GREAT vehicle to drive. I have new back sets coming in for anyone that does not want the police back sets. Yes, the Chevrolet Caprice PPV’s chassis is fabulous. A very short, coned test drive on General Motors’ proving grounds here revealed a large, American-size sedan that is certainly among the automaker’s best-handling cars, along with the Corvette Z06 and Cadillac CTS-V. GM seems to have broken its habit of erring on the side of understeer, its CYA reaction to Ralph Nader’s attack on the Chevy Corvair. As compelling as the handling from the Caprice PPV’s Zeta chassis, and powerful as the small block 6.0-liter is, the Holden sheet metal is plain. The nose has that pop-in-an-American-grille look of the Pontiac GTO and G8. The taillamps look to be straight from the current Impala’s parts bin, and the tail could be mistaken for an Impala. That’s good for undercover work, but not so good for style. If the current and ’13 Malibu, Cruze, Equinox, and Camaro are any indication, the next Caprice and the next (front-wheel-drive) Impala ought to be far more handsome, expressive, and sporty-looking. If you can’t wait, Chevy sold a handful of ’11 Caprice PPVs, which means you might find a few high-mileage examples on your local auction lot up to a year before the Omega platform arrives. For the 2012 model year, Chevy adds a 3.6-liter, direct-injection V-6 option, the version your humble servant sampled first. With 301 horsepower, it seems fast enough to keep up with most perps, and would be a good choice for the Barney Fifes of the world, those small-town officers who keep their service revolvers locked away at the station. The Caprice V-8 is rated 15/24 mpg It comes with eight airbags, including two knee bags added for the ’12 model year. It’s got a cop car fuel pump that automatically shuts off when the airbags deploy, which also activates the hazard lights, unlocks the doors, and looks for short-circuits in the electrical system. Police departments that equip their Caprice PPVs with rear-seat window partitions get side-curtain airbags that go just as far as the front seats. Those front seats are upholstered in a low-friction fabric, with stiff bolsters and softer center cushions to maximize comfort and make it easy for patrol officers to wear their holsters. The flat plastic center console is designed to hold laptop platforms with the floor-mounted six-speed automatic’s shifter tucked under the platform. Chevy offers no column shifter. At 129.4 cubic-feet, the Caprice PPV has more interior space, and at 17.4 cubic feet, more trunk space than either the Dodge Charger- or Ford Taurus-based patrol cars, Chevy says. Pieces like the front under-hood cross member and the door latches are bolted on rather than welded, for quick and easy repair, the major advantage that kept the body-on-frame Ford Crown Victoria in production and so popular with local law enforcement for so long. Chevy says it’s time for cop cars to move on to unibodies, although it still offers its RWD Tahoe as another Ford alternative. That six-speed automatic has a special “sport” mode that holds each gear longer for better acceleration when chasing the perps and for more engine braking. $11,900.00 OBO
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