CHEVROLET GETS BACK INTO THE REAR WHEEL DRIVE V-8 LAW ENFORCEMENT GAME. Chevrolet is adopting the Holden (Australian) framework that brought us the Camaro and the late Pontiac G8 to provide a law enforcement competitor to the Ford Crown Victoria and Dodge Charger.
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The Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle is similar to the Holden-based Chevrolet Caprice that is available in the Middle East. The police vehicles will be available in 2011, the same year that Ford will phase out the Crown Vics in favor of a front-wheel drive Taurus-based police vehicle. Announced at today’s International Association of Chief’s of Police conference, you can follow the development of the car at this website: http://www.chevroletcapriceppv.com/
In July, Automobile News was posting stories that the Pontiac G8 would morph into a consumer available Caprice. In addition to the Saudi Arabian Caprice, the vehicle is sold as a Buick Park Avenue in China and the Lumina in Asia. With a EPA city rating of 15 miles-per-gallon for the V-8, GM’s Bob Lutz said that he could not make a business case for a Caprice in the US.
2008 Caprice LTZ in local setting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe1lQPXMihc
Enthusiasts were hoping that the $44K supercharged Pontiac G8 GXP could be the next Caprice SS.
As pointed out in last year’s Carbon Motors announcement (HERE), the 30 year old “Panther” platform Ford Crown Victoria is the dominant brand of the 75,000 sedans purchased every year for law enforcement.
Mike “FossilMedic” Ward
Also on FireGeezer…
- “New” Chevrolet will be 2013 NASCAR racer – March 19, 2012
- Contract loophole = Street Caprices – June 25, 2011
- Silly Season … Super Sport Performance Chevy – April 27, 2012
- Delay, Defer and Reduce – March 19, 2012
