2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV history and test drive review

This week, I had the opportunity to drive Chevrolet’s newest and hottest performance sedan on public streets. Yes, it is cool. No, it is not available in stores. What is this forbidden vehicle that is setting the GM message boards ablaze? I’ll give you a hint--it’s a name you know.

After a 15-year hiatus, Chevrolet is finally bringing the Caprice back to the U.S. lineup. Right now, the plan is to make it available as a police fleet vehicle only for 2011-2012, but there is a decent chance that we could see it in civilian hands eventually. Let’s take a look at the Caprice in a little more depth.

20th Annual National Police Car Convention raids Kansas City.

The Smokeys were thick as bugs on a bumper when the Police Car Owners of America hosted their 20th Anniversary Convention in Kansas City over the Independence Day weekend. Police cars, both real and replica, came from all over the country to tour local landmarks, drive on scenic roads, and show off their public safety sedans.

I've always had a soft spot for police cars. For one thing, I don't believe in movies that don't involve at least one car chase where a minimum of 18 Gran Furys get trashed. But also, my dad had lots of Caprices and Impalas around when I was growing up, and my current car is a '96 Impala SS, all of which have a connection to the police cars that were derived from them.

Here, speeder, speeder. A look at police vehicles, past and present

Police cars have the distinction of being among the most important vehicles on the road, as well as some of the least respected.

Behind the scenes, the men and women behind the wheels of these rolling billboards of law and order are putting their lives on the line everyday to keep the world safe from killers, thieves, and other miscreants. We’d live in a pretty rough world without their service.

More visible, at least to the public, is the police car during traffic enforcement duty. The last thing we need are drivers thinking they can recklessly bomb thorough residential neighborhoods with no regards for the safety of others, and to that end, this is also an important function of the police car. Of course, that noble service can get muddled a bit when you see one of these cars hiding at the bottom of a hill on a lightly traveled roadway, nabbing people that venture five-miles-per-hour over the posted speed limit.

Ford kills off the Model T bloodline for 2011

1955 Ford Crown Victoria

Tonight, CNBC is airing a special called Ford: Rebuilding an American Icon. They’re going to talk about Ford’s business, how they’ve been able to move ahead without taking bankruptcy, and some of the changes they’re making for the future.

At the same time, I have been thinking about the end of an American icon. Of course, Ford builds all kinds of cars and trucks. Mustangs have a great history, F-150s are big sellers, and the Fiesta is getting a lot of buzz. But only one vehicle in the Ford lineup is a direct descendant of the Model T (and technically, even earlier than that)—the Ford Crown Victoria. And after the 2011 model year, that branch of the family tree will finally end once the Crown Vic is discontinued.