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FOCUS New Patrol Vehicles I New Engine for Caprice PPV...the Camaro's Hot V6 T The 9C1 Patrol version of the Caprice comes with a relocated floor-shifter that is fully compatible with a full array of police gear. The floor-shifter is a non-issue. Te side-shifter actually has one distinct advantage over the column-mounted shifter. In some column-shift police sedans, of- ficers frequently crack their knuckles against the computer display, keyboard or other upfit gear. Not so with the Caprice side-shifter. Largest Rear Seat Te rear seat? Tere is nothing like it in any police sedan, period. Te huge rear seat volume allows the front seats to be moved far enough to the rear – including a significant seat back recline – and still leave room for a full prisoner partition and the prisoner. If your department arrests a lot of people and puts them in the rear seat, the Caprice is definitely the patrol sedan for you. When the trunk volume is adjusted for the Ford CVPI full-size spare, the Caprice and the CVPI have the same trunk volume. Since the Caprice full-size spare is concealed under a flat load floor, the usable trunk space of the Caprice is arguably greater. Either Engine, Same Cost Te Caprice PPV is available in one of two engines. Te standard engine is the 301 hp, 3.6L HFV6 from the Camaro and Cadillac. Te optional engine is the 355 hp, 6.0L V8, the Corvette "LS2" engine, also used in the Silverado pickup. Te V8 is a no charge option. Te advantages of the 3.6L V6 over the 6.0L V8 are much better performance than the Ford CVPI and excellent fuel economy. Dur- ing LASD "street drive" tests, the V6 Caprice averaged 17.9 mpg, while the 6.0L V8 Caprice averaged 14.5 mpg. Te advantage of the 6.0L V8 over the 3.6L V6 is acceleration exactly like the Charger Hemi V8 and the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan twin-turbo V6. Te 3.6L DOHC VVT V6 is a very sophisticated and expensive engine. It produces just 50 hp less than the optional 6.0L OHV V8, is just 1.2 seconds slower to 60 mph than the V8. Of course, the more time the police Caprice spends idling, the greater the real- world mileage of the 3.6L V6 over the 6.0L V8. Performance Te 301 hp, 3.6L V6 Caprice hits 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. Te 28 Police Fleet Manager Jul-Aug 2012 250 hp, 4.6L V8 Ford CVPI averages 8.8 seconds. Te V6 Caprice reaches 100 mph in 18.4 seconds versus 24.4 seconds for the V8 Ford CVPI. In lap times around Grattan Raceway, the home of the Michigan State Police vehicle tests, the V6 Caprice crossed the start- finish line 30 car-lengths ahead of the V8 Ford CVPI. In the Los Angeles County Sheriff "street-drive" fuel economy tests, the 3.6L V6 Caprice averaged 17.9 mpg. During the same controlled but real world tests last year, the 4.6L V8 Ford CVPI averaged 15.8 mpg with the standard equipment axle, making the Caprice V6 more than 2 mpg better. Te 3.6L V6 is E85 FlexFuel rated. Driving Impressions We put over 500 miles on the V6-powered Caprice 9C1 Patrol in urban, suburban, rural and interstate driving. Objectively, based on hard numbers, the 301 hp V6 Caprice is clearly the direct replace- ment for the 250 hp V8 Ford CVPI. But also subjectively, based on more than a week of use, the big Caprice is the direct replacement for the big CVPI. Our "on the job" experience with the Caprice V6 confirmed the LASD "street drive" fuel economy results. During their 100-mile test loop with several different drivers in the two Caprice PPVs, they got 14.5 mpg for the 6.0L V8 and 17.9 mpg for the 3.6L V6…a 3.4 mpg difference. We put 500 miles on the Caprice 3.6L V6 and averaged 21.8 mpg. Under similar enforcement duties, we put 1,000 miles on a Caprice 6.0L V8 and averaged 17.3 mpg…a 4.5 mpg advantage of the 3.6L V6 over the 6.0L V8. And none of the traffic offenders outran this 300 hp V6. Expect a 4 mpg difference between the V6 and V8. More Responsive Facts, figures, numbers and stats aside, the V6 Caprice actually "feels" like the V8 Ford CVPI. During acceleration, the increase in engine noise versus the seat of the pants feel is similar for these two sedans. However, the Caprice V6 has better throttle response at all S New for 2012, the police Caprice PPV comes standard with the 301 hp, 3.6L SIDI V6. It accelerates the Ford CVPI, reaches 148 mph, and it has the handling to go with the speed. The 355 hp 6.0L V8 is a no-cost option.