The Crown Vic is no more.

[KerfuffleMach2]

The new Ford patrol car. (http://www.freep.com/article/20100313/BUSINESS01/3130351/1204/business01/Ford-introduces-patrol-car-to-replace-Crown-Victoria)

Saw this in my local paper during work the other day.

Damn, that car looks sweet.

So, yeah. In short, the Crown Victoria police car is being phased out. And the replacement is a Taurus.

[Klose_the_Sith]

It looks like it belongs to a hard fight'n, hard think'n action movie cop, not a real-life drudgery cop :smallwink:

[KerfuffleMach2]

Yeah. Which means it looks awesome.

And di you read the stats on it? Go over an 8-inch curb at 40 mph? Did they give it the suspension of an F-150 or something?

[Mathis]

Yeah, it has a science-fictionry feeling to it. If the cops pulled me aside in that thing I'd half expect it to start talking to me on it's own all Knight Rider style. Atleast our everyday heroes can now ride in style!

[deuxhero]

"no more" is far from accurate, the existing cars will be in service for a long time.

As long as we are talking about police cars OF THE FUTURE!, There is Carbon Motors's E7 (http://www.carbonmotors.com/press#images)

[Tirian]

I would totally commit a crime just to get to ride in the back seat of such a sweet car.

[Jallorn]

Three words: Boo Ya, B****

[SDF]

As long as we are talking about police cars OF THE FUTURE!, There is Carbon Motors's E7 (http://www.carbonmotors.com/press#images)

Does that thing have plastic molded rear seats? :smallconfused: Other than that it looks to me like a luxury sedan with a divider. Heck, my parents VW meets or exceeds most of it's performance claims. I do like that it runs on diesel, though.

[skywalker]

The new Ford patrol car. (http://www.freep.com/article/20100313/BUSINESS01/3130351/1204/business01/Ford-introduces-patrol-car-to-replace-Crown-Victoria)

Saw this in my local paper during work the other day.

Damn, that car looks sweet.

So, yeah. In short, the Crown Victoria police car is being phased out. And the replacement is a Taurus.

Good riddance. I thought they should've gotten rid of the Crown Vic (in all market segments) years ago.

Much more stylish, and much more of an "everyday car." Like it looks "meaner" than a Crown Vic, but it's gotten to the point where only cops drive the CV anymore, which makes them a bit intimidating by themselves. Now this car will remind us that the police are normal humans with a special job, not totally different from us.

Kinda like the police package charger looks really mean, but is such an "everyday car" that it somehow makes me feel more comfortable than a CV.


As long as we are talking about police cars OF THE FUTURE!, There is Carbon Motors's E7 (http://www.carbonmotors.com/press#images)

That is slick as well...

[deuxhero]

Does that thing have plastic molded rear seats? :smallconfused:


You can clean them very easy, and you can't hide anything in them.

[Athaniar]

Yeah, the new one does look more awesome.

[bosssmiley]

Another slice of classic Americana replaced with an injection-molded training shoe. :smallmad:

Dear American automotive designers: There is a reason the Japanese and Germans are eating your lunch (http://www.paulgraham.com/usa.html). Lrn 2 Aesthetics (http://www.paulgraham.com/taste.html)


"Presumably their cars fit together more precisely than ours for the same reason their joinery always has. They're obsessed with making things well.

Not us. When we make something in America, our aim is just to get the job done. Once we reach that point, we take one of two routes. We can stop there, and have something crude but serviceable, like a Vise-grip. Or we can improve it, which usually means encrusting it with gratuitous ornament. When we want to make a car "better," we stick tail fins on it, or make it longer, or make the windows smaller, depending on the current fashion.

<trim>

We don't especially prize design or craftsmanship here. What we like is speed, and we're willing to do something in an ugly way to get it done fast. In some fields, like software or movies, this is a net win."

[skywalker]

Another slice of classic Americana replaced with an injection-molded training shoe. :smallmad:

Dear American automotive designers: There is a reason the Japanese and Germans are eating your lunch (http://www.paulgraham.com/usa.html). Lrn 2 Aesthetics (http://www.paulgraham.com/taste.html)

Disagree. The Germans aren't really eating anyone's lunch, foreign cars just sell better with a certain market because "foreign is better," and as we globalize they get better and better to import.

As for the Japanese, while they may have started building their cars in America, they are still using their original system (less labor, high automation) that allows them to keep costs down in comparison to American companies. When you can sell the same car for $2500 less than an American company, it's not hard to eat their lunch.

[Ravens_cry]

http://www.dubdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Ford-Taurus-Inteceptor4.jpg
*Best Cylon Voice*
By Your Command.

[Inhuman Bot]

Damn.

That car looks soooo awesome. :smalltongue:

[V for Victory]

I fully expect some kind of hidden projectile weapon in that car

[Silly Wizard]

Next thing you know, the headlights unfold and reveal secret rocket-launchers to stop high-speed chases

[Kelb_Panthera]

How am I supposed to take law enforcement officers seriously when they're pulling me over in a toy? :smallmad: That thing looks like it'd blow up if I looked at it funny. I read the stats, and I know it's actually a pretty tough little ride, but come on. Good luck stopping a stolen hummer with a road-block made of those.

[Lycan 01]

When it says it can handle a rear-end collision at 75 MPH, does that mean it can maintain structural integrity and keep the driver alive, or that it can do that AND KEEP DRIVING? :smalleek:

[Mando Knight]

How am I supposed to take law enforcement officers seriously when they're pulling me over in a toy? :smallmad: That thing looks like it'd blow up if I looked at it funny. I read the stats, and I know it's actually a pretty tough little ride, but come on. Good luck stopping a stolen hummer with a road-block made of those.

And that's when they turn into 15-foot tall battle robots and beat the crap out of the hummer.

[skywalker]

How am I supposed to take law enforcement officers seriously when they're pulling me over in a toy? :smallmad: That thing looks like it'd blow up if I looked at it funny. I read the stats, and I know it's actually a pretty tough little ride, but come on. Good luck stopping a stolen hummer with a road-block made of those.

Note that a road-block made of Crown Victorias isn't going to stop a Hummer either...

It's just a new Taurus with lights, a paint job, and a ram on the front, guys. Do those look like toys to you?

[KerfuffleMach2]

When it says it can handle a rear-end collision at 75 MPH, does that mean it can maintain structural integrity and keep the driver alive, or that it can do that AND KEEP DRIVING? :smalleek:

I'm not entirely sure. It'd be awesome if it could keep driving.

The article said they're working on an SUV, too. Which might stop the Hummer.

As far as historic cars go, Chevy is working on brining the Caprice back for a cop car.