2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV - Car News
GM imports a rear-driver from the penal colony to help patrol our roads.
BY DAVID GLUCKMAN
October 2009
Rumor had it that GM would continue to import the Pontiac G8 as a police-package Chevy. It turns out rumor had it wrong—mostly. While the Pontiac G8 is officially dead, another car on its platform is coming from Australia to patrol our roads. GM will allow U.S. police departments to order a cop-spec Chevrolet Caprice beginning next year, with the first cruisers hitting the road in 2011.
The Caprice is built on the Holden platform used for the G8 and which also underpins the new Camaro. Holden calls the car Statesman in Australia, while it is rebadged as a Chevy Caprice for sale in the Middle East.
At 118.5 inches, the Caprice rides on the longest wheelbase of any car using GM’s global rear-drive platform; the G8 was nearly four inches shorter between its wheels. Most of that room is accounted for in the larger back seat—GM claims a four-inch advantage in rear legroom over the Ford Crown Victoria.
The Caprice PPV (for Police Patrol Vehicle) will do battle with the ubiquitous Crown Vic as well as the Dodge Charger. The front-seat design is police-specific, able to accommodate officers wearing utility belts for long drives. Departments can also opt for a rear-curtain-airbag delete to allow for a full-width rear partition, making the police safer and ignoring the extra harm that may befall perps in the back after a rollover or side-impact collision.
V-8 or V-6 Power, Uprated Brakes and More
Police-package Caprices will be motivated by either a V-6 or V-8. A 355-hp, 6.0-liter V-8 will be launched first, followed by a 3.6-liter V-6 the following year. All cars will get police-duty upgrades, including a high-output alternator; auxiliary coolers for engine oil, transmission fluid, and power-steering fluid; 18-inch steel wheels; four-wheel disc brakes with beefier brake pads; and police-calibrated stability control. A large touch-screen interface for primary vehicle controls is integrated into the center console, as well. Two batteries are mounted in the trunk, one for the engine and the other for accessories like computers, lights, and radar guns.
The Caprice doesn’t appear to share any body panels with the G8, save for the front doors, and is a much softer design in general. The car has a similar, porpoise-like side profile to the last Caprice offered here in the ’90s, which also saw police duty. There are no plans to offer a civilian version of the Caprice PPV.
GM imports a rear-driver from the penal colony to help patrol our roads.
BY DAVID GLUCKMAN
October 2009
Rumor had it that GM would continue to import the Pontiac G8 as a police-package Chevy. It turns out rumor had it wrong—mostly. While the Pontiac G8 is officially dead, another car on its platform is coming from Australia to patrol our roads. GM will allow U.S. police departments to order a cop-spec Chevrolet Caprice beginning next year, with the first cruisers hitting the road in 2011.
The Caprice is built on the Holden platform used for the G8 and which also underpins the new Camaro. Holden calls the car Statesman in Australia, while it is rebadged as a Chevy Caprice for sale in the Middle East.
At 118.5 inches, the Caprice rides on the longest wheelbase of any car using GM’s global rear-drive platform; the G8 was nearly four inches shorter between its wheels. Most of that room is accounted for in the larger back seat—GM claims a four-inch advantage in rear legroom over the Ford Crown Victoria.
The Caprice PPV (for Police Patrol Vehicle) will do battle with the ubiquitous Crown Vic as well as the Dodge Charger. The front-seat design is police-specific, able to accommodate officers wearing utility belts for long drives. Departments can also opt for a rear-curtain-airbag delete to allow for a full-width rear partition, making the police safer and ignoring the extra harm that may befall perps in the back after a rollover or side-impact collision.
V-8 or V-6 Power, Uprated Brakes and More
Police-package Caprices will be motivated by either a V-6 or V-8. A 355-hp, 6.0-liter V-8 will be launched first, followed by a 3.6-liter V-6 the following year. All cars will get police-duty upgrades, including a high-output alternator; auxiliary coolers for engine oil, transmission fluid, and power-steering fluid; 18-inch steel wheels; four-wheel disc brakes with beefier brake pads; and police-calibrated stability control. A large touch-screen interface for primary vehicle controls is integrated into the center console, as well. Two batteries are mounted in the trunk, one for the engine and the other for accessories like computers, lights, and radar guns.
The Caprice doesn’t appear to share any body panels with the G8, save for the front doors, and is a much softer design in general. The car has a similar, porpoise-like side profile to the last Caprice offered here in the ’90s, which also saw police duty. There are no plans to offer a civilian version of the Caprice PPV.
