’s now the equivalent of US$760,000 adjusted for inflation.
But as crazy as a Porsche 959 S Interceptor may seem, it’s not entirely unlikely considering the unconventional vehicles that have been used by law enforcement agencies around the world over the years. And no, we’re not just talking about the trusty Crown Vic or Volvo V70…
Around the world, different police forces use different vehicles to combat crime. Considering the potential costs of a high-speed chase and the risk of a major crash, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single patrol car could quickly become very expensive. But with modern vehicles that are faster than ever, what do you keep on hand ‘just in case’…?
A word of caution: not all of the cars shown are actual police vehicles. Sometimes a crazy car gets decked out in police livery for hype and public relations purposes, so we’ll keep such examples to a minimum.
A special mention should be made of the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police, who in 2007 provided a Caparo T1 with stickers in the livery of a patrol car. The Caparo T1, a car that set Jason Plato on fire and caused a number of other ‘incidents’ when it was first launched, may not be suitable for high-speed chases if every chase ended in a fireball.
PR stunts aside, which country has the ‘best’ police cars? The term ‘best’ is subjective, as it’s not always about the most expensive or fastest vehicles – some are just undeniably cool, even by 2024 standards.
With decades of fascinating police cars to consider, we’ve picked out a small selection of our favorites. If you think we’ve missed a few standouts, please share them in the comments. But to start, we’re looking a little closer to home at two somewhat obscure offerings from the US…
US – Seized Muscle Mass: 2000 Dodge Viper GTS & SRT Hellcat Redeye
While not an actual chase car, the 2000 Dodge Viper GTS was used by the Plainfield Police Department to promote their Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program in the Chicago suburbs.
But here’s where the story gets interesting: The Viper wasn’t purchased at taxpayers’ expense, but rather impounded after it was used for a crime – specifically, speeding 127 mph in a 35 mph zone. It’s one thing to have your pride and joy impounded for reckless behavior, but imagine seeing the local cops driving around in it afterward.
This isn’t a one-time occurrence either. A few years ago, the Texas Department Of Public Safety “acquired” an SRT Hellcat Redeye after the previous owner was caught speeding at 100 mph. While the owner may have had a chance to escape at that speed, he eventually ran out of gas. He fled on foot, leaving the car behind for local authorities to salvage.
Hellcats have quite the reputation in 2024, and this particular Redeye wasn’t exactly stock either. As a result, the Texas Department Of Public Safety would be able to boast the highest horsepower authority in the world, with a cool 1,080 hp from this seized beast.
United Kingdom – Cossies catch criminals: Ford Sierra Sapphire & Escort Cosworth
In the UK, many PR stunts have been carried out by the police (such as the Caparo T1), but also the Honda NSX, Rolls-Royce Ghost and BAC Mono are examples.
But not all the ‘spicy’ police cars here were stunts. South Yorkshire Police operated a fleet of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions in the late 2000s, including the Evo VIII 260, Evo IX FQ320 and Evo X FQ300.
But when it comes to sheer cool, nothing beats the Cosworths. In recent years, Cosworth has become famous for its work on Aston Martin’s Valkyrie V12 and Gordon Murray’s T.50 V12. But go back a few decades and the Northampton gurus were behind some of the fastest production Fords ever.
For many years, Cosworths were used in police livery in the UK, with units such as Humberside, Northumbria and West Yorkshire relying on Escort and Sierra Sapphire Cossies for ‘rapid response’ use. The idea was to deter some of the muggings that were commonplace in the 1990s; an influx of high-performance Japanese imports meant that early Impreza WRXs and Lancer Evos were used as getaway cars.
Although many cars were damaged or written off in the course of their duties, a few ex-police Escort Cosworths still exist. These cars were auctioned off after their service in order to recoup some of the initial cost of a Cossie compared to a more typical Opel Astra of the era.
Italy – Lamborghini Love Affair: Lamborghini Hurricane & Gallardo
“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” is one way to describe this little partnership. Italy’s highway patrol has long had a special relationship with Lamborghini. The Sant’Agata Bolognese-based automaker has donated a variety of cars to Italian law enforcement for actual use over the years. When your job involves 300+ mph supercars, it pays to have the local Carabinieri on your side.
These vehicles aren’t just for high-speed chases; they also play a vital role in transporting blood and organs for life-saving medical procedures. For once, speed doesn’t kill, as long as it’s bolted to a 610-horsepower V10…
The current fleet consists of several Huracáns and the Urus Performante, but the Italian police cannot claim to be using the fastest Lamborghini on the road. That title goes to a country that tends to operate on the principle of “excess is best.”
Dubai – Complete and utter excess: Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari FF, Bentley Continental and more
What better way to quickly establish your country as horribly wealthy and rich than by equipping your local police force with millions of dollars worth of patrol cars? Welcome to Dubai, where the line between PR stunt and actual police car is blurred as they deploy some of the most extravagant vehicles around, including Lamborghini Aventadors and Bugatti Veyrons.
Although these supercars are not always in use, it is very common to see Mercedes-AMG G-Wagens, Bentleys, Ferraris and other luxury vehicles actively serving the police forces in the Gulf state in Dubai.
And can you blame them? Considering Dubai’s reputation as a country inhabited by fairly wealthy individuals – many of whom have their own fleets of exotic supercars – it wouldn’t exactly deter reckless drivers if the entire force were driving around in hybrid Toyotas. And to show they’re keeping up with current trends, they even recently added a Tesla Cybertruck to the mix…
Germany – No speed limit? No problem: Porsches on patrol
Porsche will offer a vehicle for almost every occasion in 2024, and that versatility extends to law enforcement. Porsche’s partnership with law enforcement dates back to the 356, an early example of which saw service with Austrian police in 1958.
Since then, a number of Porsche models have fallen into the hands of German law enforcement, including virtually every generation of the 911, countless Cayennes and Panameras, and the occasional special edition like TechArt’s 911 Carrera S with modified aerodynamics, wheels and performance.
Porsche police cars are not limited to Germany. The Netherlands, the UK, Austria and other countries also use them. Although Qatar is now believed to have the largest collection of Porsche police cars in the world.
Japan – Worth getting arrested just to look at: Nissan Skyline GT-R, Honda NSX and Mazda RX-7.
As in the UK, the typical patrol cars in Japan are not special, even though some of the Where variants look a bit odd, to say the least. But there have been notable exceptions. The iconic R34 Skyline GT-R, the first-generation NSX and the FD3S RX-7 have been used for rapid response and to promote ‘safe driving’ – a bit of a contradiction.
The Tochigi Police Department clearly has a Speedhunters interest, as their regular additions to the cause of road safety look like the ultimate JDM dream garage: R35 Nissan GT-R, Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Lexus LC 500, Honda S2000. For some obscure reason, they even have a Mach 1 Ford Mustang. Clearly whoever is in charge of patrol car budgets at the Tochigi Police Department would like to drive every one of their dream machines before they retire…
Whatever your feelings about the police and their commitment to motorists, there’s something fascinating about rare, special or just plain weird cars used for patrol or security work. The countries listed offer a glimpse into the diverse world of police vehicles, but if you could only pick one, which would you choose? Or what car did we miss that should have been here instead? Let us know in the comments below.
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