Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Topic: Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits... (Read 7206 times) previous topic - next topic

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

September 01, 2008, 08:39:52 PM

I've been seeing bits and pieces about this new concept cop car for the last month or so. It's a concept by some unknown company called Carbon Motors:

Looks cool on paper:

Quote

Carbon Motors makes a logical point with their new Carbon E7 purpose-built police car: while other government services like fire trucks are purpose-built, police vehicles are usually stock civilian vehicles which are then modified to suit police purposes, with stuff like radios, sirens and other equipment added aftermarket-style.
The Carbon E7 is the world’s first purpose-built law enforcement vehicle. The result is a police sedan that runs on a 3.0 liter inline-6 twin-turbodiesel engine that is bio-diesel capable, putting out 300 horsepower and 570Nm of torque via a 6-speed automatic transmission through the rear wheels. That actually pretty much sounds similar to the BMW 335d or the 535d. While the engine is from an unnamed third party vendor, the aluminium spaceframe chassis has been entirely developed in-house. The car is designed to have a 400,000km lifespan.

0 to 100km/h takes 6.5 seconds and it will go up to a top speed of 250km/h, which makes it pretty suitable as highway chase cars.
The interior is chock full of integrated police equipment such as an automatic license plate recognition system, 360 degree exterior surveillance capability, controls for a 130hz to 350hz bass siren, Nightvision compliant interior illumination, integrated forward looking infrared system, integrated shotgun mounts, and video and audio surveillance of the rear passenger compartment.
The car also saves costs in certain areas that a production car converted into a police car cannot achieve, such as the lack of comfort equipment for the rear passenger compartment as it is usually used for tasks like ferry arrested people to the station.

The concept looks pretty pie-in-the-sky when you consider their business model, however. From what I've read, they intend to sell the car fully equipped for a price of ~$80k, and they intend to take custody of the car after its useful life and either rebuild it or recycle it.

As a builder of cop cars I can see major problems with this car and its sales business model:

If it breaks (and it WILL break), who's gonna fix it? Where would parts come from? It's not like the car could be sent to the local Ford dealer for repairs. What would the LEO drive while waiting for his car to be repaired? How 'bout routine maintenance? Is a set of brake pads going to be special order?
$80K?!?!? Come on now. Even if they could manage to keep the cost at $80k that is nearly triple the cost of a new Crown Vic. Carbon Motors says $80k is competitive to the cost of a fully outfitted CVPI. Having built hundreds of them I can categorically say that is not even close to true. The most expensive CVPI I ever built was for a rambo-cop that insisted on new everything, state-of-the-art (this means LED light bar, front/rear facing LIDAR, front/rear facing cameras, laptop, three radios, fully electronic integrated light/siren control, etc). The car went out the door at just under $50k including the cost of the car itself. And that was with brand-new everything. RCMP (and I would bet most other LEA's) re-use whatever parts they can when decomissioning an old car. Strobe lights, light bars, flashers, radios, sirens, screens, shotgun mounts, video, radar, etc, are all re-used in the new car. Some things are replaced (light bar lenses, when faded, for example) but most of it is reused. This Carbon Motors wants to provide a new car with new equipment for $80k whenever a car is retired, and they want the old car back!
What happens when the car is damaged in a collision? With a CVPI the car is either repaired, or if severely damaged, the equipment is swapped out of it and into another CVPI. Not so with the Carbon. Even minor damage could decomission a Carbon, such as a broken headlight or tail light. What would replacements cost? How about a seemingly minor problem like a bent spindle (from striking a curb)?

Seriously, I think this is a great idea but one that would almost certainly fail if it ever got to the point of building actual cars. Anyone who would invest money in this company is not thinking things through...

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #1 – September 01, 2008, 08:55:59 PM

What about fuel consumption last I heard Reliable rumors the NYPD was test driving the Malibu and Altima. Though both cars front ends don’t have a shot of holding up to the city abuse. As is the impalas are falling apart with all the curb and pot holes they hit.

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #2 – September 02, 2008, 08:06:44 AM

I think the only viable replacement for the CVPI is the Charger and possibly the G8 if GM ever builds a police version. FWD cop cars are fine for runabout cars (we call 'em detachment cars, they're painted to look like a cop car but not really equipped like one, and are used for things like responding to burglaries, shoplifting, etc) but they don't hold up to the abuse of a real patrol/pursuit vehicle. Even the Charger and G8 would be somewhat questionable with their unibodies and delicate IRS.

It'll be a tough job finding a REAL replacement for the archaic but bulletproof (not literally) CVPI...

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #3 – September 02, 2008, 09:38:56 AM

The New York State Troopers have taken delivery of some new Chargers out here.....

One word:

WANT!

Few cars look better when you put a light bar on them. The Charger is one of them. You're right about the recycling of parts. Even the smallest things you wouldn't think of are canibalized from de-commisioned cars. To return a decommisioned vehicle that you paid $80K for is not going to bode well with tax-payers.

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #4 – September 02, 2008, 08:08:20 PM

NYPD Highway have a ton of Chargers and all w/Hemi's
they do look good as :D

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #5 – September 02, 2008, 08:15:03 PM

Here in Indiana the state police are running Mustang GT's. They are all different colors, unmarked, with lazer thin light bars hidden behind dark tinted windows. I'd like to be there when some unsuspecting Camaro owner tries to race one...lol.

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #6 – September 02, 2008, 08:26:43 PM

I could swear, I saw a ford focus shooting radar on the thruway.

That car looks like it's from Judge Dredd ......."I am the law"

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #7 – September 02, 2008, 08:46:03 PM

I just moved to school and all the cops out here have Chargers, There are a few CV still floating around but not close to the amout of Chargers. Its hard to adjust, I cant spot a cop faster than anyone I know but I cant tell when they are behind me at night by the headlights like I can with the CVs. G8 would be a bad ass cop car. I think the cops out here use a few repo cars too though.

think about all the money they wasted in developing that car. That might be good for a cop in a gated community full of muti million dollar houses yet they could really just drive the golf car around so there is no need.

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #8 – July 29, 2009, 05:53:46 PM

seems this is gonna become a reality. and they are gonna be built here in indiana.....taking over the old visteon plant in connersville, from what i understand.

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #9 – July 29, 2009, 07:26:05 PM

am i the only one that sees a problem with the whole design of that car? it looks like nothing on the road currently. you'd be able to spot one from outer space. thats no good for trying to catch people by blending in (like gang and drug crime.) it looks like a space ship! i didnt read the info, but it definatly looks like an enforcer type car that would be able to easily take on an SUV with the PIT and all. its just too weird IMO. from a MX-5... all police cars look dangerous to your health, but this thing looks like it'd rip a MX-5 in half even pitting under 45mph. v8demon, are police forces slowly turning into a military force or something? it looks like it when companies are designing TANKS for police cars.

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #10 – July 29, 2009, 08:28:15 PM

Y'know, there's a simple solution: Don't run from the cops.

As for being easy to spot one: C'mon, how hard is it to pick out a Crown Vic or Impala anyway? Cops and old people are the only ones that drive either...

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #11 – July 29, 2009, 08:38:59 PM

Actually, it'll be harder to spot one. It looks like a previous generation Acura from the headlights, and the light-bar is integrated into the roof. If it looks like a large sedan with a huge roof rack at night, you check your speed, as it is now. But this thing looks like everything else coming at you after the sun goes down.

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #12 – July 29, 2009, 10:09:24 PM

Well I hope it does go through and gets picked up by most of the state agencies. It's different enough that I think you could spot one from a good distance and if it's made in Indiana, I hope they replace the Mustang GT's that they use now with them.
On a recent trip to Chicago I nearly was busted when I was cruising along at 67 mph in a 55 zone and closed in on one of these in the slow lane.

Brent

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #13 – July 29, 2009, 10:35:39 PM

.......... Now they're using Chargers here
They still have some fox stangs here. saw one recently

Hey, Paul, your new ride awaits...

Reply #14 – July 30, 2009, 02:44:08 AM

in senoia ga. a cop had a fox stang police car and it was a nice one. i remember him parking it at the ball field when i used to play. but the corner right there at the ball field a drunk driver made him take evasive maneuvers to avoid a head on collision and he stuck it into the trees. last i heard he's still addicted to Oxycontin (synthesized heroin) due to a chronic back injury... :/