Real police cars that look nothing like a patrol sedan

© alpine-cars.co.uk

A police car doesn't have to be a dull sedan with a flashing light on the roof. Autocar has put together a selection of the most memorable cars that genuinely served with police forces or were used by agencies for special duties. Top of the list is the classic Alpine A110 of the French gendarmerie.

The coupé entered service in 1966, when France tightened its speed enforcement. Weighing just 770 kg, the Alpine A110 with a 1.3-litre, 125 hp engine could hit 97 km/h in 8.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 216 km/h. For the mid-1960s, this wasn't a toy but a real tool against fast offenders on the open road.

Autocar's list also includes bigger names. Austrian police ran the Porsche 911 Targa, the Czech force used a Ferrari 458 Italia, Portugal had the Audi R8, and Japan put the Honda NSX in uniform.

The Isle of Man briefly fielded a BAC Mono, while Dubai has long turned its police fleet into a showcase of supercars that even includes a Bugatti Veyron. For some of these cars, the logic is practical: you need a fast vehicle for motorways, for chasing street racers or for working where an ordinary patrol sedan simply can't keep up.

The British Ford Escort RS Cosworth and Sierra RS Cosworth fall into exactly that category — they helped police keep pace with the powerful cars driven by criminals. Sometimes the job is different. The Italian Lamborghini Huracán is known not only for its striking livery but also as a vehicle used for the emergency transport of donor organs in a cooled compartment.

The French Renault Mégane RS worked the country's high-speed roads, where what matters isn't price or prestige but stability, brakes and reaction time. Then there are the symbolic cars. For Dubai, a supercar in police colours is less a chase vehicle than a statement of status and a tourist magnet. Confiscated Ferraris or rare sports cars in other countries also often end up as showpieces rather than everyday working tools.

But the real point of the list isn't whose garage costs the most. A good police car has to be visible, fast and convincing. Sometimes the mere sight of an Alpine, a Porsche or a Lamborghini in the rear-view mirror is enough to end a chase before it even begins.