Peugeots too slow, French police gets Subarus.

[Yperion]

French Gendarmerie Nationale to use Subaru Impreza WRXs for chase vehicles. French cars were too slow.

PARIS (Reuters) - The next time a criminal in a getaway car in France looks in the rear window the chances are that the vehicle in pursuit will be a blue French police Subaru.

The Japanese car brand, part of Fuji Heavy Industries, has sped past French rivals to win a key contract for fast intervention cars for the highway police.

"We have a contract to supply 63 cars to the Gendarmerie Nationale for patrols on the roads," Subaru spokesman Gilles Varmoux said on Thursday. "There was a tender for four-door, four-wheel drive cars that could go faster than 240 km per hour (149 miles per hour) and had a reasonable price," he added.

The Subaru Impreza WRX cars will replace Peugeot's 306 S16 and the Renault Megane Coupe.

The police forces are among the most faithful clients of the local car makers, but this time the French offerings were just too slow.

"These new vehicles will allow the national police to fight the most serious and most dangerous road offences," the Gendarmerie Nationale, part of the defence ministry, said on its Website.

It added that 156 agents would be trained to drive the cars on the Bugatti racing circuit of Le Mans in west France.

The cars are for the rapid intervention brigade (BRI) which previously had vehicles that could not go faster than 190 km per hour, or about 118 miles per hour.

The BRI, spread over the country at 55 stations, will intervene only in case of a crime or serious offence when a driver has to be stopped immediately.

In 2005 there were 53,000 instances of people on the run in cars or refusing to stop at the police's request.

Most European criminals will also no longer be able to claim that they did not understand police instructions in French -- the cars will relay their messages in a light display in five languages -- French, English, German, Spanish and Dutch -- while there is room for three others.

Source

 

[dOmInIX]

Well, you can't expect an ordinary 206 to catch for example 530 or smth like that...

BTW, fu<k the police!

 

[wltsm]

The french police must be pleased, I can't think iof anything good about french cars!

 

[dOmInIX]

I can't think of anything good about french cars!

Probably because you're Brittish.

 

[MikeJ]

Judging by what I've read from British car mags, the 306 S16 (GTI) was one of the best-handling cars in its class. Too bad they're getting old now... anyways, the Subaru is a good choice as well.

 

[Giannis]

at least the new subarus are way better than our Xsaras and Octavias.

 

[wltsm]

Probably because you're Brittish.

Yea, I'm probably quite bias!

 

[bum-man]

That's kind of a slap in the face for Peugeot.

 

[Yperion]

The french police must be pleased, I can't think of anything good about french cars!

So true.

 

[Snake Vargas]

Dominic, I actually like police. Sure, if they bust me for speeding then it'd be unfortunate, but generally it's not because I wasn't speeding in the first place. Without police, there would be many more people doing far worse things than what would really make me comfortable. Instead, I reckon Cops are Tops. They're a valuable part of the community.

Anyhow, I was going to say that the Renaultsport Megane Sport 225 or whatever it's called would have sufficed - until I read it has to be 4WD. Ah well. C'est la vie?

 

[MikeJ]

at least the new subarus are way better than our Xsaras and Octavias.

What's wrong with Octavias? Finnish cops often use Octavias (RS version) as unmarked cars.

 

[dOmInIX]

Dominic, I actually like police. Sure, if they bust me for speeding then it'd be unfortunate, but generally it's not because I wasn't speeding in the first place. Without police, there would be many more people doing far worse things than what would really make me comfortable. Instead, I reckon Cops are Tops. They're a valuable part of the community.

Anyhow, I was going to say that the Renaultsport Megane Sport 225 or whatever it's called would have sufficed - until I read it has to be 4WD. Ah well. C'est la vie?

They are OK, it was just a joke... There would be a big mess without them. But they're not really efficient, at least here, there are still many many crimes, that's sad.

 

[Giannis]

What's wrong with Octavias? Finnish cops often use Octavias (RS version) as unmarked cars.

you are lucky that you have the RS versions, even as unmarked. The local police uses the 1.8T ones. That's the problem. On the other hand the Xcaras that we have are the 1.4lt...
The best cars the greek police ever had were some opels about ten year ago, with more than 200HP

 

[450SEL6.9]

Nice picture, MikeJ. I've always liked the Skoda Octavia, especially the rally version used in the WRC a few years ago. I'm not so crazy on the Fabia.

French police have always used predominantly French cars. This is an older Subaru already in the stale.

http://imageshack.us

Here's a link to a page about past and present French Gendarmerie cars. Look at all the Renaults, Peugeots they used back in the day.
http://www.gign.org/accessoires/vehicules.php

 

[YoungWarrior]

in england we get 150mph vectras for police cars one lotus esprit and a couple M5's oh and theres a few evo 260's around aswell.

 

[MikeJ]

Actually the most common police vehicle here is the VW Transporter, but it's not really suited for high-speed chases:

...but sometimes even when you have something that is better suited for the job, like a Jag S-Type R:

 

[Yperion]

What's wrong with Octavias?

There is nothing wrong of course. BTW i had talkied to a police officer and the Octavia were much more reliable than Xsaras and Astras which the Greek police also uses.

BTW i like the new Octavia very much. More car for less money.

 

[Giannis]

sure the Octavias are nice cars. I like the way their design suits their role. BTW, what i mentioned about the old Opels, i read it in a magazine, i think 4T a long time ago. As for the Astras, there are not many left, like the Xantias.

PS. We have some Jeeps, too. Standard old Cherokees, and old Grand Cherokees, for the "VIPs"

 

[Bozzor]

As soon as you specify high performance 4 door with 4wd at a reasonable price, it's either Mitsubishi Lancer EVO or Subaru WRX. Nothing else on earth can come close to these two cars in terms of bang for the buck or in real world performance in the tight stuff. I know I am going to get yelled at, but in a city situation, with sharp turns and the like, the top spec versions of these two cars would kill a 911 Carrera S, an M3, an M5 and anything by MB. Trust me, they are dynamite in the tight stuff.