British Midlands police acquire new motorway patrol car McLaren MP4 12C

"Svend" (svend) 01/11/2014 at 14:13 • Filed to: None

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As the title says, the British Central Motorway Group have taken delivery on a new patrol car. A lovely Battenberg livery McLaren MP4 12C.

It will be used to promote road safety and to patrol sections of motorway in the Midlands.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/01/11/now…

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Abu Dhabi.

Edit: The car will almost certainly be donated or lease to the police for patrol use and promotional use not only by the police but also McLaren.

Taz1829 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:22

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Whilst the country, and citizens, are busy making cut backs, AND MY TOWN HAS TO USE PROTONS AND BASE ASTRAS, spending like this is still allowed? Yeah... Rubs it in my face when we see the Lexus ISF Police car, M3's and EVO X's drive through town.

Dubai can afford to buy fast cars. The U.K. well, can't.

Taz1829 > Taz1829 01/11/2014 at 14:23

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Maybe I'm wrong, a comment on the Metro article says the car was supplied for free. Hm

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:27

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That's a spider.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:27

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Okay

ArtifactsinMotion > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:27

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Who gets to decide Police budgets? Because if I lived in a town where my tax dollars were going to buying super cars for cops to toy around in, I would riot. "It will be used to promote road safety and to patrol sections of motorway..." Bull. It will be used to "legally" zip around at the expense of the people who provide their paychecks.

Johnny Utah > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:28

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There are definitely more effective and efficient ways to get across the message of driver safety. From a marketing and PR standpoint its a nice move but I don't really see any practical purpose for it. The people that might react to a gimmick like this are probably not the most skilled drivers to begin with. I guess at the least you can attract and inform the younger kids who would be drawn to something like this. Start impressing the importance of motorway safety before they are even able to get behind the wheel.

Taz1829 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:31

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Author, please update the article to mention this was supplied by Mcclaren for free, to raise awareness rather than to use as a pursuit car...

TamerlaneBlog > Taz1829 01/11/2014 at 14:31

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I'm pretty sure it's either on loan from McLaren or donated by McLaren. McLaren gets publicity and a tax write-off. The police did not have to pay for it.

lucky's pepper > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:32

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That rather puts my Charger to shame.

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:32

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On a side note, I'm thinking that's a way better police livery than the ol' American black-and-white.

Svend > Taz1829 01/11/2014 at 14:34

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Edited. It has been donated for costs, to promote road safety and for patrol use.

KirkyV > Taz1829 01/11/2014 at 14:38

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There's no way they could've actually brought it. I imagine McLaren gave/lent them it for the publicity and, perhaps, if you're feeling optimistic, the sheer coolness of it.

baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalls > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:39

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McLaren, please note that I am also currently accepting donations of 12Cs.

cesariojpn > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:40

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Will maybe appear in a episode of Motorway Cops this year.....

Svend > Taz1829 01/11/2014 at 14:41

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Most police forces lease their cars, the ones that are bought are bought at much better than cost price. The leases usually are more expensive than the forces buying the cars.

I had a cost brake down of Cumbria Constabularies vehicle costs for 2012 and to say I was annoyed would be an understatement. This vehicle though the actual cost of the car if bought would be considerably higher than the average patrol car is in fact cheaper than all over police cars in that other than the fuel the cost is met by the manufacturer.

Vie Ventar > Taz1829 01/11/2014 at 14:43

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Do you really think any department could have afforded this even before the current incompetents got their hands on the Austerity Axe?

It's a common thing for sports/supercar makers to supply single vehicles to departments for promotional use. Devon and Cornwall for example had a Lotus Evora for a while, supplied free of charge by Lotus.

It's great adverting for the car company, and gets positive attention for the police's activities.

Svend > With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username 01/11/2014 at 14:46

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The Battenberg livery is quite a pleasant livery. Ambulances are green and yellow check with fire appliances being red and yellow check with VOSA (Department of Transport/Vewhicle & Operator Services Agency (aka police-wanna-be's)) being black and yellow check.

Iwaswonderofwonders > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:47

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American cops need to step their game up.

Beeblebrox237 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:48

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Hmm, only problem is that to see this car requires going to the midlands. Not worth it.

mr_gofast > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:52

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maybe now they can update this drive attempt and see how fast it would take now. with a mp4 12c

Svend > cesariojpn 01/11/2014 at 14:55

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It's certainly a change from driving the big truck (was it a Scania?) catching truck drivers not paying attention to the road and using their mobile phones. Did you see the one where he pulls over a truck driver to find he's way over the drink/drive limit and was in fact drinking at the wheel. That one was a real shocker.

CitroenBX > Svend 01/11/2014 at 14:57

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I hope Officer Potatohead can drive it better than his colleagues in Manchester can drive a Golf R...

Svend > mr_gofast 01/11/2014 at 15:03

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It would never happen. The fastest way now is by helicopter. Though the air ambulance (HEMS) do drive Subaru Impezas, Skoda Octavia VRSs, etc...

Svend > CitroenBX 01/11/2014 at 15:06

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I hear you. Cumbria Constabulary wrote of £80,000 worth of cars a few years back, though they have two new Subaru Imprezas now. We'll see how long they last.

Seitz > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:06

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I will never ever get the point of having high-speed performance sports/supercars as police vehicles.

"Hey, that man is speeding at a dangerous pace that will endanger other motorists and possibly cost innocent lives...let's chase after him at the exact same pace he is going"

EDIT: I understand that IN THIS CASE, this is not a patrol vehicle, my point, however, still remains.

cesariojpn > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:07

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Here we go. The episode the guy above me is mentioning.

F1guy hates duck billed F1 cars > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:09

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I remember the California Highway Patrol got Camaro's a few years back. Even saw on the road recently.

As an aside, am I the only one that can't call the car the "12C?" I'm so used to "MP4-12C" that without the "MP4" prefix, I feel lost.

F1guy hates duck billed F1 cars > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:09

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I remember the California Highway Patrol got Camaro's a few years back. Even saw on the road recently.

As an aside, am I the only one that can't call the car the "12C?" I'm so used to "MP4-12C" that without the "MP4" prefix, I feel lost.

duffman1 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:14

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The Police had a Lotus Evora a few years back for the same promotional job, doubt they ever get used for actual work instead the Police seem to rely on 5 series and Vauxhall Vectras these days...

mr_gofast > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:16

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at the risk of sounding silly - what was teh first car in that video anyway..i know it was a range rover in behind but not sure what the coupe was/is

Svend > Seitz 01/11/2014 at 15:17

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Much of it is to raise awareness of why the vehicle is their and also to act as a deterrent (even if a token one) to car thieves, unlicenced or uninsured drivers.

Though it doesn't often seem so, police chases are governed quite strictly and many are chased till either it becomes too much of a danger to them or the public or the driver pulls up and surrenders. If they drove one litre Fiestas, I dare say more would be tempted to risk it and take off from the police, leading to more of their friends seeing them getting away with their offence and thinking 'I'll give it a go now I've seen how easy it is to evade the police'.

DasWolf13 > Iwaswonderofwonders 01/11/2014 at 15:24

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No they don't save me the fuel bill having them sit around looking for speeders and patrolling in stop go traffic.

JimSlade > lucky's pepper 01/11/2014 at 15:26

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Yea but the police chargers are mean! If you're a pd thanks for what you do!

Svend > mr_gofast 01/11/2014 at 15:28

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The first one is a Rover SD1 with the orange/red stripe on (aka jam sandwich) with the one that pulls in behind it with the yellow stripe (aka lemon curd) is a Ford Granada mk3.

Svend > cesariojpn 01/11/2014 at 15:30

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Cheers fella. It defies belief just how over the limit he was but seemed okay. Definate alcoholic.

bobrayner > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:31

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There have been several news articles about UK police driving tall trucks in order to catch truckers using mobile phones &c. Often it looks like they'd bought some dirt-cheap tractor at auction (which might not have a long life until it fails emissions regs). Other times it looks like a publicity stunt involving the local truck dealer who had something on the forecourt which wasn't selling straight away.

Maybe they get used for a short while but I can't see it being sustainable in the fleet of most police forces. This one was used for a couple of weeks and they milked it for all the publicity they could get.

cesariojpn > mr_gofast 01/11/2014 at 15:32

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http://www.ukemergency.co.uk/index.php?opti…

bobrayner > mr_gofast 01/11/2014 at 15:34

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Looks like an SD1...?

Svend > duffman1 01/11/2014 at 15:35

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There was also a Ford RS200.

alan666 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:39

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Lots of free advertising & media coverage.

Job done for the people at McLaren PR department.

lucky's pepper > JimSlade 01/11/2014 at 15:41

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Thanks! It is the best work car I've ever had. After 12 years of Crown Vics, I really had to adjust my driving because there is sooooo much more power on tap, and it's there right off idle. That Chrysler 5.7 liter is a fantastic engine.

JimSlade > lucky's pepper 01/11/2014 at 15:48

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However. The car fan/little kid in me would like to take a police package crown Vic to about 50 acres of flat open farm and just hoon the hell out of it!

The dodge cars just look nasty...the crown Vic was pretty common. But seeing the chargers...especially the ones I saw in fl. Really look like you're in trouble if they're filling up your rear view mirror!

seriouslywhyiskinjastillterrible > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:52

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but where do the crims go?? this is why they need that fleet of rolls.

Svend > bobrayner 01/11/2014 at 15:53

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The one used in Motorway Cops was a lease truck. It had a private plate E6EGR which is one of several registered Scania demonstrators also used for short lease use.

Hey11111111111111111 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 15:56

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Börk, börk!

lucky's pepper > JimSlade 01/11/2014 at 16:02

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You should pick an old one up at auction. I've seen them go for almost nothing and I wouldn't be afraid to own a used LE Vic because they are damn near in destructible. My first, a '94 that was ragged out when they handed it to me, didn't die till the floor covering caught fire from the exhaust. There was a rust hole in the passenger floor board. Was on a traffic stop, left the cruiser idling, looked back and it was full of smoke. That thing had 100k+. We've got a couple left now and they all have over 100k and they still run well.

Dabamash > ArtifactsinMotion 01/11/2014 at 16:14

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It was free

edlovessabarth > Svend 01/11/2014 at 16:15

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Your right whatever the incident the quickest way to respond is helicopter, no point having a McLaren if traffic doesn't move out of the way. I always thought the air ambulance Subaru's were as a result of them needing something fairly fast that could carry their stuff but that they could also use as a DD.

Nitzer Ebblestone > Svend 01/11/2014 at 16:23

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This car will be used for maximum hoonage by PC McSmirky no doubt. Plod can't be Plod with seriously tasty motors!

Nitzer Ebblestone > Svend 01/11/2014 at 16:26

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Petrol use more like. They still have to insure, maintain and run the spendy thing. Or are McLaren taking car of all that too?

mr_gofast > Svend 01/11/2014 at 16:26

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thanks for the ID :) it had stumped me for a while

Nitzer Ebblestone > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 01/11/2014 at 16:28

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That's just rubbing sand in the wound!

Svend > edlovessabarth 01/11/2014 at 16:28

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HEMS aka London Air Ambulance are advanced medics and use the cars when either the helicopters are all being used, the helicopters are grounded due to poor weather, the incident is relatively close by or a major incident has been called. Ambulance cars or motorbikes are sometimes used all over the country when incident response times may by delayed and doctor or paramedic assistance is urgently needed.

From my time on the ambulances I've seen a massive variety of vehicles used for not just ambulance, but police and fire service use. Pretty much if a vehicle can be utilised for frontline use, use it.

Check out ukemergency.co.uk for just how varied some of these vehicles can be, from basic to specialised, from promotional to 'what on earth'.

edlovessabarth > Svend 01/11/2014 at 16:37

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Wow thanks for the info! I've always been curious about this sort of thing since a guy who used to live one street along from me drove an Impreza in full battenburg livery, I think he was a medic but I never stopped to ask him about it.

Svend > mr_gofast 01/11/2014 at 16:39

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No worries. I had to watch it again as I was thinking it was a Vauxhall Senator from memory, memory isn't what it used to be. Lol.

duffman1 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 16:51

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Now that is an awesome promotion Police car.

dr861 > Svend 01/11/2014 at 16:59

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If it's donated fine. But I just don't get when police dept.'s all over get these quarter million dollar super cars. You want to give the cops something fast on the street but affordable, get them a new camaro or corvette or something. Anything more than 460 hp isn't really usable on the street, even in a chase situation. Yes, you can get a large boost on the highway but how long will that last? And if that's what your concerned about, than go and slap a supercharger on it. Problem solved, and for less than half the price of an mp4-12c.

DarrenGriffin > mr_gofast 01/11/2014 at 17:17

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The car in that video was a Rover SD1, normally 3500cc V8 powered.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_SD1

schwartz > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/11/2014 at 17:18

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When they put the top down does it go into undercover mode?

Seitz > Svend 01/11/2014 at 17:24

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Well, let me be clear. I understand that the UK likes to use those little Astra Diesels, and I agree that it would be more tempting to run away from those. (Now, what I understand is the Astras are used only in cities, not expressways/dual carriage ways/whatever the term is in the UK, which in my opinion is a good idea, as any chase in downtown London is not going to be exceeding the speeds a Diesel economy car is capable of)

However, in the US at least, the use of a mid-ranged vehicle (Caprice, Crown Vic, Taurus) seems perfect, as they exceed the performance of the average car on the road, but are a relatively cheap package.

BigGatorChris > Svend 01/11/2014 at 18:27

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Feel safer, Britons?

e_dash > Svend 01/11/2014 at 18:28

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I've always wondered who on the police force decides which officers get 5-series wagons to drive around compared to bog standard Vauxhall.

MFEJAL grey because who knows... > lucky's pepper 01/11/2014 at 18:47

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Hello! I was a trooper in New Mexico, and now I'm retired, moving a family of two adults and two princesses. My new boss call me The Ogre. He promise me he will keep me till I die.

Svend > e_dash 01/11/2014 at 18:56

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Invariably the 5 Series estates/wagons are are further south in the country and are ANPR vehicles with pursuit trained officers or ARV units (armed response). Lower powered (but still functional) vehicles are used as Area Cars that either operate in a small catchment area or for other non high speed policing. They may still get into a situation where 'blues and twos' are required to stop a vehicle of give chase till a pursuit trained driver can take over (at which point they will be asked to follow behind safely).

dmcspeedy > Svend 01/11/2014 at 19:14

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Aka the Traffic Wombles.

dmcspeedy > Svend 01/11/2014 at 19:19

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Isn't it just the McLaren 12C now?

86it > Svend 01/11/2014 at 21:20

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Why on earth would they get the roadster version? Does the light bar come off? If not, how do they put the top down with the light bar on it? Why not just get the fixed roof version? WHY????

86it > Svend 01/11/2014 at 21:20

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Why on earth would they get the roadster version? Does the light bar come off? If not, how do they put the top down with the light bar on it? Why not just get the fixed roof version? WHY????

justpete > mr_gofast 01/11/2014 at 21:40

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Wait! What the hell is a 71Poncho T/A doing in London?!? Tell me I'm not the only one to notice this! 14:09 in the vid. White/ Blue 455 T/A

Rich J > Svend 01/11/2014 at 22:11

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Fire appliance sounds like a toaster gone wrong.

ArtifactsinMotion > Dabamash 01/11/2014 at 22:15

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And who will pay maintenance costs?

d3v > lucky's pepper 01/11/2014 at 23:20

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Don't worry, the test of their fleet consists of FWD Vauxhalls.

Svend > Rich J 01/12/2014 at 01:20

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Would that not be 'appliance fire'. :) Ye', it does sound odd to say it but generally they are referred to as appliances though some say the tender or fire engine is an appliance and the cars are merely staff cars or fire investigators, etc...

KruleWorlder > Seitz 01/12/2014 at 02:42

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@seltz, i agree. They could have gotten 10 astra diesels for the price of that thing. and i'm sure the police could have USED 10 more astra.

btw, they use mitsubishi and subaru for the motorway.

They did the same thing here with a porsche.

refill > Svend 01/12/2014 at 05:25

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Arresting people with no back seat must be good fun.

Do they just ductape the badguys to the roof?

ccc40821 > Svend 01/12/2014 at 06:04

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But does it have a four hundred and forty cubic inch cop motor, cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks and can it run on regular gas?

Apollon > Svend 01/12/2014 at 06:41

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Need for Speed , anyone?

Benson > mr_gofast 01/12/2014 at 07:28

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Rover SD1. RWD, V8 and feckin awsome.

Svend > refill 01/12/2014 at 07:55

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Lol. No standard procedure would require another vehicle to take the individual away (if necessary as most stuff is done at the side of the road in the form of tickets or 'producers' to present your vehicle or documents for inspection at a police station). Many motorway groups would rather their marked and unmarked cars actually be out on the road 'hunting'. But again things vary such as number of people detained, state of people detained and whether other vehicles and officers are available.

123456 > Svend 01/12/2014 at 08:25

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Misleading title much?

It's not a real police car in any way. It's a promo vehicle.

Dabamash > ArtifactsinMotion 01/12/2014 at 08:48

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On a car that most likely spends its life on the back of a flatbed? Anyway, the police budget is the police budget. They get a set amount every year and spend it how they wish. It's not like this is costing taxpayers any more than before.

Svend > 123456 01/12/2014 at 08:55

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The Midlands Police have possession of a car in police livery to be driven by police officers. Not sure how misleading 'The British Midlands police acquire new police car a McLaren MP4 12C' is then. Quotes from the article,
"The car is not practical for daily patrol use" (ie for driving through city streets chasing people), so "Instead, the car will be used on Britain’s motorways by officers from the Central Motorway Group in the Midlands." (Ie on large open roads and motorways where the speed of a performance vehicle could be better utilised rather than a Vauxhall Astra 5dr (which are great for daily patrol use in the city)).
So no, title isn't misleading, only the article misread and misunderstood.

Bluecold > dmcspeedy 01/12/2014 at 09:05

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Yes it is. On one hand, I applaud them for listening to critique. On the other hand, I would also like them to have a little bit more faith in themselves. Just say 'fuck you, this car is bestest and we will call it any damn way we like and we will enjoy watching you squirm when you pronounce it"

refill > Svend 01/12/2014 at 11:25

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Ok, thanks!

Still, cannot be very practical..

"We are giving up pursuit, the suspect has entered a residential area with SPEED BUMPS!"

ohh-75 > schwartz 01/12/2014 at 11:58

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Other way around. When the top goes up they are under cover.

123456 > Svend 01/12/2014 at 15:00

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Do you think they have taken this car and had it certified for emergency vehicle response use, so that they can use the blue lights on it?

No, it's a promotional tool so that people will easilier approach and talk to the police about the dangers of road related crime.

Svend > refill 01/12/2014 at 19:02

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Lol. But often other pursuit vehicles will hunt in packs as it were to corner the the suspect or narrow down his options keeping him/her in a 'sterile environment' where they can continue commentary for video evidence and hopefully keep it away from built up areas. Policing has so many variables the public don't even think about that when it's explained you suddenly experience that 'oh ye', I didn't think of that'.

Svend > 123456 01/12/2014 at 19:15

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Vehicle certification as you say is an ambiguous area. Do you think the Lotus in the U.K. Of Lamboghini in Italy or the Spykey (which was a roadster) in The Nederlands was practical? To us, no! But it was a tool to raise awareness and once those blue lights went on, stopped the suspect vehicle. A vehicle of this calibre is just as bad for transporting suspects as a Prius is at chasing a Corvette on a motorway. It's not necessarily about the vehicle but the person operating it.
Do you think that getting caught speeding will get you off if you said "but officer, your driving a Toyota Camry, therefore I don't accept I was speeding?", no, because you'd be in cuffs before you had the chance to say "I'm a little teapot short and stout, here's my handle, here's my spout".

firefoxUSSR > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 01/13/2014 at 09:42

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Yes it's clearly a 12C Spider. MP4-12C is the old coupe.

123456 > Svend 01/13/2014 at 20:33

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You don't get it do you.

If you want to use the blue lights on a vehicle on a public road you have to have it registered as an emergency vehicle. The Gallardo's in Italy are registered as emergency vehicles. This is just an ordinary 12C with some stickers on it. They cannot pull people over with the car or use it on normal patrol.

Svend > 123456 01/13/2014 at 21:37

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I'm now going to argue, but please read the whole article.
"The specially-adapted two-seater", now although it doesn't go into specifics, you have to be pretty daft to think it only mean't adding stickers and a light bar.
Getting approval to use a vehicle for front line use can be as simple as adding a light bar and a siren. I know as I've been in a fast response ambulance which consisted of a Ford Focus estate with a suction mounted light bar with built in two tone sirens and a hand control that plugs into a 12v socket on the dashboard.

Spears > Svend 01/14/2014 at 05:00

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"A police spokesman confirmed the car was on loan from McLaren for the motor show and would not be used on the roads." Doesn't that part of the article clear it up?

Svend > Spears 01/14/2014 at 09:09

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To be honest. I find that raises further questions as to why they would say it would and wouldn't. I'd love to know exactly then as to who has overall authority then. I'm aware two other cars have been donated, one from BMW (is it the i3 or something?) Which were solely for the show but text for this one, even from other sources have said this will get used on motorways. This is going to bug me know. Thanks for replying.

Spears > Svend 01/14/2014 at 09:49

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I couldn't see much saying it was for anything other than the show. The Exige they had in Sussex was just for looks too, used to turn up around bike meets but wasn't allowed to actually pull anyone.