While many gearheads see the police as the enemy, someone looking to punish us when we exceed the speed limit, they do actually have our best interest at heart and strive to protect us. Many police officers spend the majority of their time on duty in their cars and use the vehicles to enforce the law, one could say it's their office.

The most famous police vehicle is the Ford Crown Victoria, dubbed the P71, which isn't the most reliable and quickest vehicle on the road. Fortunately, authorities have recognized the need to supply performance vehicles to the police. While some jurisdictions feel that the P71 is sufficient for the police to perform their duty, other countries have decided to make the criminal's life more difficult by supplying the police with performance vehicles. These days, some officers of the law drive better work vehicles than the average citizen. We decided to compile a list of police cars that can reach 0 to 60 in less than 5 seconds, and at the other end of the spectrum are police cars that take more than 10 seconds and should probably be abandoned.

20 Under: Dodge Charger - 4.6 Seconds

via FCA Fleet

The U.S. police are the proud owners of this Dodge Charger that they refer to as the "Interceptor/Pursuit." Criminals are in serious trouble if they think they can get away from this beast. The manufacturer modified several models for police use.

This beast carries a V8 engine that's capable of pumping out 292 horsepower and reaching a top speed of 147 mph. The Interceptor is the fastest police car in the U.S. police. If you're looking to purchase this type of vehicle, be prepared to pay a base price of around $46,000—well worth the money.

Related: This Heavy-Duty MRAP Is The Ultimate Police Vehicle

19 Over: Ford Fiesta - 11 Seconds

via Flickr

Had the police chosen an F-150 pickup truck, we would've understood, but we cannot excuse the Fiesta. We're not surprised that criminals don't fear policemen who drive the Fiesta, as the vehicle has a 1.0-liter engine capable of producing 97 horsepower.

Besides being a slow vehicle, the Fiesta is also unreliable. Consumer Reports has featured the vehicle on its 'Least Reliable' list for many years. Owners of the vehicle will attest to the unreliability and poor performance. You can purchase the Fiesta for around $20,000.

18 Under: HSV GTS - 4.5 Seconds

via Pinterest

The Australian police are the fortunate owners of this majestic vehicle. The NSW Center for Road and Safety funded the vehicle and delivered it to the New South Wales Police Department. Under the hood is a V8 6.2-liter engine that pumps out 288 horsepower.

Although production of the vehicle ceased a couple of years ago, the Australian police are proud to own this vehicle.

17 Over: Toyota Prius - 10.5 Seconds

via Flickr

The Japanese manufacturer may be known for producing some of the most reliable vehicles on the road, but Prius shouldn't be a police vehicle since it matches the pace of a snail. Toyota has been manufacturing the vehicle since 1997 and sold it in over 90 markets. Although the vehicle has great fuel consumption, it has a meager engine.

The Prius has a 1.5-liter engine that can push out a measly 76 horsepower. The gas-saving, though, is exponential since the Prius can provide a combined fuel consumption of 56 mpg. Owners of the vehicle can save a lot of money on gas.

Related: 10 Cool Facts You Never Knew About The Police Ford Interceptor

16 Under: Brabus G63 - 4.4 Seconds

via Highmotor

The wisest thing you can do when you're in the U.A.E. is to abide the law. The police in Dubai are serious about enforcing the law, which can be seen in the watchdog deciding to purchase a Brabus G63. Criminals will be disappointed to know that the Brabus G63 has a V8 5.5-liter engine that pumps out 600 horsepower.

The top speed of this powerful wagon is 168 mph. The car is a four-wheel drive, and the Dubai police modified it to use the car as an off-roader. Criminals aren't getting away from this bad boy.

15 Over: Fiat 500 - 10.2 Seconds

via Transpress NZ

The new 500 models are capable of reaching 0 to 60 mph in less than 10 seconds, but the police don't own the latest models. Unfortunately, the police had to tolerate the early models that struggled to start. Production of this little vehicle commenced in 1957 and hasn't ceased since.

Throughout the decades, the car manufacturer redesigned the vehicle and attempted to lure in the market but failed to convince anyone that the vehicle was worth purchasing. Consumer Reports features the car regularly on it 'Least Reliable' list.

Related: Check Out This BMW M3 Competition Police Car For Australia

14 Under: Ford Mustang GT - 4.3 Seconds

via AutoTrip.cz

When you see a Ford Mustang police car, you might think that it belongs to the U.S. police. But this car belongs to the police in the United Kingdom. The manufacturer displayed the vehicle at the National Association of Police Fleet Managers trade show.

The GT is full of power, the V8 engine able to pump out 460 horsepower and reach a top speed of 155 mph. The only problem that the police will have is maneuvering such a powerful animal on the narrow roads in the U.K. The car was originally a pre-production model.

13 Over: Astra Vauxhall - 10.3 Seconds

via Auto Express

Alexander Wilson founded Vauxhall in 1857, which today is a subsidiary of the German automaker Opel. The car has a 1.6-liter engine that pumps out 197 horsepower. If you wish to purchase the vehicle, you can choose between a 5- or 6-speed manual transmission.

The base price of the vehicle is $19,000. Criminals don't fear the Vauxhall, though. The police should change to a better vehicle if they want to stand a chance of catching the bad guys.

12 Under: Lotus Evora S - 4.3 Seconds

via CarBuzz

One of the police forces you don't want to mess with is the one in Carabinieri. Many regard the Carabinieri police force as one of the toughest and scariest in the world. They receive military training and fast cars to patrol the roads.

The policemen in Carabinieri are fortunate to drive a Lotus Evora. The car has a top speed of 172 mph with a V6 engine that pumps out 410 horsepower. If you're looking to purchase the Lotus Evora S, the price that you can expect is around $93,000. The best thing to do in Carabinieri is to stay on the right side of the law.

11 Over: Kia Rio 12 Seconds

via The Truth About Cars

The positive aspect of the Kia Rio is that the fuel consumption is good. Drivers of the vehicle can expect to get 29 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. While the police may save on the gas, they cannot catch any criminals with the Rio since it has a top speed of 110 mph.

The engine you'll find under the hood is a 1.0-liter, which pumps out 99 horsepower. Don't expect a great performance from this vehicle, which the manufacturer markets as fuel efficient. Buyers who want to get their hands on this slow vehicle will pay around $14,000.

10 Under: Lexus IS-F - 4.2 Seconds

via Flickr

The police in Humberside were delighted to be the proud owners of the Lexus IS-F. Humberside was a non-metropolitan country in Northern England, and the police were tired of the Astra and the Hyundai, so they decided to request a faster vehicle.

They were surprised to discover that the government granted them a Lexus that has a top speed of 172 mph and an engine that pumps out 416 horsepower. The government installed an onboard computer for the policemen to access the national police database while on the move. Drivers who want to own an IS-F will have to fork out around $61,000.

9 Over: VW Beetle - 12 Seconds

via Euro T Guide

The two-door, rear-engined Beetle was supposed to commute 5 passengers. The original Beetle had a top speed of 62 mph, and the engine pumped out around 25 horsepower. Volkswagen manufactured the Beetle from 1938 to 2003. Although the manufacturer produced more than 21 million Beetles, it didn't build the car to be a performance vehicle.

The car has a 4-speed manual transmission with a 1.6-liter engine. The police used the car many years ago, but it's now available in museums. If you scour the market, you can find an old VW Beetle for a few hundred dollars.

Related: The Toughest Police Forces In The World, Ranked

8 Under: Brabus CLS - 4 Seconds

Brabus CLS Rocket Police Car
Via: YouTube @ officialrallyHD

Don't mess with the German policemen, as they're driving some of the best vehicles on the road that'll catch up to you in seconds. The German manufacturer built the vehicle in 2006 to promote safe tuning in the country.

Criminals will have to drive a fast car to get away from the Brabus CLS, as the bonnet stores a massive V12 twin-turbo engine that pumps out 730 horsepower. The car has a top speed of 225 mph. If you want to own this 5-speed automatic transmission vehicle, you'll have to have more than $500,000 in your bank account.

7 Over: Smart ForTwo - 10.2 Seconds

via Drive Mag

The car may be called Smart ForTwo, but it's not smart of anyone to own this oven on wheels. The car has a rear-engine, rear-wheel drive that can seat two people. You'd think that the police in New York would have more sophisticated vehicles, considering the town is dubbed The Big Apple, but the Smart ForTwo is anything but big or fast.

The car has a laughable 1.0-liter engine, and it's available in 46 countries. The engine is capable of pushing out 90 horsepower and has a top speed of 90 mph that even criminals think is funny.

6 Under: Lamborghini Gallardo - 3.7 Seconds

via Wikipedia

When in Italy, do as the Italians do—at least most of us wish to be able to. Not only do Italian citizens own Lamborghinis, but so do the police. The car has a V10 5.2-liter engine that pumps out 562 horsepower and a top speed of 200 mph.

The Italian car manufacturer decided to donate the Gallardo LP560 to the Italian State Police to assist with "accident and crime prevention," as well as "sustain security on Italian roads." If you're not part of the Italian police but would like to drive a Gallardo, you can expect a base price of $198,000, a hefty price but worth every cent.

5 Over: Ford Crown Victoria - 10 Seconds

via Pinterest

The most popular cop car to emerge on the road is the Ford Crown Victoria, which the police dubbed 'P71.' The Crown Victoria replaced the flee-market 'S' design in 1993. The U.S. manufacturer marketed the vehicle exclusive for law-enforcement sales.

The 96 model had a standard single-key entry system with a rear-window defroster, a hidden audio antenna, and tinted windows. Countless Hollywood movies have featured the P71 as the cop car. The newer models can reach 0 to 60 in less than 10 seconds, but the older models were slow.

4 Under: Lamborghini Huracan - 2.3 Seconds

via New York Post

The Italian police are fortunate that one of the biggest sports car manufacturers is based locally. Lamborghini wanted to help the police to catch the bad guys, so the Italian car manufacturer decided to donate a Huracan to the police force. Lamborghini fitted the vehicle with the standard police car features such as the lights, sirens, video camera, radios, and gun rack found in police cars.

The Italian manufacturer also made the side walls of the tires a special blue color to match the 'Police Medium Blue' bodywork. The Huracan has a V-10 engine that pumps out 602 horsepower and reached a top speed of 201 mph.

3 Over: Yugo 14.9 Seconds

via Modul Kuche

The car brought innumerable headaches to its owners. Originally manufactured in the former Yugoslavia, the Yugo made its way to North America. Many owners of the vehicle will attest to the Yugo as the worst vehicle in history. The vehicle wasn't that bad, although the police shouldn't have used it to chase criminals.

The car was ridiculously slow, not to mention, unreliable. The earlier models had a 1.1-liter engine, which the manufacturer later upgraded to a 1.2-liter. Wow, such a drastic improvement. Sadly, the production run for the Yugo came to a screeching halt in 2008. The car lasted for more than three decades in production.

2 Under: Bugatti Veyron - 2.4 Seconds

via The National

Don't mess with the police in Dubai as they'll be on your tail at a blistering speed. The U.A.E. has so much money, even their police can drive vehicles that most average citizens of other nations can only dream about owning. With a top speed of 261 mph, the Veyron is the fastest and most expensive entrant.

If you'd like to take the police on in your Veyron, you can purchase one for around $2.5 million. However, the police in Dubai don't use the vehicle to chase crooks, as the car is an ornament to display the country's wealth.

1 Over: Lada - 16 Seconds

via Twitter

These days, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsbushi Alliance own the Lada brand, but the Russians were the original owners. The car appeared on the market in 1973, and many drivers considered it to be the equivalent of a Yugo. The car was slow and unreliable.

Today, the manufacturer markets the cars as affordable and reliable. Most know the Lada as a police car, a taxi, and a range of other public service vehicles in Europe. The Russian police were notorious for using the vehicle to catch perpetrators. Since the Lada has a top speed of 87 mph, the police fell behind the criminals.

Sources: topgear.com; financesonline.com