Look at any cop movie, and mostly you tend to see them driving ramshackle cars that have seen better days. Cops are often portrayed cussing the villains in sheer desperation when their ride fails to keep up. Of course, if you believe the movies you may as believe the moon is made of green cheese—but it isn’t, is it?
The real cops of today are as technologically advanced as the villains of today, and, while they may have been outsmarted in the Fast & Furious movies, it doesn’t quite work like that in real life.
In real life, cop cars are faster, cops are smarter, and they get the bad guy in the end by hook or by crook. These are the 10 cars they chase and catch the baddies in…
10 The Steeda Ford Mustang GT: 'Stang It
The 'Stang used by US law enforcement isn’t just a run of the mill one. The Steeda Ford Mustang GT Police Interceptor vehicle with a 5.0-liter V8 is way faster than the civilian Mustang versions with 777 horses and 655 ft-lb torque.
This is not the Mustang you want to mess with. As long as it is street legal, this Mustang will catch it with its top speed of over 200mph. The acceleration is so fantastic it is kept under wraps though we are sure it can beat a Shelby GT500. To date, this is the fastest American pursuit car, faster than the Camaro SS even.
9 The Brabus Mercedes CLS Rocket: All The Brave
With a V12 engine that jets out 800 horses and 1024 ft-lb torque that is often dialed back to 811, this is a blisteringly fast car that can go faster than any other set of wheels on the Autobahn. This Mercedes is a largish car, enough to comfortably ensconce the cops in the front and giant-sized criminals in the back.
With a 0-60mph run of 3.5 seconds, it can also take the detainees back for processing pretty quick as well. Technologically speaking, the high-speed car runs smoothly because of Bilstein coils, and ventilated disc brakes on all four wheels make it even safer.
8 Bentley Continental GT: A Royal Ride Indeed
Cops in the UK may be trolled for much, but they sure drive smooth in their Bentleys. Not only do they possess a Bentley Bentayga as part of their fleet, but they now also have a Bentley Continental GT. This roomy sports coupe is a two-seater so sorry, no criminals in the backseat—only the boot.
Kidding there, but the turbocharged 6.0-liter V8 motor in a normal Bentley Continental GT car pulses out 582 horses, which takes this beauty 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds. Of course, the police car is far more finely tuned than what the mere but rich mortals drive and can go 0-60mpg in 3.4 seconds.
7 Audi R8: The Fastest Audi Around
In November of 2016, Dubai added two Audi R8s to its already luxurious fleet. However, the reason behind acquiring this supercar isn’t only to chase baddies at high speed—the fact is that these ultra-luxurious cars, when driven by cops, promote community bonding and connect programs.
The V10 engine pulses 540 horses, which means this car can go 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds, on 19-inch designer wheels as well. Top speeds are 196mph, and, if the speed weren’t enough, there’s always that R8 growl to contend with. Being the fastest Audi ever, this car has some serious street presence and we are sure the cops have a great time driving it.
6 Dodge Challenger: Answers Every Challenge
If you challenge this one by breaking the law, you better be prepared to be chased, caught and cuffed—challenge accepted and answered. The Dodge Challenger police cruiser houses a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that manages a cool 485 horses when paired with the civilian version of the TREMEC six-speed manual transmission.
The secret to it being a police car lies in many unseen performance parts, which make it zoom way faster than a normal Challenger. Of course, there is nothing normal about the Dodge Challenger in the first place, as it goes 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds. But a police car would be much faster.
5 Spyker C8: Rare & Gorgeous
Now, this one is quite a find, being one of the rarer cars in the world. At some $425,000, it may be well worth every penny, but it is a pretty penny. The 4.2-liter V8 jets 320 horses and 384 ft-lb torque, and it hits 0-60mph in an agile 3.5 seconds. Top speeds of 187 mph make it a very efficient high-speed chase vehicle, and we are sure the cops driving it have the time of their lives doing so.
Another thing that makes for great stability in this car is its middle-engine placement on a rear-wheel-drive car—giving a great weight distribution and superior handling. Used in both the Netherlands and the UK as a cop car, it is made in the Netherlands itself.
4 Lamborghini Gallardo: Rome, Italy
Does the Lamborghini Gallardo need an introduction? Not really, and the fact that the Italian cops drive supercars to chase down and intimidate the baddies speaks volumes about the Italian in general. Of course, the Italian police fleet also has a Huracan, but Gallardo’s 200mph top speed makes it an amazing cop car indeed.
The 5.2-liter V10 power mill is good for 542 horsepower that lets the Gallardo race from 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds. We are pretty sure the Italian police are nifty enough to raise the bar higher and make their Gallardos a cut above the rest in terms of speed and power.
3 Chevrolet Corvette: A 1,000+ Horsepower Find
The Chevrolet Corvette we are talking about is a Z06 Vette so seized in a police raid against a meth dealer by the Texas Police Department. Again, luckily for them, the Vette had already been modified to a massive 1,005 horsepower gushing one. Third time lucky was the fact they managed to seize both the dealer and car before the former decided to race the latter in a high-speed chase that usually never ends well.
This monstrous Vette maybe a little too much for a cop and is better built to be floored by a speed track racer, so it is used for PR events and community connects by the Texas PD. Still, quite the lucky find.
2 Chevrolet Camaro SS: The Real Bumblebee
The Camaro SS has been a long-time addition to Police Departments in America, but it was adopted by Dubai as well. Honestly, it’s a comfortable sports car that offers four seats and comes for a relatively cheap $60,000. The 6.3-liter V8 engine jets 455 horses and makes the Camaro SS zip a fast 0-60mph in 4 seconds flat. It also gives a decent city and highway gas economy and frankly may as well be underused by the police department considering it can take quite the beating at high speeds.
The six-speed manual transmission on this car is perfection to drive, and this muscle car is enough to take down a few baddies and make the cops look cool while doing so
1 Ferrari 458 Italia: Super-C0p-Car
So, the Milan police have got everyone down to a pat because they can cruise the roads in their stunning Ferrari 458 Italia which is one of the fastest police cars in the world. So, all the baddies in Milan might as well give up and retire. Or, at least, they shouldn’t bother racing down the streets of Milan.
Technically though, this is another one of those supercars the police departments of the world use to built bonds with their community. With this car, whose 4.5-liter V8 jets 570 horsepower and 398 lb-ft torque, you can go 0-60mph in just 3 seconds. In it, the Italian police plan to set an example—if a cop can keep a tab on his speed with this car and a siren, so can you.