All-wheel drive, a twin-turbo V-6 and more technology than your average Internet cafe--this is the ingredient list for Ford's latest Police Interceptor, based on the 2010 Ford Taurus. If those features sound suspiciously close to the SHO's there's a reason for that.
It's because they are. The new Police Interceptor will also be available with a standard V-6 engine and front-wheel drive, however. The only sure way to tell the difference on the road? Try to outrun one. Not that we recommend that. The standard Police Interceptor gets a 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 with E85 capability, improving efficiency by 25 percent over the current Crown Vic version. The EcoBoost V-6's 365-horsepower and 350-pound-feet of torque make the upgraded Interceptor even more imposing in high-speed pursuits.
A six-speed automatic transmission is fitted to both models, though as you'll note in the photos, the Police Interceptor version gets a column-mounted shifter to reduce interference with the necessary gear that a console-mounted shifter causes.
If you're a speeder, this mean-looking Taurus will be breathing down your neck by late 2011. That's when the current Crown Victoria Police Interceptor is planned to cease production.
Ford's also announcing a second Police Interceptor vehicle to be unveiled in the third quarter of 2010: a utility vehicle. Expect more EcoBoost and all-wheel drive for the SUV as well.
The interior of the 2012 Police Interceptor sedan has been modified to meet the needs of police work, including enhanced safety to withstand 75-mph rear-end crash testing, a special side-curtain rollover airbag for front and rear passengers--yes, criminals get safety enhancements, too--plus special Roll Fold technology to let the side curtain airbags slip between the passenger and window.
[Ford]
