The Future of Police Cars
Ford unveiled the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor concept vehicle at the 2002 New York International Auto Show. If this concept is anything to go by, police pursuit sedans are taking on a completely new form to take on the future.
The concept Interceptor features a new push bar made of high-strength stainless steel and cast aluminum, giving the car a new aggressive face as well as the ability to run a suspect off the road during a high-speed pursuit by nudging the fleeing car in the rear corner to spin it to a stop. The new bar also reduces damage to the police car's bodywork in the event of a frontal collision. A rear bumper made of the same materials reduces damage to the back of the car.
The concept also features high-intensity discharge headlights with halogen strobe lights, and a light bar on top with flashing halogen and strobe lights with settings for different weather conditions. The rear deck lights and taillights will strobe when the vehicle is parked and the light bar is activated. There are halogen spotlights built into the rearview mirrors which can swivel in different directions and are operated by remote from inside the car. Another feature is the NightEye night-vision technology, a low-light camera attached to the light bar on top the vehicle. The NightEye CCD cameras require a very low amount of light to operate, enabling officers to improve their vision at night. The cameras can be set up to record and automatically displays the view on to a standard police laptop.
If the police car is involved in a crash while on duty, an Accident Data Recorder 'Blue Box' records crash data including speed, throttle, and steering angle. Similar to an aircraft's "black box", the Blue Box is crash-hardened to ensure the data can be retrieved for investigation.
To reduce the response time to a backup call, new communications technology enables officers to communicate with each other without using the central dispatch within a range of 500 to 3000 meters. The system also includes new voice-recognition software that allows the officer to speak to his vehicle without taking his hands off the steering wheel. The system listens, understands and acts on the situation by wirelessly sharing emergency information, vehicle location, speed, and heading. Using this same technology, officers can talk back and forth with voice-activated features. If other police cars are not available, an I2I smart system uses a cellular option to contact the dispatch centre with a call for assistance. Dispatchers can check a Web site to see where the vehicle is, its speed, and based on vehicle data, it can report the type of vehicle and emergency status.
To ensure a more rapid pursuit, the Interceptor concept features a 4.6 litre V8 engine that produces 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque which gives it exceptional launch characteristics. The modular 4.6 is basically the same engine used in today's Crown Victoria, Mustang GT and Police Interceptor. It is probably the same V8 that powers the Mercury Marauder. The V8 in the Interceptor concept allows it to go from a standstill behind a billboard to the bumper of a speeder in a matter of seconds.
It is unlikely that all the features will make it to production, but it is still obvious that in a few years, being a speeder is going to be one risky proposition.
Specifications :
Price Range : Only sold to law enforcement agencies.
Still in concept phase.
Engine : V8, DOHC, front engine RWD
Displacement : 4,605 cc
Valve : 32 valves, 4 valves per cylinder
Transmission : 4-spd automatic
Fuel economy : city - unknown
highway - unknown
Horsepower : 300 hp @ unknown
Torque : 300 lb-ft @ unknown
0-60 mph : 7.0 sec.(estimated)
Curb Weight : unknown
Overall length : 212.0 in.
Wheelbase : 114.7 in.
Overall Width : 78.2 in.
Height : 56.8 in.
www.ford.com
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