Pursuit Rated: An up-close look at the new Ford Police Interceptor

Don't look now--though it might be wise to check you rearview mirror--but cop cars are suddenly quite cool. The latest evidence of this is found at Ford, where a new Police Interceptor based on the Taurus is set to go on patrol in 2011.

And it's not just the Blue Oval that's in hot pursuit of the police market. Chevrolet recently revealed the V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive sedan we've all been waiting for. No, not an Impala SS. This is a cop cruiser called the Caprice. At the moment, you have to be in uniform to drive this Bow Tie beauty, which is a crime.

And of course, Chrysler is also hitting the streets with fury--not with the Gran Fury famously used by police forces decades ago, but with its modern muscle car, the Hemi-powered Dodge Charger.

With all of this Detroit muscle on patrol, what chance does a perp have? Not much, if he's being tailed by officers in the new Ford Police Interceptor. It replaces the Crown Vic next year.

We got an up-close look at the new cop car on Thursday at Ford's development facilities in Dearborn, Mich. It's an impressive sedan with all of the modern amenities police need on the mean streets of America.

Greg Migliore
The new Ford Police Interceptor comes with front or all-wheel drive and will replace the Crown Victoria in 2011.

Necessary force under the hood

The new car breaks from the tried-and-true rear-wheel, big-engine template Ford uses today in the Crown Victoria. Instead, the police car comes with Ford's twin-turbo EcoBoost-powered V6 pumping out 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. A naturally aspirated V6 with 263 hp is the other engine choice. All-wheel and front-wheel drive are available. To better cope with life on the streets, the engine also gets a heavy-duty alternator and a larger radiator.

Ford expects these configurations to be comparable with those of the Crown Vic, which has commanded the lion's share of the police market since Chevy killed the old Caprice in the 1990s. Ford also expects the car to match up against the more traditional engine and drivetrain options from Chevy and Dodge for police uses. The EcoBoost engine is 25 percent more powerful than the 4.6-liter V8 employed in the current Crown Vic.

Greg Migliore
A hands-free feature allows officers to get the lights going while keeping their hands on the steering wheel. Plus, the cruiser gets an enhanced version of Sync.

More than just room for handcuffs and pepper spray

Plus, Ford's cop cruiser offers loads of technology from its latest gadget bins, including a more powerful version of Sync. This allows officers to give commands into a voice box from the driver's seat. There's also a hands-free feature so officers can switch on the lights and siren without taking their hands off the wheel during chases, Ford's cross-traffic alert and a rearview camera.

The car will be assembled in Chicago alongside its Taurus sibling, though the police variant gets stronger suspension parts, among other enhancements.

“We have over 70 percent of the police business, and we don't take that for granted,” said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas.

Clad in a gray suit and a silver tie, the exec look at bit like a plainclothes detective. Though unlike NYPD Blue's Andy Sipowicz, Fields was all smiles--perhaps because his new cop car has passed rigorous testing by the Michigan State Police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

“Now, we have the police car for the 21st century,” he said.

Other important features include antistab plates (in case a suspect smuggles a knife into the back seat), ballistic panels (for protection in shootouts) and 18-inch wheels complemented by underbody plates for when officers need to drop it into gear quickly and perhaps jump a curb in the process. The old-school column shifter is used in this modern cop car, so there is more room in the center console for a computer and for officers to interact.

The rear doors open 71 degrees for stuffing suspects in the back seat, and there are special materials in the rear in case a suspect is bleeding or losing other bodily fluids on the drive downtown.

Greg Migliore
The rear doors swing open 71 degrees for ease of entry and exit--in cuffs.

The interior

What's it like to sit in? At a preview event, AutoWeek spent a bit of time in the front and back seats. We weren't cuffed, thankfully. Ford has been showing a concept vehicle of sorts, but it's pretty much the car that officers will use on patrol. We played with the lights--probably to the chagrin of everyone else in the room--and took particular joy in shining the spotlight on random people. The car is well laid out and looks similar to a conventional Taurus, with the handsome dials and sharp steering wheel. The seats are sporty and supportive, and the whole dynamic is closer to that of a cockpit than a typical family sedan.

In back, it's surprisingly pleasant. If you're ever unfairly accused of a crime you didn't commit, take solace in the fact you'll at least be riding in style for questioning until you lawyer up. The defenses that separate and protect the cops from the robbers do crowd the legroom in the back. But if you do find yourself there, that's probably the least of your troubles.

By Greg Migliore