Is that a po(l)ice car? (Edited)

Jackmydad

coffeehound wrote: »

I saw an undercover porsche cayenne and some other expensive car ripping through Worcester on blues and twos in about 2013. So someone out there runs them...

I don't suppose you could see if they had a po under each of the front seats?

But joking aside there's nothing new about the police having fast motors. They had big BMs for jam butties in the 70s up in the Midlands. Apparently in the 30s they used to have MG sports cars to catch errant motorists.

coffeehound

Ha, po humour indeed. I didn’t know that. Never really thought about pursuit vehicles being needed before speed limits but of course they must have been!

NBLondon

Jackmydad wrote: »

But joking aside there's nothing new about the police having fast motors. They had big BMs for jam butties in the 70s up in the Midlands. Apparently in the 30s they used to have MG sports cars to catch errant motorists.

Loads of examples... a lot of forces ran Jaguars in the 60s (Mk II) and the 70s (XJ12); as for sporty stuff - Daimler SP 250 in the Met and Home Counties forces; MGB GT V8 in Thames Valley and I'm sure I've seen an 80s Ford Capri in police use (quick google -Greater Manchester used the Mk3 2.8i but Lancashire were there first with the Mk1 3000 GT).

As for the Cayman - well German police forces have a reasonably long history of using Porsche products so why not?

Deanston

NBLondon wrote: »

Loads of examples... a lot of forces ran Jaguars in the 60s (Mk II) and the 70s (XJ12); as for sporty stuff - Daimler SP 250 in the Met and Home Counties forces; MGB GT V8 in Thames Valley and I'm sure I've seen an 80s Ford Capri in police use (quick google -Greater Manchester used the Mk3 2.8i but Lancashire were there first with the Mk1 3000 GT).

As for the Cayman - well German police forces have a reasonably long history of using Porsche products so why not?

Warwickshire had a Lotus Esprit V8 at one point Essex a Ford RS200.

caprikid1

Obviously they have had no shortage of Sierra and I believe Escort Cosworths

Jackmydad

Thinking about it one friend had an XJ6 ex police car. That's nearly 30 years ago now.
Another had a Sierra Cosworth that was Ex Police. Don't know when he had it.
Don't know which force either was from. I'll see the Sierra chap in a couple of weeks, I'll try to remember to ask.

malky39

Strathclyde Police had a Audi q7, which they had confiscated under the proceeds of crime, that they stickered up and used as a patrol car

NBLondon

Deanston wrote: »

Warwickshire had a Lotus Esprit V8 at one point Essex a Ford RS200.

I seem to recall that one force in the South of England ran a Harley Davidson...

As with the original article quoted - forces would turn up with these vehicles at local shows and things to attract the attention of local youth and maybe instil some road sense into them along the way. So perhaps what the Manxman saw originally was it being used as a competition prize "Be dropped off at school in style!" or possibly the regular driver doing the school run on the way to an event.

The question of whether the target audience would be impressed by a Cayman is interesting - would, say. a McLaren 570 or 600 work better (if anyone has one to donate)?

Deanston

NBLondon wrote: »

I seem to recall that one force in the South of England ran a Harley Davidson...

As with the original article quoted - forces would turn up with these vehicles at local shows and things to attract the attention of local youth and maybe instil some road sense into them along the way. So perhaps what the Manxman saw originally was it being used as a competition prize "Be dropped off at school in style!" or possibly the regular driver doing the school run on the way to an event.

The question of whether the target audience would be impressed by a Cayman is interesting - would, say. a McLaren 570 or 600 work better (if anyone has one to donate)?

Northumbria had at least one but a Fireblade, Blackbird or R1200RS are more in line with the cars they’ve had.

NBLondon

I googled - it was Sussex Police I was thinking of. On loan from a local dealer (so a bit of an advertising deal as well). Apparently, they later got hold of a Buell Ulysses (some sort of trail bike by the pictures). I guess that if they were trying to pursue rogue bikers as well as attract attention then the ones you mention would be more effective. Something from Ducati? Triumph Rocket III?

The Met Police Cycle Safety Team have use of a DAF XF which I've seen on the road and it does make you look twice.