mmarshall

This may (?) be at least a partial re-post, but here's some more signs that GM is serious about bringing out a new V8, RWD Caprice sedan. A police package is in the works. The photo in the article suggests (but the article doesn't actually verify) that it will be, like the Pontiac GTO and G8, a reworked Australian Holden platform.

http://autos.aol.com/gallery/future-police-cars/

Chevy's police package will officially go on sale in June of 2011. Ordering for detective-spec cars will commence in October of this year, while those officers looking forward to the police package will need to wait until next January to place their orders. The new Caprice will feature a rather traditional layout, with seating for two officers in the cushy front seats and two less lucky individuals (I like the way they worded that) in the rear behind a full-width partition. Motivation comes from a 355-horsepower, 6.0-liter V8 engine driving the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.

geko29

I'm pretty sure GM has announced on more than one occasion that there will be no consumer version of the Caprice PI--it's to be special order by police departments and other LE agencies only. It is, in fact, based on the same Holden platform (the Commodore) as the now-retired G8.

mmarshall

Yes.....the photoshots strongly suggest a Holden-derived platform. The relation to the Commodore/G8, as you note, is very strong.......I saw the relationship immediately. I wouldn't be surprised, though, to see a civilian version if the demand is strong enough, though the upcoming CAFE regs, in a few more years, may make it difficult for GM to market it, especially with that big V8.

IS-SV

Are these things known to be durable?

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

This is wishful thinking on my part of course, but If they do bring this car to the American public, I would love to see Ford bring the Falcon!!

mmarshall

Consumer Reports (which you and I, admittedly, both respect) gives the Pontiac G8 (its closest U.S.-market version so far) an average reliability rating. A few weakness were noted in the fuel and audio-systems. Of course, a number of components on the Caprice cop-versions are presumably different (and with possibly different reliability) than we may (?) see on a general, acorss-the-board civilian version.

mmarshall

A little off-topic, maybe, but how about THIS version of the Falcon? Shades of the old Ranchero. GM had a U.S.-market version of the Pontiac G8 slated to be a Sporttruck like the Ranchero (and El Camino), but, of course, that got dumped with Pontiac's demise. Chevy, though, could (?) still revive it.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

^^^ I like'em, not sure how the American public would accept it (much like the Chevy SSR). Definitely a niche model. Almost like a lowslung offspring of a Ford SVT lightening meets Subaru Baja

IS-SV

Thanks for looking this up. Yes I respect CR (from a automotive standpoint) only for the automotive reliabiilty data.

nthach

FWIW, the Commodore is used by the NSW/Queensland Police when I was there years ago. Although the 1990s weren't the best decade for Holden. The newer Commodores had a little Opel input in their platform, as they are part of GM's Zeta platform. And GM imports them to the Middle East as well - and we know how hard they drive their cars