Here’s a pro-tip about trying to buy a fast car: If you’re on a budget and want to get the biggest bang for your buck, look for old police fleet cars. Cops always get the fastest stuff because they need to keep up with all those bank robbers and speeding soccer moms on the streets.
For instance, those old Chevy Caprices cops used to bang around on in the mid-to-late 90s? They all came equipped with the police packaged GM LT1 motor, which is the same 350 cubic inch small block motor found in Corvettes of the same time period. A police cruiser with a ‘Vette motor, that you could scoop up for less than 2 g’s. Yup.
So what other cool tricks do law enforcement have up their sleeves? Allow us to give you a taste. Here are the 7 coolest police cars chasing down criminals.
Ford Mustang SSP
U.S. and Canada
The Special Service Package of the iconic Notchback Fox Body Mustang was introduced to provide a speedier option for police departments outside the traditional boaty cruisers of the time period. They came with the same punchy 225-horsepower 5.0-liter V8’s as their civilian doppelgangers, but included extras like reinforced floor pans and engine/transmission coolers. Of course, each department modified them to their liking, including installing things like full roll cages, power windows, etc. They’ve been used coast to coast all over the U.S., from Delaware to California.
Border Patrol Dune Buggy
U.S.
The dune buggies used by the U.S. Border Patrol, specifically called Desert Patrol Vehicles, are absolutely one of the gnarliest rigs on this list. Complete with 200-horsepower VW engines, they move out at nearly 80 miles an hour, and jam over rocks, dunes, and other gnarly debris with ease. Used heavily in Arizona, different iterations of these DPV’s can be found in every U.S.-Mexico border state. Since its first introduction during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the DPV’s have proven their salt by being able to fly through the complicated nooks and crannies of desert terrain, in and out of spots regular SUVs could only dream of.
BMW i8
UAE
Let’s talk about life in Dubai. We’ve all seen the YouTube videos featuring dudes stunting Range Rovers on two wheels in the middle of the desert, and we know you’ve heard the stories about people in the UAE being so rich that if one of their massive supercars breaks down, they just leave it on the side of the road and buy a new one. Well, Dubai’s police cruiser fleet is just as legendary, and features some of the most incredible supercars we’ve ever seen—like this BMW i8 plug-in hybrid. Zero to 60 in under 4.2 seconds, 112 mpg, and a 1.5-liter turbo’d three-cylinder and electric motor that puts out over 355 horsepower and 420 foot-pounds of torque. Oh baby.
Bugatti Veyron
UAE
We weren’t kidding when we said the cops in Dubai really have their shit together, and their Bugatti Veyron proves it. One of the baddest supercars on the entire planet (and most expensive, with its $1.6-million price tag), the Veyron will do 0-60 in under 2.5 seconds, has a top speed of over 265 miles per hour, and can take every single thing you, we, and anyone else can throw at it. While we’re super impressed with the Dubai police force’s fleet, it’s important to know that most of these cars will never see the police chase action we dream of. Instead, they’re basically just parade cars. But that doesn’t make it any less badass.
Aston Martin One-77
UAE
One more from Dubai, then we’re done—we promise. Aston Martin only made 77 of these mind bogglingly fast, 750-horsepower V12-powered street beasts, and the police force in Dubai decided that they just had to have one. Why? We don’t know, but who honestly gives a shit? At this point, we’re just trying to figure out how we can be cops in Dubai.
Lamborghini Huracan
Italy
The Huracan replaced the Gallardo as Lamborghini’s sales leader after its release in 2014, and it wasn’t long before the Italian polizia got their hands on their very own. The Huracan LP 610-4 Polizia edition comes with the same 5.2-liter, 610-horsepower V10 motor as the civilian version, but it also comes with some police-only perks, including a refrigerator, a video system, and a goddamn gun holster.
Alfa Giulia QV
Italy
Known officially as the Giulia Quadrifoglio, don’t let this sedan fool you. It’s not here to grab groceries or take the kids to school, it’s here to assist the Italian Carabinieri in stopping crime, fighting bad guys, and kicking ass up and down Italy’s fastest straightaways. The 503-horsepower twin-turbo V6 will bang a 3.9-second 0-62 mph and a top speed of over 190mph. Think about it, fellas! It’s a four-door!
