The Carpocalypse may have killed the Pontiac G8 ST, but lucky cops will be able to spend their anti-terror budgets on the Chevy Caprice Police Car, which rides on the same chassis.
That's right, this isn't a regular ol' re-skinned Pontiac G8 sedan, but rather the longest version of the Zeta platform that also underpins the Middle Eastern Chevy Caprice and the Holden VE Ute. That 118.5" wheelbase puts it smack in the middle of the 114.7" Crown Vic and 120.0" Dodge Charger.
The Caprice PPV is powered by 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.
We're told that bigger engine will deliver an expected best-in-class 0-to-60 time of under six seconds along with a similarly best-in-class top speed. But, for those forces uninterested in the super-sized 6.0-liter eight-cylinder engine, we're also told a V6 engine will be offered beginning in the 2012 model year.
The Caprice with both engine sizes will recieve the same police car-specific vehicle systems like high-output alternator and standard 18-inch steelies with bolt-on center caps and will ride on a heavy-duty four-wheel independent suspension and a "police-calibrated stability control system," presumably to compensate for all the donuts onboard.
The front seats have been sculpted to "pocket" an officer's equipment belt, with the foam density of the seatback and cushion insert surfaces designed to conform to the shape of an equipment belt's various items, allowing the officer's back to rest properly on the seatback surface. The barrier between the front seat and rear seat is also positioned farther rearward than the Charger or the Crown Vic, allowing for full front-seat travel and greater recline while officers take a highway-side siesta.
The new Caprice will also have significantly larger interior volume - 112 cubic feet - than the Ford Crown Victoria, including - thanks to the longer wheelbase - nearly 4 inches more rear legroom to help give handcuffed suspects a much more comfortable experience. The Caprice PPV's long wheelbase also gives it 18 cubic feet of free trunk volume. That's enough room for a full-size spare located under a flat load surface in the trunk storage area and any number of shotguns, RPGs and dead golfers or anything else an officer may need to punish and enslave.