Peace out Ford Crown Victoria: New Cop SuperCar in 2012

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Carbon Motors got our attention last fall when it announced its intention to build the Carbon E7, a purpose-built police car. The thinking behind the E7 is that because it's designed from the ground up for use by police professionals, it eliminates many of the compromises inherent in retrofitting dinosaur Ford Crown Victorias and even modern Dodge Chargers.

Just like those cars, it's rear-wheel-drive, but it uses aluminum unibody architecture -- a never heard-of extravagance on a vehicle dedicated to public service. The Carbon E7 is the same length as the Charger (200 inches), but rides on a longer wheelbase (122 inches) and a much wider track (66.9 inches front and rear). For efficiency's sake, it dispenses with gasoline V8 power and uses a 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine (we assume it's a six, but Carbon won't yet disclose the cylinder count).

The company says it's testing working prototypes right now and plans to have E7s available for instrumented testing by the press in 18 months. Pricing will be announced in the fourth quarter of 2009, says Carbon Motors spokesman Stacy Dean Stephens, with production beginning in calendar-year 2012.

In the meantime, Carbon has created an elaborate website where law enforcement agencies can already preorder an E7. Follow the jump to see video, photos and more details on the Carbon E7 police car.

The E7's turbodiesel engine is rated at a claimed 300 hp and 420 pound-feet of torque, and a six-speed automatic drives the rear wheels. Carbon claims it will hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and go through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 98 mph. Top speed is said to be 155 mph. Combined city/highway fuel economy will be 28-30 mpg, says Carbon.

Brakes are large, with 14-inch vented discs in front and 13-inch vented discs in back. The E7 wears 18-by-8-inch steel wheels with 245/50R18 tires. Thusly equipped, Carbon says the 4,000-lb car will stop from 60 mph in 125 feet and pull 0.85g on a skidpad. This is more impressive when you consider that the Carbon E7 sits 7 inches off the ground -- a good 2 inches higher than the Charger. You can read more specs here.

Because it was engineered in this century, the cockpit allows seamless integration of whatever computer hardware and software a law enforcement agency might require. In addition, a full partition between the front and rear seats reduces contact with arrested suspects. A drainplug in the floor allows you to hose out the backseat as necessary after off-loading the occupants.

Cost is a big question here. Carbon says the E7 will be priced comparably to the police-version of the Charger, but aluminum space frames aren't exactly cheap, so we're skeptical. The company also promises lower running costs, but if diesel prices remain high, that advantage might be squeezed, too. Finally, unlike old Crown Vics, the Carbon E7 can't exactly be auctioned off to recoup costs at the end of its service life.

"We don't want these vehicles getting into the public's hands," Stephens told us. "We will offer law enforcement agencies a couple different solutions: They have the ability to sell them to other agencies and we will help facilitate that sale. Or, we will take the car back at the end of its life. We will either refurbish it and resell it, or if there's no useful life left on it, we will dismantle and recycle it to the extent possible."




"thank god I don't have to drive crappy ford tauruses anymore"

 

did you watch the video?
the car has speech recognition and talks back.

Michael Knight..

 

its 30 miles per gallon for a cop car. how much does that old crown victoria eat?

 

This car has those steel bumpers for ramming other cars.


What is cool is the drainplug in the back and the separation between the back and front. so if you get drunks in the back, it won't smell up the front.

 

I'd buy that for a dollar!

 

the ford focus is a peace of crap, i rented one in california, i'm getting passed up by priuses. When I hit the gas, the car starts acting up like Tracy McGrady.

 

they don't make Tauruses (not til next year), ford stopped making them along time ago.

Robocop drove one