Chances are you’ve never heard of Carbon Motors, but soon you’ll fear having one of their vehicles in your rear-view mirror.
As the manufacturer of the world’s first purpose-built police cruiser, Carbon Motors did not start off with a demure family car as its platform. Instead, the vehicle was designed from the ground up for the needs of law enforcement. As if that wasn’t unusual enough, this radical new cop car also has a secret weapon – a BMW engine under the hood.
The new E7 cruiser, which we’ll see beginning in 2012, will feature a six-cylinder diesel engine mated to an automatic transmission. Not only are these engines powerful, but Carbon Motors also insists they’re efficient and reliable.
“The strength of BMW as a partner will allow us to provide our women and men in uniform with a diesel engine capable of the performance they desire along with the significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions that U.S. taxpayers need,” said William Santana Li, chairman and CEO of Carbon Motors.
Under development since 2003, the E7 features an array of features designed for law enforcement including automatic license plate recognition, remote start, siren, video and audio surveillance of the rear compartment, integrated shotgun mounts, spot lights and special police seats.
In total, BMW will supply 240,000 turbo diesel engines for the police car venture. The German automaker estimates that the diesel engines could cut carbon emissions by as much as 30 percent and fuel consumption by as much as 40 percent, helping save taxpayers copious amounts of cash.
Aside from being efficient, the new Carbon Motors E7 features a lightweight aluminum space frame and will also launch from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds and complete the quarter mile in 14.5 seconds at 98 miles per hour. Top speed is reportedly more than 150 mph.
With the recent introduction of the new Ford Taurus Police Interceptor, it seems the Blue Oval will soon have some tough competition when these vehicle go head-to-head to get the attention of police departments across the country. MA Woburn Jaguar noted that Jaguar’s high-performance “police pursuit vehicle” based on the XF diesel is currently being evaluated for use in the UK.
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