Source: Next-gen Ford Police Interceptor will debut this Friday in Las Vegas

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

Source: Next-gen Ford Police Interceptor will debut this Friday in Las Vegas

Hold on to your sap gloves and night sticks – it's that time of the decade! An Autoblog source reveals that Ford is about to release a brand spankin' new Police Interceptor. Not only is this humongous news for our pals in the law enforcement community, but this is 120-point headline font for taxi companies around the country, as they typically buy old Police Interceptors with 90,000 miles on 'em and repurpose them as the cabs we all know and love passing out in. Why? Because Police Interceptors are the toughest passenger cars money can buy.

Few of us have the need to drive over curbs at 50+ mph, but if that need arises, you're going to want to do so in an Interceptor. Aside from the "severe duty" shocks, you get a beefed up frame and body mounts. Yes, that is correct. The Crown Victoria-based Police Interceptor is body-on-frame. Listen, when you're PIT maneuvering a perp during a high speed chase, the last thing you want to worry about is bending the chassis. Plus you got them heavy duty brakes, suspension components and oil coolers. A sweet package, no doubt.

Here's the thing though. If this new Police Interceptor is more than a package, what platform will it ride on? Ford has stated publicly that it's ending the geriatric Panther Platform Crown Victoria's life in 2011. We'll go ahead and interpret that to mean that this new Police Interceptor won't be Crown Victoria-based. Do we know that for sure? No, but it's a logical bit of speculation. Could the new Interceptor be Taurus-based, maybe something with a SHO motor and stouter brakes? Again, yes, but for all we know the upcoming car's a Fiesta with the Mustang GT's new 5.0-liter V8 crammed in the rear seat. Or one of them apocryphal Australia-only rear-drive Falcons. All we know for sure is that Ford's introducing a new Police Interceptor to a select group of folks in Las Vegas this Friday. Production? Concept? We're not entirely sure yet. More details when we get them.

link:

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

[Robert Hall]

If they want to keep it rugged BOF, they could just do a police package F150 Super Cab with a bed cover. I've acutally seen them around here in Highway Patrol livery. Or an Expedition, I see a number of those around in police form.

Otherwise, I assume it will be a police package for the Taurus?

Edited March 10, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[regfootball]

taurus sho with blue and white paint.

they'll beef up the underbody and probably come out with some sort of cool dashboard feature for the cops. AWD standard.

no way this is a crown vic or all new model.

there is no way this will be anything besides a new taurus/SHO. the coppers will love the AWD once they get used to it.

this is part of the plan of how ford will amortize the ecoboost system.

maybe it will be a Ford Flex? LOL

Edited March 10, 2010 by regfootball

[CSpec]

That's a shame, I have a lot of respect for the tanks out there now. Somehow I doubt a beefed up Taurus will be as rugged and cheap as the old workhorse.

[Satty]

I wouldn't be shocked if its a Falcon. I dont expect that to happen, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Drew Dowdell]

We're gonna try and get JamesBond there for the unveiling.

[ocnblu]

We repair a lot of PA State Police cars, those ol' Crown Vics. Our contact at the local barracks says he drove the new Interceptor in Vegas, so our officers in blue have seen it already. He told my boss... sadly, I wasn't there, or I'd have pressed him to reveal which platform the car rides on.

I hope it's a Falcon, following GM's lead.

Edited March 11, 2010 by ocnblu

[vonVeezelsnider]

If there is a god... it will look something like this

[Satty]

A Crown Vic with a bad nosejob?

[vonVeezelsnider]

Lets face it, for police work, there's really nothing out there as good for the job as the Panther platform.

[PurdueGuy]

AWD standard.

...

the coppers will love the AWD once they get used to it.

I have no doubt that officers would love AWD. The issue is fuel economy and cost to repair. When most police cars spend most of their days driving calmly around town or on the highway, and on the rare occasion that they need performance it's more likely to be highway/straight driving, I don't see the fuel economy and repair cost disadvantages of an AWD system being worthwhile for police service.

[daves87rs]

If there is a god... it will look something like this

[pow]

Taurus, maybe? The Volvo V70 on which the Taurus is loosely based on is a popular police car in Europe.