Kick the tires and light the fires: it’s springtime and that means it’s time get out and drive! But when a bogey up ahead paints you, smart drivers with the reassurance of a Valentine One won’t have to jink their ride. Even smarter drivers would have ECM that self-deploys.
The game for our “blue team” is all about technology: having it, knowing how to use it, ensuring that you do at any and all times. Getting splashed for 1 over on a downtown hop makes for a Charlie Foxtrot kind of day.
On the side of the “red team”, it’s more about tactics, techniques, and procedures and less about technology. Patrol patterns, places to hide, dirty tricks, and having to follow established procedure including the required training and calibrations. The basic radar technology hasn’t changed in years, not counting unmanned radar (inevitably found unconstitutional when taken to the highest courts).
But prowl car technology has. Given the retirement of the Crown ‘Vic, Ford has a new generation of police vehicles. That, thanks to Ford, saves taxpayers significant funds by using up to 35% less fuel. And they accelerate faster after pulling a bat-turn. Fortunately for the blue team though, the eyeball profiles of both vehicles are even larger than ever – making it even easier to check your six (and your twelve) when the red team is hiding in traffic, behind billboards, or even here.
Introducing the 2013 Ford (Taurus and Explorer) Police Interceptors. Two Ford Press Releases follow:
New Ford Police Interceptors Deliver up to 35 Percent Better Fuel Economy When Idling
- EPA fuel economy ratings confirm new Ford Police Interceptors are the most fuel-efficient police vehicles in Ford’s history
- Fuel economy at idle improves 35 percent on the Police Interceptor sedan and 32 percent on the Police Interceptor utility vehicle
- Law enforcement agencies stand to benefit from significant fuel efficiency
DEARBORN, Mich., March 16, 2012 – With experts predicting fuel prices are headed for record highs this year, the fuel efficiency of the new Ford Police Interceptors has the potential to help America’s cash-strapped cities reduce their fuel bills.
- The base 3.5-liter V6 in the Police Interceptor sedan delivers 288 horsepower and EPA-certified fuel economy of 18 mpg city, 26 mpg highway. Compared to the Crown Victoria – America’s top-selling law enforcement vehicle for the past 15 years – the Police Interceptor sedan offers an improvement of 4 mpg city and 5 mpg highway, and 38 more horsepower
- The optional EcoBoost® 3.5-liter V6 in the all-wheel-drive Police Interceptor sedan is rated at 365 horsepower and is EPA-certified at 16 mpg city, 23 mpg highway. In recent Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department testing, the EcoBoost Police Interceptor beat all competitive police cars from General Motors and Chrysler in 0-60 mph acceleration tests
- The Police Interceptor utility is built with a 3.7-liter V6 rated at 304 horsepower. The EPA rating of 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway is best in class, topping the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV. The Police Interceptor utility easily out-accelerated the V8-powered Tahoe in the LASD tests, reaching 60 mph in 8.4 seconds compared with 9.5 seconds for the Tahoe
Ford Police Interceptor Vehicles Best Competition in Annual L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Police Vehicle Tests
- Ford’s next-generation Police Interceptor® vehicles eclipsed the competition in acceleration, braking, high-speed pursuit and city pursuit testing by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
- The all-new Ford Police Interceptor vehicles benchmark the industry standard, Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, while delivering better performance, handling and fuel economy
- Now police departments and other law enforcement agencies can purchase an all-new, American-made vehicle with the proven durability and price range of the popular Crown Victoria. Police agencies can currently place orders through dealerships
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