Apparently GM has finally found to maintain Pontiac G8’s platform, not as a sport sedan as it used to be, but as a Police patrol vehicle and with Chevrolet Caprice badge! Being made in Australia, the Caprice PPV is not a family sedan which is turned into a Police car, it is specially developed for the law enforcement and comes with lots of relevant equipments.
The car will hit the streets in America in 2011 and is powered by a 355 horsepower E85-capable 6.0 liter Chevy V8. The company also promises a V6 variant for 2012. It is based on the long wheelbase (118.5-inch) version of the Caprice offering an excellent rear legroom for the suspects!
The Caprice is also upgraded in many mechanical areas to meet the heavy requirements of Police duty, such as:
- High-output alternator
- Engine oil, transmission and power steering coolers
- Standard 18-inch steel wheels with bolt-on center caps
- Large, four-wheel disc brakes with heavy-duty brake pads
- Heavy-duty suspension components
- Police-calibrated stability control system
- Driver information center in the instrument cluster with selectable speed tracking feature.
American cops actually have a great history with Chevrolet Caprice, here’s how:
1959 – Chevy Biscayne police model capable of 135 mph with specially tuned, police-only version of the 348-cubic-inch V-8 engine
1965 – The new “big-block” 396 engine is offered in Biscayne and Bel Air police cars, making them among the most powerful on patrol; a 427 V-8 was added in 1966
1976 – The 9C1 order code is given for the first time to a full-size Chevy police car package. It carries the Impala name.
1977 – The full-size Chevy is downsized. The 9C1 police package is retained, as is the Impala name.
1986 – The Caprice name replaces Impala, as the car is updated for the mid- and late-1980s – including the option of a powerful, 5.7-liter small-block V-8.
1991 – A new-generation Caprice is launched, with the 9C1 police car still on the beat.
1994 – The 260-horsepower (194 Nm) LT1 V-8 engine is offered in the Caprice 9C1, making it one of the fastest full-size police cars ever offered.
1996 – Caprice police car production ends, as GM’s full-size, body-on-frame car architecture is discontinued.
2011 – The Caprice PPV returns to active duty.
