What will they buy next? (Article in Friday paper)

[glhs837]

So, our fleet of Crown Victoria Police Interceptors (CVPIs) wont last forever. Ford stopped production of them last year. So, what will the State and St Marys buy next? I will ignore normally aspirated V6 models, since down here, V8s still rule the day.

Options are still Ford, Chevy or Dodge.

1. Charger - new body for 2011, 370hp 5.7 liter V8, limited sightlines better in the 2011 models, trunk room increased, but not a huge amount.

2. Chevrolet Caprice - New for 2011, based on an Aussie platform. 355hp 6.0 liter V8

3. Fords replacement for the CVPI, the new Interceptor, does not have a V8, but can be had with a twin turbo V6 that matches the performance of the other two.

So, which way will the departments go, do you think? Pricewise, I think it falls out lowest to highest Dodge, GM, then Ford. But I have not seen any bid prices for any of them yet.

 

[limblips]

So, our fleet of Crown Victoria Police Interceptors (CVPIs) wont last forever. Ford stopped production of them last year. So, what will the State and St Marys buy next? I will ignore normally aspirated V6 models, since down here, V8s still rule the day.

Options are still Ford, Chevy or Dodge.

1. Charger - new body for 2011, 370hp 5.7 liter V8, limited sightlines better in the 2011 models, trunk room increased, but not a huge amount.

2. Chevrolet Caprice - New for 2011, based on an Aussie platform. 355hp 6.0 liter V8

3. Fords replacement for the CVPI, the new Interceptor, does not have a V8, but can be had with a twin turbo V6 that matches the performance of the other two.

So, which way will the departments go, do you think? Pricewise, I think it falls out lowest to highest Dodge, GM, then Ford. But I have not seen any bid prices for any of them yet.

I am betting on the Obamobile. Through inventive production, the vehicle actually pays you to buy it. The manufacturer claims the car has a vehicle identification number but they do not show it. The DMV claims they know it has a VIN so that will suffice. The available Al Gore option runs on hot air leaving no carbon foot print. Also, the heater has been removed, the vehicle is heated by global warning.

 

[PsyOps]

The Volt

 

[Gilligan]

I am betting on the Obamobile. Through inventive production, the vehicle actually pays you to buy it. The manufacturer claims the car has a vehicle identification number but they do not show it. The DMV claims they know it has a VIN so that will suffice. The available Al Gore option runs on hot air leaving no carbon foot print. Also, the heater has been removed, the vehicle is heated by global warning.

 

[frequentflier]

So, our fleet of Crown Victoria Police Interceptors (CVPIs) wont last forever. Ford stopped production of them last year. So, what will the State and St Marys buy next? I will ignore normally aspirated V6 models, since down here, V8s still rule the day.

Options are still Ford, Chevy or Dodge.

1. Charger - new body for 2011, 370hp 5.7 liter V8, limited sightlines better in the 2011 models, trunk room increased, but not a huge amount.

2. Chevrolet Caprice - New for 2011, based on an Aussie platform. 355hp 6.0 liter V8

3. Fords replacement for the CVPI, the new Interceptor, does not have a V8, but can be had with a twin turbo V6 that matches the performance of the other two.

So, which way will the departments go, do you think? Pricewise, I think it falls out lowest to highest Dodge, GM, then Ford. But I have not seen any bid prices for any of them yet.

Seems to be a healthy market for buying old cop cars. Maybe they should asking the thugs that keep buying the old Crown Vics at auction what they would like to purchase in the future.

 

[dizzydevilrules]

I can help you with that, straight from a MSP source (related) - The MSP and other agencies down the road will be moving away from pursuit type vehicles because of the inherint danger of high speed pursuit. Now that helicopters are pretty readily available, plus radio dispatch, chasing some perp at high speeds is deemed too dangerous for the cops and the public. Don't be surprised when you start seeing straight black Chevy Tahoes with little to no police identifying decals. MSP is going away from two-tone paint jobs because of cost to re-paint after an incident. Plus the Tahoes are better for snow.

 

[chernmax]

Carbon Motors E7

Mug Shots, Carbon Motors Corporation - Purpose Built Police Car, Police Vehicle, E7

Or a Prius!!!

 

[hvp05]

I am betting on the Obamobile.

Seems to be a healthy market for buying old cop cars. Maybe they should asking the thugs that keep buying the old Crown Vics at auction what they would like to purchase in the future.

 

[flomaster]

Was in NYC over the weekend and saw a Nissan as a police car. Looked like an Altima.

 

[officeguy]

I think Chevy will eat Fords lunch in the police market over the next 5 years.

Police cars spend a lot of time idling, turbos dont last long while idling. Unless ford comes up with a way to provide heating and electrical supply with the car at rest (big battery bank, auxiliary heater), the cops will just destroy their engineering masterpiece in less than 2 years each.

Then again, Ford was selling the crown vics on the large state contracts for 12k or so, I dont think they made much money of that. Some of the motivation was probably to just have the vehicles out there advertising for the brand.

 

[glhs837]

I can help you with that, straight from a MSP source (related) - The MSP and other agencies down the road will be moving away from pursuit type vehicles because of the inherint danger of high speed pursuit. Now that helicopters are pretty readily available, plus radio dispatch, chasing some perp at high speeds is deemed too dangerous for the cops and the public. Don't be surprised when you start seeing straight black Chevy Tahoes with little to no police identifying decals. MSP is going away from two-tone paint jobs because of cost to re-paint after an incident. Plus the Tahoes are better for snow.

Carbon Motors E7

Mug Shots, Carbon Motors Corporation - Purpose Built Police Car, Police Vehicle, E7

Or a Prius!!!

Wow, a State Police Agency with no high speed pursuit capability.

chern, the Carbon is vaporware, really. They need a multimillion dollar grant to make it happen. And shockingly, they appear to be the one group who cannot get money from the government. Of course, it might have to do with the fact that the grant they want would be under a green power initiative. The though process is the the BMW turbodiesels they want to power this thing with are more fuel eficient than the V8s they would replace. A bit of a stretch calling that a green power initiative.

Flo, heres the deal on those....

New York Launches "Made In America" Hybrid Nissan Police Fleet | The Truth About Cars

Cliff notes, they bought 40 Altima hybrids as a sop.

 

[dizzydevilrules]

Wow, a State Police Agency with no high speed pursuit capability.

What's the old police saying, "Nothing's faster than a Motorola", especially if you have copters available. Besides, while they may not be fast out of the hole, those Tahoes will be more than capable of 100 mph plus. They'll be lowered and leveled to lower center of gravity, and have all the other tricks a car would plus more carry capacity.

Like i said, just what i got straight from 20+ year vet of the MSP.

 

[aps45819]

Police cars spend a lot of time idling, turbos dont last long while idling.

Turbos aren't providing boost at idle, so at that RPM it's essentially normally aspirated.

 

[glhs837]

I think Chevy will eat Fords lunch in the police market over the next 5 years.

Police cars spend a lot of time idling, turbos dont last long while idling. Unless ford comes up with a way to provide heating and electrical supply with the car at rest (big battery bank, auxiliary heater), the cops will just destroy their engineering masterpiece in less than 2 years each.

Then again, Ford was selling the crown vics on the large state contracts for 12k or so, I dont think they made much money of that. Some of the motivation was probably to just have the vehicles out there advertising for the brand.

Actually, bid price on the CVPIs was about 20-21K, the V8 Chargers came in about 21-22K, a hair over. This is on large contracts like the CHPor the FHP. total annual sales for the police market is in the seventy thousand car range, so its not very large, but the advertising effect is a huge factor.

What's the old police saying, "Nothing's faster than a Motorola", especially if you have copters available. Besides, while they may not be fast out of the hole, those Tahoes will be more than capable of 100 mph plus. They'll be lowered and leveled to lower center of gravity, and have all the other tricks a car would plus more carry capacity.

Like i said, just what i got straight from 20+ year vet of the MSP.

See, the key point is that out of the hole thing. Most enforcement activity is conducted by roadside, and getting from 0 up to 80-100 to reel the passing speeder in is a much larger factor than pursuits, which are a much smaller percentage of daily life. Slowing from 60-70, hitting the cutover, and getting back up to 80 to get back to the guy you just saw, thats the key down here.

The Tahoe pursuit is actually pretty god in top end, limited to an amazing (for an SUV) 139mph. The CVPI is limited to 131, while the Charger and Caprice are in the 145mph range. But sheer top end isn't too important, as you noted sustained speeds over 100 are pretty rare in service.

I dont doubt your source has heard that, but I do think that a lot of scuttlebutt gets passed around, and its not always accurate. Could be, might not be. And, of course, the Tahoes cost a bit more than normal cruisers up front, looks like.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...9oTHCw&usg=AFQjCNF3jJTxCbazNKQaQYkAwt3TP9F7Pg

 

[glhs837]

Turbos aren't providing boost at idle, so at that RPM it's essentially normally aspirated.

He's thinking back to the old 80s turbos, I think, most of which were not provided with effective supplies of oil or coolant at idle. And long idle could lead to coking of the center section. And coking kills turbos. Thats sort o things istn a factor these days, with most turbos getting sufficient cooling in all regimes, including after shutdown using thermal siphoning.

 

[itsbob]

So, our fleet of Crown Victoria Police Interceptors (CVPIs) wont last forever. Ford stopped production of them last year. So, what will the State and St Marys buy next? I will ignore normally aspirated V6 models, since down here, V8s still rule the day.

Options are still Ford, Chevy or Dodge.

1. Charger - new body for 2011, 370hp 5.7 liter V8, limited sightlines better in the 2011 models, trunk room increased, but not a huge amount.

2. Chevrolet Caprice - New for 2011, based on an Aussie platform. 355hp 6.0 liter V8

3. Fords replacement for the CVPI, the new Interceptor, does not have a V8, but can be had with a twin turbo V6 that matches the performance of the other two.

So, which way will the departments go, do you think? Pricewise, I think it falls out lowest to highest Dodge, GM, then Ford. But I have not seen any bid prices for any of them yet.

Why don't they do what everyone else does?

Send out a requirement and have an open competition.

There will be a lot more options than just the "Big Two" American Car companies.

Hard to believe Fiat is even a contender.

 

[glhs837]

There will be a bidding process, but the options will be limited to the big three. Other makers do make police ready cars back home, but none of them make them here. And while the special things a police car needs over a regular car have dropped off, due in part to civilian cars meeting police spec in a lot of ways right out of the box, there are still things a police car needs.

The wiring for the radios and computers, non-functioning rear doors, brakes, lighting and provisions for mounting all the gear, that takes time and money to engineer. Foreign makers dont bother for a measly 70,000 units, not when very few of them have cars that can meet the V8 RWD format most departments require.

And Fiat only owns %30, right now, and have announced thier intention to exercise the option to increase that to %46, leaving the company a US automaker. Of course, the Charger is made in Ontario, but so was the CVPI, as it the Taurus, or the Interceptor, as its called in police form.

 

[itsbob]

There will be a bidding process, but the options will be limited to the big three. Other makers do make police ready cars back home, but none of them make them here. And while the special things a police car needs over a regular car have dropped off, due in part to civilian cars meeting police spec in a lot of ways right out of the box, there are still things a police car needs.

The wiring for the radios and computers, non-functioning rear doors, brakes, lighting and provisions for mounting all the gear, that takes time and money to engineer. Foreign makers dont bother for a measly 70,000 units, not when very few of them have cars that can meet the V8 RWD format most departments require.

And Fiat only owns %30, right now, and have announced thier intention to exercise the option to increase that to %46, leaving the company a US automaker. Of course, the Charger is made in Ontario, but so was the CVPI, as it the Taurus, or the Interceptor, as its called in police form.

Is Fiat the majority stock holder at 30%? Does any other car brand own more than 30%?

 

[itsbob]

Well, he told you correctly. Seen a black tahoe in St.Mary's had someone pulled over in callaway. It was a state trooper. Wasn't marked at all. I was

But I hope they get mustangs, that would be sweet.

The Tahoe has been on the "Speeders" show several times the last couple of years

 

[glhs837]

Fap, was it a commercial truck that was pulled over? There is a State Police officer assigned to enforcement on commercial trucks that drives a black unmarked Tahoe. I have yet to see that vehicle pull over anything other than commercial trucks.



Bob, if it was on Speeders, that would be Calvert, AFAIK, St Marys has never been on the show.
And, as of right now, but subject to change soon, the UAW is actually the majority shareholder...dated April 11th.

Fiat ups Chrysler stake after meeting int’l goals - Best Growth Stock Investment

"With Fiat taking 30 percent of Chrysler, the UAW stake is
59.2 percent. The U.S. Treasury now has an 8.6 percent holding
in Chrysler, while the Canadian government has 2.2 percent."

This doesn't address where that extra %16 that Fiat would buy would come from, the Feds and the Canadians dont have that much, I assume the UAW would give some up? In any case, its a full size, RWD or AWD platform made in North America and rigged for police duty. I'm sure if BMW offered up the 5 series so rigged, at a competitive price, it would get considered.