Monday, November 10, 2014

Ford’s Police Interceptor Outpaces Competition at LA Sheriff’s Department Testing

The American police car segment is heating up with equally interesting offers from GM (Chevy Caprice), Chrysler (Dodge Charger) and Ford. In their latest battle, the Dearborn automaker's Taurus-based AWD Police Interceptor achieved the fastest lap time in tests carried out by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD), signaling that it's a worthy successor for the Crown Victoria.

Powered by the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with 365 hp and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque, the Police Interceptor can reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 5.8 seconds.

During tests held in California, the Ford was faster than V8 competitors, but that's not much of a surprise, since force induction compensates for the lack of displacement (the Chevy Caprice has a 6.0-liter V8, while the Dodge Charger boasts a 5.7-liter HEMI V8).

LASD also tested the base Taurus Interceptor, which comes with a naturally V6 churning out 280 hp, and all-wheel drive. According to Ford, it fared well against the V6-powered competition, beating them in braking, acceleration and lap times.

The Blue Oval's third police car to be tested was the Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility, with a 3.7-liter V6 engine and AWD. Ford said that, loaded with 400 pounds (181 kg) of cargo, it was more than two seconds faster than the Chevrolet Tahoe on LASD's circuit.

Ford Police Interceptors are available in multiple configurations (even with front-wheel drive) and deliver at least 20% more fuel efficiency compared to the outgoing Crown Victoria. Sounds like authorities could get a bang for their buck, but we have the feeling that GM and Chrysler aren't done yet.

By Csaba Daradics

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1971 Chevy “Pushmi-Pullyu” Found on eBay

Like many children, I was enchanted by the movie Doctor Dolittle. No, not the one with Eddie Murphy – what do you take me for? I mean the '60s version with Rex Harrison and Samantha Eggar! It was a great movie full of music, stunning locales and fanciful creatures. One of the latter was the aptly named Pushmi-Pullyu: an alpaca with two heads, one at either end of its body.

"What does this have to do with cars?" you groan impatiently. Well, I'm getting there.

A Kansas motorist owns what appear to be two very special 1971 Chevy Kingswood station wagons. Why are they special? Because each has been cut in half behind the front doors and stitched back together, end to end. The result is a sort of automotive Pushmi-Pullyu.

Why would anyone want a car that can be driven both backwards and forwards without having to look in the rear view mirror or turning around? I don't know, I would have thought why would anyone build such a car would be the more pertinent question.

Regardless of either of these two questions, you can own this piece of...uh...automotive exotica for the low, low price of US$9,000. Not bad, though you can pick up an unmodified '71 Caprice sedan with similar mileage for less than US$1,000.

Though I suppose you can't drive that in reverse while facing forwards. Well, maybe with a couple of hockey sticks and a rear view mirror taped to a baseball cap. You wouldn't draw as much attention as the two-way Chevy, though. Well, that is until you inevitably crash.

What were we talking about again?

By Tristan Hankins

Link : ebay

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