Fairly unimpressive to most people, but the Chevy Impala is often used as an unmarked and sometimes fully marked police cruiser (as shown above and below).

Since my Chevy Trailblazer

(can also occasionally be used as a police vehicle) is in the repair shop, I'm currently renting an Impala. It's fully blacked out with black tint like the picture on top, but I of course don't have the LED blue lights, the siren or the racing chip. It's one hell of a car though. 0-20 is kind of slow compared to the Trailblazer but after that, that thing really rips. It's quite powerful for a V6 engine. Feels very smooth, stable and roomy for that matter. Just thought I'd share.

Edited February 8, 201214 yr by unr3al

Aha, Impala's are alright, they just don't look as good, but their engine is something to be talking about...

I'd like to try a Crown Vic, but those aren't as common for casual driving around here.

How do you manage to rent a police car unless you are a cop? Are you renting the civilian version of the car?

I mentioned earlier it has everything except the police equipment. No lights, no siren no racing chip. Everything else is the same. Blacked out windows, black paint job, same engine block, same steering and suspension system.

FYI: You can buy "retired" police vehicles pretty cheap. If you wonder where all the yellow taxis come from in big cities; that's where.

Edited February 8, 201214 yr by unr3al

Oh, I thought when you said that there were no lights, sirens, or racing chips, you meant that you bought the civilian version and then converted it to have all the "legal" aspects of a police car. What further confused me is that all of those pictures posted were actual police vehicles, so I thought that you were an officer using some sort of "trade-in" service for police cars. Is the top vehicle the one you are actually using? It looks awfully similar to a real police car, but you can't tell whether it has lights or sirens, but you also said that the one you are renting is "like" the one in the picture.

I mentioned earlier it has everything except the police equipment. No lights, no siren no racing chip. Everything else is the same. Blacked out windows, black paint job, same engine block, same steering and suspension system.

FYI: You can buy "retired" police vehicles pretty cheap. If you wonder where all the yellow taxis come from in big cities; that's where.

Oh wow, that's the first time I heard it, that's pretty cool to hear. Hope you have fun with it.....hehe.

By the way, that second pic isn't an Impala, it's a Caprice. Impalas and caprices were very similar in years past, but the new Caprice is a completely different car.

Well what can I say, they look the same lol..but looking closer to it, yes, they are.

Technically that "Chevy" Caprice is a Holden...

Edited February 8, 201214 yr by SharpCommand

cool

I like the look of the Caprice form the 90's. :|

Technically? It's a Holden Commodore(?) with the Aussie name crossed out and Chevy written on it, not that it's a bad thing, I've heard they can be right beasts.

They're also sold in the UK as the Vauxhall VXR.

Yes it's not a bad thing, I just thought I'd say that the Caprice PPV is Australian.

I like my caprice i have a 1995 caprice wagon police interceptor its really fun to drive with a LT1 interceptor engine and rides smooth

Until recently the only place a Caprice was sold was actually in the middle east after they discontinued it in 1998. I miss the classic one, too. Anyway, it's exactly like the first pic I posted with the exception of the spot lights and I actually have rim covers. It looks identical other than that.

I like the 2012 Chevy Caprice PPV and I've heard a lot of positive things about them. They'll probably do quite well in the market, a little on the expensive side but certainly a performer. Also, I've been on quite a few ride along's and most officers advise against buying used police vehicles. These vehicles take some "minor abuse" over their short careers :biggrin:

That's correct, although they can be fun for a car to mess around with. I wouldn't use one as a daily driver. In any case, I remember on a ride along I went on a couple of years ago that the police car I rode in only had about 5,000 miles on it. The F.T.O. I was riding with said that with the cruiser he used to use that he wouldn't dare take it over 90mph. lol On a basic traffic stop, I remember him abruptly stomping on the brake when a girl in a crappy sedan flew past us over the speed limit by about 15mph. A little bit of an overreaction if you ask me, but whatever. He ended up letting her off without a ticket (despite having 3 tickets beforehand) because she was rushing to pick someone up from the local high school prom.

Technically that "Chevy" Caprice is a Holden...

Whoaaaaa, hold it right there, Holden bought the model from General Motors, so the Holden is a Chevy Caprice. Apparently Holden is too lazy to create their own looks, and buys them from the newest (best coming) interceptor!

I like the look of the Caprice form the 90's. :|

So do I, as you guys might have ''noticed''.

Whoaaaaa, hold it right there, Holden bought the model from General Motors, so the Holden is a Chevy Caprice. Apparently Holden is too lazy to create their own looks, and buys them from the newest (best coming) interceptor!

1. Holden is a GM brand, just as Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Opel, and Vauxhall are (and Pontiac, Saturn, Saab Automobile, and Hummer used to be).

2. The new Caprice was designed and built by Holden for Holden, in Australia, and was later adapted for Chevrolet in the U.S. The Pontiac GTO ('00s model) and G8 were also Holden designed and manufactured in Australia.

Edited February 12, 201214 yr by lonestranger