Police cars have gotten somewhat crazy lately. Dubai cops have slapped their green and white livery on a Mercedes SLS AMG, a Ferrari FF, a Bugatti Veyron, and a Lamborghini Aventador. The British constabulary now have an Ariel Atom.
We love the idea of (legally) flying down public roads pursuing perps in a supercar, but we suspect these expensive two-seaters are more for show and fun than for actual policing.
The Lamborghini Gallardos that went to Italian police had practical add-ons like a refrigerated cooler for transporting organs and a built-in defibrillator. Then one met its demise on the way back from work as a centerpiece for a student job fair. As it exited a gas station, the Gallardo swerved, nailed several parked cars, and eventually stopped after becoming wedged underneath a small SUV.
Even with a capable driver, a Lamborghini is hardly fit for the tough work of a police car. It's fast, yes. But any car that can be taken out by a pothole or a speed bump isn't really useful in a high speed pursuit. Especially when there's no backseat for storing arrestees.
Thinking about what real police need their vehicles to accomplish, we came up with a list of vehicles we'd want in the garage at our precinct, whether on city streets or off-road. We looked for models fast enough to catch a getaway car, with at least decent fuel economy, rear seats that can accommodate perps in handcuffs, and trunk space for a shotgun rack and riot gear.
