New York City Going Green: Mayor Bloomberg. 70 Chevy Volts Purchased 
Posted on 02/25/2012 5:42:32 AM PST by KeyLargo
Chicago Bound: City of Chicago Places Order for 500 Ford Police Interceptors
Written by: Jake Holmes on February 24 2012 1:30 PM
Ford has long cornered the cop-car market with the old Crown Victoria, but now that the aging sedan has been put out to pasture, police departments must find new cruisers. The City of Chicago will continue to use Ford vehicles, and mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that Chicago plans to buy 500 new examples of the Ford Police Interceptor police cars. It’s a fitting choice, given that the vehicles are built just south of the City at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant.
Though Chicago has committed to ordering 500 police cars from Ford, the city hasn’t yet determined what proportion of those will be sedan versus Utility models. The Police Interceptor sedan is based on the Ford Taurus, while the Police Interceptor Utility is based on the Explorer crossover. Both of the police cars are upgraded with features like stab-resistant seats, column shifters to make more space for gear in the center console, unique hinges to allow the rear doors to open wider, larger brakes, an enlarged engine radiator, and a heavy-duty alternator.
A Ford spokesman said that over 1200 law-enforcement agencies nationwide have ordered the new Police Interceptor models so far. He noted that the Ford Crown Victoria was America’s dominant police car for over 15 years, until the model was phased out last year.
The Ford Police Interceptor sedan is powered either by a 3.5-liter V-6 with 280 hp, or Ford’s EcoBoost twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 with 365 hp. In recent testing, the Michigan State Police found the EcoBoost-powered sedan could charge to 60 mph (in pursuit of criminals, of course) in as little as 5.92 seconds. The Police Interceptor Utility receives a 3.5-liter V-6 engine rated for 300 hp, which the Michigan State Police found could complete the 0-to-60-mph dash in 8.01 seconds.
Both of Ford’s new police cars went into production at the Chicago plant last month, adding over 230 jobs at the plant that already employs 2646 people. The Chicago Assembly Plant also builds civilian versions of the Ford Taurus and Ford Explorer, as well as the Lincoln MKS.
Source: Ford
[Jake and Elwood are arguing about the new Bluesmobile]
Jake: What is this?
Elwood: What?
Jake: This car. This stupid car. Where’s the Cadillac?
[Jake tries to use the car’s lighter, but it does not work; he throws it out the window]
Jake: The Caddy, where’s the Caddy?
Elwood The what?
Jake: The Cadillac we used to have! The Bluesmobile!
Elwood I traded it.
Jake: You traded the Bluesmobile for this?!
Elwood: No ... for a microphone.
Jake: A microphone? [pause] Okay, I can see that. But what the hell is this?
Elwood: This was a bargain. I picked it up at the Mount Prospect City police auction last spring. It’s an old Mount Prospect police car. They were practically giving them away.
Jake: Well thank you, pal. The day I get out of prison, my own brother comes to pick me up in a police car.
[Elwood and Jake stop in front of an opening drawbridge]
Elwood You don’t like it?
Jake: [pause] No, I don’t like it.
[Elwood jumps the car over the bridge]
Jake: [impressed] Car’s got a lot of pickup.
Elwood: It’s got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It’s got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It’s a model made before catalytic converters, so it’ll run good on regular gas. What do you say? Is it the new Bluesmobile or what?
[Jake lights his cigarette using his lighter]
Jake: Fix the cigarette lighter.
Elwood: It’s a hundred and six miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark, and we’re wearing sunglasses.
Jake: Hit it.
New York City Going Green: Mayor Bloomberg. 70 Chevy Volts Purchased
“...given that the vehicles are built just south of the City at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant.”
The Torrence Avenue Ford assembly plant is entirely within the Chicago city limits.
In fact, when Richie Daley was trying to build a new airport in that area, they essentially gerrymandered the footprint of the proposed airport so that they could keep the plant in operation.
Having destroyed much of the industrial tax base of the city by regulating out of existence three steel mills and much of the heavy manufacturing, figure on the boys in City Hall doing everything they can to keep the Ford plant going.
A while back, I read that Chevy was bringing over its full-size Australian model, calling it "Impala", and tricking it out for police use. Not sure if that's still true.
The Chevy Caprice Police / Under the hood, GM says the Caprice will have a 6.0-liter LS2 V8 engine rated at an estimated 355 HP and 384 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed auto transmission. Power output compares favorably to the 340 HP HEMI in the Dodge Charger police edition and absolutely blows away the Ford Crown Vic’s 250 HP 4.6-liter V8.
The new Caprice will not replace any current vehicle in the GM police vehicle fleet. Rather, it will join the Chevy Impala and the Chevy Tahoe in the bowtied brand’s marked patrol vehicle lineup as a very high-powered member of GM’s fraternity of police vehicles. http://jalopnik.com/5373645/exclusive-the-chevy-caprice-police-car-is-back
:: the Michigan State Police found the EcoBoost-powered sedan could charge to 60 mph (in pursuit of criminals, of course) in as little as 5.92 seconds. ::
There was a time when MI-SP used Dodge Challengers for their highway interceptors.
I recall cruising I-94 at 70 MPH in a 350 Nova (in the days of Jimmah’s 55 Limit) and getting passed by a Ferrari. Mr. Smokey soon followed and pulling back and “pacing” me, he looks at his speedometer...shakes his head at me and punches his MOPAR 440.
At 70 miles an hour in forward motion, he squeals his tires! My jaw dropped.
Even lowly Hyundai now offers a Hi-Po V8 engine pumping 429 horsepower.
Not that any red blooded American wrench turner would be caught dead in one.
Speed is just a question of money.... How fast do you wanna go?
What size is the doughnut bin?
455 Rocket by Kathy Mattea.
(The kind the po-lice drive)Mr Smith had an Oldsmobile,
Baby-blue with wire wheels.
I took her home the day she was advertised.
He said she leaked when it would rain.
Sounded like an aeroplane,
But I knew she was a jewel in disguise.She had a 455 Rocket,
The biggest block alive.
I couldn't hardly wait just to take my turn.
She was made for the straight-a-ways,
She grew up hatin' Chevrolets.
She's a Rocket,
She was made to burn.Well, whose junk pile piece of Chevelle is this?
Did you boys come here to race or just kiss?
Hmmm, now don't you wanna know,
What I got underneath my hood?
I know, she might sound like she's missing,
Buddy, she can teach you a lesson,
In just a quarter mile
I'll smoke you good.In my 455 Rocket.
The kind the police drive.
I couldn't hardly wait just to take my turn.
She was made for the straight-a-ways.
She grew up hating Chevrolets,
She's a Rocket.
She was made to burn.I'm tellin' you and I ain't ashamed,
I cried when that wrecker came.
As we skid, I thought I heard the angels sing.
Sounded like the Beach Boys.
We hit the curb then began to sail.
Took out most of the safety rail.
Even the cop asked me,
"Man, what'd you have in that thing?"I had a 455 Rocket,
The very kind you drive.
You wanna' watch yourself when you take that turn.
She was made for the straight-a-ways,
She grew up hatin' Chevrolets.
She's a Rocket.
She was made to burn, burn.'Cos, she's a Rocket.
She was made to burn.
Like the old saying - "Nothing beats cubic inches except cubic dollars."
Dear Ford; cash the check right away.
Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen - Hot Rod Lincoln
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9QpDvhshOQ
But it won’t have that military look the cops favor driving those big SUVs.
Fits four fried chickens and a coke.
I understand Hyundai is building cars here.
last time Illinois they replaced their cars they didn’t Dodge each other very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-XdV7qxIV0&feature=related
Well... at least we have one patriotic American. /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
