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Between the Carbon Motors E7 and The Vehicle Production Group's Standard Taxi MV-1 the Crown Vic's position as the near universal fleet car is now being seriously threatened, and yet Ford seems just fine with that.
(Note I have heard recurring yet as of this writing still unsubstantiated rumors of the end of the Town Car and Grand Marquis as well)
Fall 1995 New York City, the GM building; I was told GM was phasing out the B and D platforms. Somewhat disturbed by this revelation, I asked how GM could just hand over it's fleet sales to Ford. I was essentially told that fleet was sales were something GM could live without and that Ford could have it. I said okay, but there will come a day when every taxi and patrol car is a Crown Victoria and every Executive car is a Lincoln (TC) that GM will come to regret their arrogance. They respond with "We know what we're doing."
Now 15 years later Ford seems to be sitting in that same position of arrogance.
The personal responsibility train left the station years ago, and you gave it the finger as you watched it leave. |
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Awww say it aint so. I love the Vic. Last of the true fullsize RWD fun big ass cars.
Ezekiel 25:17 |
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there is another thread on here that heralded the return of the full-size RWD GM sedan... It is, of course, sitting on a Holden Statesman/Caprice chassis and will be available to police and taxi fleets first. I am almost 100% positive that once the car proves itself in the demanded arena of police and taxi service, the car will be made available to the general public. Ford is definitely reliving a marketing blunder made by GM 14 years ago... Bob Lutz went on record criticizing GM's management for not only killing the large RWD sedan (thus handing it all to Ford), but killing the F-body. Slowly, but surely, those mistakes are being corrected.
What astounds me, and this is an aside to my import-centric colleagues, is that Toyota and Nissan never introduced their fullsize, Japan-only sedans to America to compete in this market. Wasn't the Toyota Chaser a player when equipped with the Supra engine?
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Posted by Samurai
What astounds me, and this is an aside to my import-centric colleagues, is that Toyota and Nissan never introduced their fullsize, Japan-only sedans to America to compete in this market. |
Well technically they did, in the form of Lexus and Infiniti.
"No risk, no reward, no fun."
"Go all the way or walk away"
escensi omnis... |
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Posted by TheVicariousVadder
Well technically they did, in the form of Lexus and Infiniti.
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i meant as an 'affordable' brand... Lexus and Infiniti always seemed a bit of making a silk purse out of a sows ear... everyone knows that it's just a yota or datsun underneath, yet they're willing to pay BMW prices for them.
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Is300 with 2jz is win
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Posted by Samurai
i meant as an 'affordable' brand... Lexus and Infiniti always seemed a bit of making a silk purse out of a sows ear... everyone knows that it's just a yota or datsun underneath, yet they're willing to pay BMW prices for them.
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Same thing with a Cadillac or a Lincoln.
An armed society, is a polite society. So lets get to it! |
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The personal responsibility train left the station years ago, and you gave it the finger as you watched it leave. |
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While I wish that new GM offering was produced in the USA and not just a terse rehash of an already in production car, it's still freakin' cool as hell. The only thing I really don't like is the blinkers being placed above the headlights, which historically is a big automotive no-no, it's almost never attractive. At least they're in the same unit as the headlights so the curse it taken out of it.
The Crown Vic is a great car in spite of it's extremely aged design, I hope Ford comes up with a worthwhile replacement. You've got the new Chargers to deal with, the Caprice, those independent police cars that were mentioned, the competition is heating up.
I even saw a NISSAN ALTIMA NYC police car. What the hell is that? Nothing against the Altima, but that is not a car that can hold up to police duty. The FWD Impalas aren't even cut out for it in my opinion!
Question- are there any vehicles you would NOT pull over for if they were flashing blue lights at you? Technically if for some reason Camry Hybrids were put into police usage, I would call 911 instead of being pulled over, and make a stink about someone impersonating a police officer in a wimpy car while I drive to the police station, just to be an ass.
"Walter, what are you doing, man?"
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Posted by big dave
Same thing with a Cadillac or a Lincoln.
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yes and no.
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I previously mentioned this little story with the CVPI, but I will repeat it.
My uncle worked for Ford and later Visteon. At Ford, he sometimes worked on the committee that talked with law enforcement officers directly to look at new ideas. Now, some of the ideas were of course just plain logistically impossible, however some of the big ideas suggested by the officers were flat out told no. One of them was switching to Front Wheel Drive to increase fuel economy among with other ideas to increase fuel economy. The head of the committee from Ford flat out said "That's not the direction that Ford wants to go with the CVPI" on many of the officer's suggestions. The officers were could not believe that was just said as these people are their buyers and your not giving them what they want. GM however responded with a 9C1 package for the re-introduced Impala in 2000.
And speaking of the Caprice PPV, there's a rumour that it maybe produced at Oshawa for the North American market...
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oshawa omg!
My uncles a cop and he had Altima 3.5SE. He said it was a rocket compared to his impala and crownvic, and was really bummed out when he had to hand it back.
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Yeah, but it's not all about speed, low end torque plays a big factor too.
The personal responsibility train left the station years ago, and you gave it the finger as you watched it leave. |
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Posted by Nismo
oshawa omg!
My uncles a cop and he had Altima 3.5SE. He said it was a rocket compared to his impala and crownvic, and was really bummed out when he had to hand it back.
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I will catch hell for saying this but I would put the Crown Vic up against a Altima for realiablity in the real world conditions most cop and fleet cars are put in. Sorry but I don't see a FWD V-6 sedan surviving running through the median of the highway at high speed the way a full size solid rear axle Vic would. Yeah, I will catch shit on this lol.
Ezekiel 25:17 |
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it was an unmarked car, he wasnt doing patrols with it.
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Posted by jeepdave
I will catch hell for saying this but I would put the Crown Vic up against a Altima for realiablity in the real world conditions most cop and fleet cars are put in. Sorry but I don't see a FWD V-6 sedan surviving running through the median of the highway at high speed the way a full size solid rear axle Vic would.
Yeah, I will catch shit on this lol.
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Not necessarily, about a year or two after the fwd Impalas I tried to buy a turn out from White Allen Chevrolet who had the fleet sales contract at the time. I was told that the Impalas that were coming in from the various departments had been judged to have been in to poor of condition to be sold to individuals.
They suggested I wait for a Caprice to come in or go by a Crown Vic.
[last edit 10/26/2009 5:09 AM by CaptOrbit - edited 2 times]
The personal responsibility train left the station years ago, and you gave it the finger as you watched it leave. |
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Posted by jeepdave
I will catch hell for saying this but I would put the Crown Vic up against a Altima for realiablity in the real world conditions most cop and fleet cars are put in. Sorry but I don't see a FWD V-6 sedan surviving running through the median of the highway at high speed the way a full size solid rear axle Vic would. Yeah, I will catch shit on this lol.
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after owning several W-bodies, I think about the ONLY FWD that would survive cop duty would be an Impala. They are a rugged ass car.
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Posted by Samurai
after owning several W-bodies, I think about the ONLY FWD that would survive cop duty would be an Impala. They are a rugged ass car.
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LOL, I can agree with that. If they are anything like the poor old z34 eruoluminaorsomething that I ran as a field car. Could drive the shit out of it lol. But that said I still hold the vic as the stronger of the two. I'm actually lookin for a Impala for my fiance.
Ezekiel 25:17 |
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Posted by jeepdave
LOL, I can agree with that. If they are anything like the poor old z34 eruoluminaorsomething that I ran as a field car. Could drive the shit out of it lol. But that said I still hold the vic as the stronger of the two. I'm actually lookin for a Impala for my fiance.
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day to day, the Impala will take a worse beating. And besides, the cop Impala is faster than the Crown Vickie. The Vickie PI is limited to 120mph. The 3.8 and 5.3L AA V8 Impala are not.
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I still think it's safe to say a car like a Crown Vic with it's aged and simple underpinnings or this new Chevy will still be able to take a curb at 35 MPH, while a front wheel drive vehicle would lose the entire front end from doing the same thing, they're just not as sturdy in general! Too complicated and fragile.
[last edit 10/26/2009 5:38 AM by MattTrakker - edited 1 times]
"Walter, what are you doing, man?"
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Ethics
