Woah. You don’t want to find yourself in a place chase against one of these bad boys. These police cars are not messing around! If you love sweet cars, then you might honestly want to get pulled over by one of these just to see what it looks like up close and personal. We bet these cops get all kinds of requests to tae photos with their rides. What do you think of the fastest police cars in the world?
25. UK Police Ford Mustang V8
The police-model Ford Mustang is an iconic American muscle car and will start us out on this list of the fastest police cars from around the world. While this Ford Mustang is bad-to-the-bone it’s speed and agility pales in comparison to many of the other high-performance police cars on this list, especially number 1. Just wait! Back to the Mustang. Rumors have it that a police-model Mustang decked out in UK cop-car colors has been sighted on display at a trade show held by the National Association of Police Fleet Managers. We have to admit it looks the part, projecting both power and authority with an aggressive looking front end and the low slung lights on the top. Will this become the bane of British bad guys? We shall see.
24. Italian Carabinieri 503bhp Alfa Giulia QV
For those of you who don’t know, the Carabinieri are the military arm of the Italian federal police. These are the folks who deal with the toughest crimes, the terrorists, and the ugliest possible violence in the defense of law and liberty in Italy. Doing that job takes more than a standard police-model vehicle; hence their adoption of the Alfa Giulia QV. Able to do zero to sixty in less than 4 seconds, these purpose built vehicles offer a battery of high tech communications and IT capabilities to help the souls who drive them get the job done. Italians must be sleeping a lot easier with these on the roads. It handily earns it’s keep as one of the fastest police cars on earth.
23. Dubai Police BMW i8
Dubai’s got money—we all know this. The tallest building in the world is there (the Burj Dubai) as well as some of the most excessively wealthy real estate developments on the planet. And with that in mind the police have equipped themselves in style with one of the fastest police cars on earth. The BMW i8.
Yep, it’s a performance automobile. Yep, it’s a gas/electric hybrid. Yep, it’s got a slick body design and a pair of really sweet looking gull wings. Dubai’s police force is committed to being the absolute best both in training and equipment, and this is a truly dazzling edition to their arsenal.
22. Italian Police Lotus Evora S
Well, back to Italy again—we have a feeling that along with Dubai they’ll be making some frequent appearances here: the Lotus Evora S is a testament to both the driven nature of Italian policing and the wonders of British engineering. With a top speed of 178 miles per hour and a zero-to-sixty time that rivals anything on the road, the Evora S is a perfect choice for cops who have to get there, fast. What sets these super fast police cars apart? They have built in refrigerators for speeding up the safe transfer of transplant organs.
5. US Police Carbon Motors E7
This one is a piece of history—the Carbon Motors E7 is the first purpose-built police car ever made. And definitely one of the fastest police cars ever made. Released by Carbon Motors in 2012, this is designed specifically with law enforcement in mind—an idea which shows in every detail. The BMW made engine offers zero-to-sixty in 6.5 seconds with a top speed of 155 miles per hour. The body is designed with NIJ Level-III ballistic protection around the driver. Communications and IT are handled via both a standard computer screen and a heads-up display. Secure weapons mounting options are integral, as are cameras covering multiple angles around the vehicle.
This is a fast and tactical police vehicle, and that’s as impressive as anything we’ve seen on this list.
20. Dubai Police Lamborghini Aventador
There’s a lot to be said about the Aventador—it’s a vehicle that we find more than a bit intimidating. With a newly designed 700 PS 6.5 liter engine pushing 12 pistons and a max torque of 508 foot-pounds, it’s no surprising that this thing handles like a dream and has a top speed of over 220 miles-per-hour.
So what’s it doing on the streets of Dubai? We’re told that this machine patrols the highways and bypasses for those flouting the speed limits of that nation. If you’re going to pull over the richest folks on earth, you might as well do it in style.
19. Dubai Police Ferrari FF
Dubai isn’t messing around. If you take away one message from this article, let that be it.
The Ferrari FF—also known as the Ferrari Four—is a bit of a departure: a grand tourer with four seats which retains its impressive performance: top speed of 208 miles-per-hour, zero-to-sixty in 3.7 seconds. Not bad, Ferrari, we’d love to take a grand tour of Italy in one of these.
However, in Dubai the cops are using them for a rather different purpose: prisoner and VIP transport. Let that sink in: folks going to prison in Dubai will be riding in a better car than most of us will ever make physical contact with.
18. Italian Police Lamborghini Gallardo
We were beginning to wonder when and if Italy’s other world-famous automaker would appear on this list of the fastest police cars, and Lamborghini’s Gallardo is an impressive entry into our list. Benvenuto!
Let’s get the numbers out of the way: zero-to-sixty in less than 3.7 seconds, a top speed of 203 miles-per-hour, and enough torque to make your head quite literally spin. The Italian State Police use these things for highway patrol. How can they afford that? It’s easy: Lamborghini donated the cars to help with accident and crime prevention and to sustain security on Italian roads. That’s both patriotic and exceptionally classy—well done, Lamborghini!
17. Humberside Police Lexus IS-F
For our North American readers, Humberside is a county in northeastern England, on the banks of the Humber Estuary. Despite a relatively out-of-the-way location compared to more famous UK settings, Humberside’s police are not messing around.
The Lexus IS-F is a compact executive car, designed with both performance and comfort in mind. However, as a police vehicle, it has a lot to offer: incredible handling at speed, wickedly fast acceleration, a mind-blowing top speed, and in its police configuration a host of high-tech features for both communication with other vehicles and immediate access to any criminal database you care to name. Humberside has safe roads; now you know why.
16. Dubai Police Aston Martin One-77
The Aston Martin One-77 is a masterpiece of British automotive vision. A 7.3 liter V12 and a 6-speed automated transmission, a full carbon fiber monocoque chassis and handcrafted aluminum body. An estimated top speed of well over 200 miles-per-hour—rumors have it that during a trial drive it reached 220 or so.
Very few of these were made, and most ended up in private hands. In its native UK, the One-77 is regarded as both a work of art and a national treasure. So what is something this special doing on the streets of Dubai? We may never know. Please don’t take it upon yourselves to find out by speeding in Dubai.
15. Brabus CLS V12 S Rocket
Once again, we’re cheating a bit: the Brabus CLS Rocket only ended up in police colors in order to promote highway safety and courtesy in its native Germany. However, just the presence of this thing on the roadways should be enough to get any lead-foot to slow down.
A modified Mercedes CLS S Rocket, the Brabus version has a top speed of 227.2 miles-per-hour, and holds several land-speed records in Europe. As a police vehicle per the German Federal Traffic Ministry, it quickly garnered a huge amount of media attention and thus did the impossible: convincing Germans to slow down on the Autobahn.
14. US Police Dodge Charger
America: the land of wide-open space, freedom, and a vast vision of what a nation could be stretching from sea to shining sea. And what better car to police the highways that in may respect define that amazing country than the Dodge Charger.
This isn’t some adapted European track-racer: the Dodge Charger is designed for the interstates of the USA. While options abound, the V8 engine powered by an 8-speed automatic transmission is capable of powerful performance in its police configuration. Combined with the host of communications equipment, cameras, and other high-tech amenities that define American cop cars, the Dodge Charger can more than hold its own with anything on the road.
13. Australian Police Holden HSV GTS
Holden is an Australian automaker with a reputation for both quality and versatility, and the HSV line (Holden Specialty Vehicles) is where the brand’s performance vehicles come from. Featuring a 6.2 liter supercharged LSA V8 engine, a stacked plate engine oil cooler, and tire-melting torque, the top speeds and handling put the HSV GTS among the best performing police vehicles out there.
As with so many cars on this list, this is mostly a statement-maker, but the police-model HSV GTS does real duty on the highways of Australia. So keep an eye on the speed limit lest you meet some down-under cops.
And yes: we did make it all the way through this without a single Mad Max joke.
12. US Police Nissan GT-R
What the heck do US police need with a hand-built 2+2 high-performance Nissan? What role does this kind of construction — plasma transfered wire arch sprayed cylinder bores and forced induction turbochargers — play on the mean streets of America? Why would you equip a vehicle like this with the IT and communications gear often found in US police vehicles?
It’s really simple: you’re looking at the undercover car to end all undercover cars. Fast, powerful, able to fool any mobster or drug dealer into thinking you’re in the game, the GT-R is a monster in its role and we’re glad it’s on our side.
11. UK Police McLaren MP4-12C
McLaren Automotive has a long history of innovation and performance. While occasionally overshadowed by German and Italian car makers, their reputation among those of us who really appreciate advance vehicles and understand the joys of really high-speed engineering.
Let’s look at the numbers: zero-to-sixty in 2.8 seconds—far ahead of many of the more famous names on the list. A top speed of 215 miles-per-hour is equally competitive—if not able to blow away most of its direct competition.
On loan from McLaren to the West Midlands Police, this is in fact a working vehicle as well as a means of establishing dialogue between police and motorists. Let’s hope that conversation goes well—there’s no escaping this thing, no matter what you’re driving.
10. Australian Police Volvo S60 Polestar
Admit it: you don’t often think of Volvo as a precision automobile manufacturer. And that’s your mistake, champ—Volvo has a fearsome reputation on the track. Though legendary for their innovative approach to safety, Volvo knows how to make a killer performance vehicle.
And the S60 Polestar is an impressive choice of police vehicle. In its performance concept configuration, the modified cylinder heads, Garret 3171 turbocharger and Ferrita 3.5” stainless steel exhaust system all contribute to street-level performance that will outrun, outcorner, and outhandle anything that the criminals or speeders have to offer. Used by cops in Australian, New Zealand, and elsewhere, this seemingly unlikely powerhouse more than deserves a place on this list.
9. Italian Police Lamborghini Huracán
“Huracán” is Spanish for “hurricane”, which is an apt descriptor for how it feels to have this thing blow past you on the highway. Rated “Supercar of the Year 2014” by Top Gear Magazine, it may seem an unlikely option in a police vehicle . . .
. . .but Lamborghini is a really great company, and they donated a few of these to the Italian State Police as a public service. And this thing is dressed to play—in addition to the stunning top speed of 212.5 miles-per-hour and a zero-to-sixty time of 2.5 seconds, the police model Huracán comes equipped with gun mounts, cameras, computers, defibrillators, and more. Italy knows how to stay safe, and in style too.
8. Netherlands Opel Speedster
German automaker Opel introduced the Speedster back in the year 2000, and even the most casual look at the car’s performance indicates that it would preform beautifully as a police vehicle. Modeled largely on the Lotus Elise, the Opel Speedster has a top speed of 150 miles-per-hour. While that’s not the most impressive top end on this list, the Speedster offers performance at speed that exceeds most of its peers. It can corner, stop on a dime, and otherwise handle like a dream—exactly what you might want in a police vehicle. Sold under a variety of brand names worldwide, it’s no wonder that Dutch police trust this car to patrol their roads.
7. Australian Police Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
This is a really classy touch by the Victoria State Police, and we applaud them for their good taste and foresight in selecting one of Mitsubishi’s’ more iconic vehicles.
The Lance Evolution X is a monster. As the pinnacle of the Mitsubishi Evolution series, the top speed of 175 miles-per-hour is the result of a re-imagined engine and a purpose built 6 speed transmission. While the core of the vehicle is the Evolution X performance model, the police version has high-performance braking and cornering capabilities built in along with the police electronics. And in the hands of the Victoria State Police, this isn’t just an exhibition vehicle—this bad boy does plenty of patrol work reminding folks of how important safe driving is. You never know when the one of the world’s fastest police cars is hiding around the corner.
6. German Police Porsche 911 Carrera
Not the newest Porsche 911 model out there, but the Carrera’s age has only added to its legend—for a vehicle engineered in the 1980s, this is still a competitive ride either as a police vehicle or a performance automotive. It’s agility lends favor to being one of the fastest police cars on earth.
Zero-to-sixty happens in just over 5 seconds, with a top speed of around 150 miles-per-hour. The specialty built disc brakes are designed to aid in cornering and sudden stops via better engagement and heat dissipation. And the 911 Carrera makes good use of its abilities by patrolling Germany’s legendarily fast-paced Autobans. Performance is fine, but sometimes rather than chasing the latest thing you need to rely on a classic.
5. UK Police Lamborghini Murciélago
A very wise man once said that if you are tired of London, you are tired of life—and if the Metropolitan Police Department’s taste in cars is any indication, this is dead on accurate. The Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 is another performance vehicle that has found an unlikely place as a police car. It certainly has the muscle: zero-to-sixty in 3.1 seconds, a top speed of 209 miles-per-hour, and an aggressive body designed that moves like a predator.
So how did this end up in the hands of London’s police force? We really don’t know, but this machine is often sighted around the city’s airports . . . are they trying to catch speeding aircraft? It makes as much sense as anything else. This bad-to-the-bone car handily makes our list of the fastest police cars.
4. Japanese Police Nissan Skyline GT-R
This is one of those cars that tends to make US gear-heads sigh a bit given the Skyline GT-R simply hasn’t been imported to the US in any great quantity, so we don’t see many of them. And that’s a shame—this is a beautiful example of what Japanese performance and style look like. With a top speed of 203 miles-per-hour, it’s effectively as fast as anything on the road now. The carbon fiber body and lightweight engine design were industry first for Japan, as was its purpose-built power train.
And yes, they use them as police cars, particularly for highway patrolling and high-speed pursuits. It’s almost enough to make you risk time in a Japanese prison, just to see one of these bad boys in your rear view mirror closing the distance . . .
3. Netherlands Police Spyker C8
We didn’t start this list thinking that the #1 spot would go to the Netherlands, but the Dutch have a few surprises left, apparently.
The Spyker C8 is one of the most rarely-sighted police cars on this list, built in very limited quantities from 2000 onward. Originally designed to compete in the LeMans 24, the Spyker sound found a niche as a much admired performance vehicle and one of the only such cars to come out of the Netherlands. The unique body style hints at the performance under the hood: a top speed of 214 miles per hour given the right configuration and track conditions. Designed for a networked world, the Spyker C8 features a standard heads-up display, which gets a serious upgrade for police models. Few are made, fewer still see any street driving, and right now there are some lucky Dutch cops on patrol in this dream machine. Some people have all the luck.
2. UK Police Caparo T1
We’re cheating a bit with this one. The UK Police-liveried Caparo T1 is a safety-message vehicle, mostly intended to be a PR piece and a message about safe driving on the roadways of that green and pleasant land.
1. Bugatti Veyron
At number one we have perhaps Dubai’s most impressive member of their insane police car arsenal – the Bugatti Veyron. As one of the most exclusive and expensive cars in the world, it’s certainly not what you would expect to see pulling you over on the highway, but as we’ve seen demonstrated time and time again, Dubai isn’t ordinary in any sense of the word. This beast hits zero to sixty in 2.5 seconds and can reach speeds of 268 miles per hour. If it wasn’t clear already, Dubai isn’t where you want get into a police chase.
Next check out the fastest muscle cars of the 60s and 70s.