BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011
11-13-2009, 11:33 AM
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BREAKING: Ford announces it will build all-new Police Interceptor for 2011
In a surprise move, Ford has announced that it will pursue the development of an all-new Police Interceptor model. The move comes on the heels of General Motors' announcement that it plans to challenge the Crown Victoria's law enforcement dominance with its own heavy-duty Chevrolet Caprice sedan.
Details are slim, but Ford says the forthcoming PI will arrive in 2011 and it will sport durability, safety, and performance parameters that are superior to that of the Jurassic Panther-platform Crown Vic. Given the relatively tight timeframe and durability targets, we have to assume that the replacement cop car could be based on the rear-drive Australian-market Ford Falcon shown above. The Blue Oval promises that the car will be engineered and built in America, so it could also be an Ecoboost version of the Ford Taurus (as seen in the SHO), but front-drive cars have had trouble meeting the durability and cost requirements of police duty in the past, making this something of an open question. In an official release posted after the jump, Ford says it will disclose full vehicle specs in the first quarter of 2010, which should give enough time for both law enforcement and police vehicle equipment manufacturers to prepare for the changeover.
Ford says it presently shifts about 45,000 of the 60,000 police cars sold in the States each year, so it makes sense that Dearborn would not be willing to cede this market to Chevy's Caprice and the already established Dodge Charger.
Details are slim, but Ford says the forthcoming PI will arrive in 2011 and it will sport durability, safety, and performance parameters that are superior to that of the Jurassic Panther-platform Crown Vic. Given the relatively tight timeframe and durability targets, we have to assume that the replacement cop car could be based on the rear-drive Australian-market Ford Falcon shown above. The Blue Oval promises that the car will be engineered and built in America, so it could also be an Ecoboost version of the Ford Taurus (as seen in the SHO), but front-drive cars have had trouble meeting the durability and cost requirements of police duty in the past, making this something of an open question. In an official release posted after the jump, Ford says it will disclose full vehicle specs in the first quarter of 2010, which should give enough time for both law enforcement and police vehicle equipment manufacturers to prepare for the changeover.
Ford says it presently shifts about 45,000 of the 60,000 police cars sold in the States each year, so it makes sense that Dearborn would not be willing to cede this market to Chevy's Caprice and the already established Dodge Charger.
11-13-2009, 01:21 PM
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Hmmm, my thoughts are it will be the new Taurus. But I suppose that their is enough time to tool up a factory here to build Falcons.
Are Falcons certified for NA? I thought I read somewhere that they are.
What is Fords plans for the factory in Canada that builds Crown Vic/PI after 2011?
Are Falcons certified for NA? I thought I read somewhere that they are.
What is Fords plans for the factory in Canada that builds Crown Vic/PI after 2011?
11-13-2009, 02:15 PM
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Think about a plant, in the US, that builds a RWD vehicle, that has flex lines and extra capacity.
Apparently Ford has been in serious talks with Law Enforcement, about what they want............ thus, I doubt they are all shouting "FWD!!!"
Another interesting point, both the Mustang, and the Falcon, are up for redesign about the same time................. hmmmm.
See, it would appear that Ford combed over their Q3 results, and liked what they saw. Thus, it allowed them to be a little............... shall we say................ creative.
Said project will not be horribly expensive.............. and will probably also spawn a niche vehicle that us normal folk can buy. Woo Hoo !!!!
Disclaimer: This information comes from a person who has much more intimate information on Ford, than I could ever hope to have. He has hinted on this for a while now.
Apparently Ford has been in serious talks with Law Enforcement, about what they want............ thus, I doubt they are all shouting "FWD!!!"
Another interesting point, both the Mustang, and the Falcon, are up for redesign about the same time................. hmmmm.
See, it would appear that Ford combed over their Q3 results, and liked what they saw. Thus, it allowed them to be a little............... shall we say................ creative.
Said project will not be horribly expensive.............. and will probably also spawn a niche vehicle that us normal folk can buy. Woo Hoo !!!!
Disclaimer: This information comes from a person who has much more intimate information on Ford, than I could ever hope to have. He has hinted on this for a while now.
11-13-2009, 02:49 PM
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Even without insider info, we all had to speculate this was coming...Did we really think Ford was going to give up on Uncle Sam's car buying habits?
Ford could really pull this off...maybe the Falcon and Mustang will share similar platforms?
Or, they could really blow it, and we could end up with the Transit Connect as a SWAT van.
Ford could really pull this off...maybe the Falcon and Mustang will share similar platforms?
Or, they could really blow it, and we could end up with the Transit Connect as a SWAT van.
11-13-2009, 03:11 PM
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Think about a plant, in the US, that builds a RWD vehicle, that has flex lines and extra capacity.
Apparently Ford has been in serious talks with Law Enforcement, about what they want............ thus, I doubt they are all shouting "FWD!!!"
Another interesting point, both the Mustang, and the Falcon, are up for redesign about the same time................. hmmmm.
See, it would appear that Ford combed over their Q3 results, and liked what they saw. Thus, it allowed them to be a little............... shall we say................ creative.
Said project will not be horribly expensive.............. and will probably also spawn a niche vehicle that us normal folk can buy. Woo Hoo !!!!
Disclaimer: This information comes from a person who has much more intimate information on Ford, than I could ever hope to have. He has hinted on this for a while now.
Apparently Ford has been in serious talks with Law Enforcement, about what they want............ thus, I doubt they are all shouting "FWD!!!"
Another interesting point, both the Mustang, and the Falcon, are up for redesign about the same time................. hmmmm.
See, it would appear that Ford combed over their Q3 results, and liked what they saw. Thus, it allowed them to be a little............... shall we say................ creative.
Said project will not be horribly expensive.............. and will probably also spawn a niche vehicle that us normal folk can buy. Woo Hoo !!!!
Disclaimer: This information comes from a person who has much more intimate information on Ford, than I could ever hope to have. He has hinted on this for a while now.
Even without insider info, we all had to speculate this was coming...Did we really think Ford was going to give up on Uncle Sam's car buying habits?
Ford could really pull this off...maybe the Falcon and Mustang will share similar platforms?
Or, they could really blow it, and we could end up with the Transit Connect as a SWAT van.
Ford could really pull this off...maybe the Falcon and Mustang will share similar platforms?
Or, they could really blow it, and we could end up with the Transit Connect as a SWAT van.
11-13-2009, 04:46 PM
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11-13-2009, 05:59 PM
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It'll be built along Mustang and production will begin as soon as the current cop car ends production which is GREAT for us GM folks.
It means that the Mustang and new cop car will share the same architecture, they can price the cop car cheaper than what GM plans with the Lumina because it will be fleet only (cop car.)
So, GM absolutely must now make a civilian version of the Lumina if it hopes to compete with the new Ford cop car....oops, did I have a name wrong in there at some point
It means that the Mustang and new cop car will share the same architecture, they can price the cop car cheaper than what GM plans with the Lumina because it will be fleet only (cop car.)
So, GM absolutely must now make a civilian version of the Lumina if it hopes to compete with the new Ford cop car....oops, did I have a name wrong in there at some point
Last edited by Josh452; 11-13-2009 at 06:02 PM.
11-13-2009, 07:41 PM
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Hmmm, my thoughts are it will be the new Taurus. But I suppose that their is enough time to tool up a factory here to build Falcons.
Are Falcons certified for NA? I thought I read somewhere that they are.
What is Fords plans for the factory in Canada that builds Crown Vic/PI after 2011?
Are Falcons certified for NA? I thought I read somewhere that they are.
What is Fords plans for the factory in Canada that builds Crown Vic/PI after 2011?
I say the report is not very accurate.
11-14-2009, 06:53 AM
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The only market the falcon could go to was the middle east but Ford were selling the crown vic, and milking it, over there. Ford management decided to keep milking their cash cow. No market, no LHD. This was before Mullally.
Next falcon platform maybe?