Ford Taurus 2012 police car for America

Long a staple of American police forces, the ancient Ford Crown Victoria will be put to sleep by September 2011, and with it dies the Police Interceptor version. But Ford has already prepared a replacement in the form of the 2012 Ford Taurus Police Interceptor.

The last time that a police package was offered for the Ford Taurus was in the late 1980s, and was even featured in Robocop. But even as a celebrity, it did not win over the po-po, as officers in America preferred the durability of the body-on-frame rear-wheel-drive Crown Vic. While the Ford Taurus is again a unibody front-wheel-drive sedan, Ford claims that the “structure of the Police Interceptor has been upgraded to meet twice the body durability requirements of the Crown Victoria.” The cop version can apparently withstand a 120 kph rear collision and still keep going.

The non-pursuit version can be optioned up with a 263 hp 3.5-litre V6 and front-wheel-drive, while the top pursuit version can be had with a 365 hp 3.5-litre turbocharged V6 and all-wheel-drive. All versions get re-tuned stability control, better brakes, durable interior materials and wiring for lights.

Law-enforcement agencies preferred the Crown Victoria because they can easily swap out damaged body panels on the body-on-frame chassis, but a unibody vehicle has panels as part of the structure. Ford will supposedly work with agencies to help them upgrade their service facilities to straighten damaged unibody cars.

The 2012 Police Interceptor is due in late 2011, ready to compete with cop versions of the existing Charger and the upcoming Chevy Caprice.