I was one of the first to shoot Carbon's original advertising and marketing photography back in early 2009. Carbon had an exciting concept that provided a purpose-built vehicle that was efficient, safer, and a more advanced crime fighter than anything else being offered at the time.

Carbon Motors has, since 2003, been teasing the nation's law enforcement community with a very impressive and advanced-looking purpose-built police car. And while the car itself is very impressive and seriously making me reconsider my life of petty crime, so far it only seems to exist as one prototype and lots of…

Remember that super cool police cruiser Carbon Motors promised by the end of 2012? It looks like the company has placed its aggressive-looking cop car on the back burner in favor of an even more aggressive-looking cop van.

Carbon Motors announced they'll purchase 240,000 BMW six-cylinder diesel engines for its purpose-built E7 police car, allowing it to potentially return 28 MPG and 155 MPH top speed. Now they just need buyers, capital and production. [WSJ]

Sitting in the Carbon Motors E7, you realize it's the product of police officers dreaming up the ideal vehicle for law enforcement. This dream's coming to a radar trap near you in 2012.