Interesting police cars from around the world

As most already know, the Philippine National Police (PNP) employs a large variety of vehicles. Some of the aforementioned include the popular Toyota Vios, Hilux, and Mitsubishi Montero Sport - among others. 

But while there’s no doubt that what the PNP currently uses can do the job effectively in the context of our local setting, our police force’s ability to procure vehicles is no doubt severely limited by what is readily available from brands currently present in the local market. And as shown by the models we’ve listed above, they often rely on popular nameplates that have also established themselves as prime choices for the typical Filipino car buyer. 

In other countries, however, where governments have access to more generous operational budgets, some law enforcement units have fielded a number of fascinating vehicles. So, in celebration of June 17 as “The World Day of International Justice,” let us check out some of the most engrossing police vehicles from around the globe. 

Lamborghini Gallardo, Huracán, Urus

The Italian manufacturer Lamborghini has supplied the Italian State Police with three of its products for quite some time now. To be more exact, the Mediterranean country’s law enforcement office has fielded the Gallardo from 2004-2008, the Huracán from 2014-2017, and the Urus Performante in 2023.

As shared by the Italian marque, the V10-powered, 552-horsepower (hp) Gallardo was used by the Italian police force to patrol the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway, while some were used as rapid organ transport or as support vehicles for emergency medical operations. 

The more modern, 601 hp, V10-engined Huracán, on the other hand, was assigned to the Emilia-Romagna Traffic Police and was likewise used for a critical organ transport.

Meanwhile, the twin-turbo V8-powered, 660 hp Urus Performante was the latest Lamborghini to join the Italian police force as an all-rounder equipped with organ transport equipment, a defibrillator, and a secure weapon storage system. 

Nissan GT-R R35

The police force of the Tochigi Prefecture in Japan received a Nissan GT-R R35 back in 2018. Per the Yokohama-based marque, the aforementioned example of the popular two-door coupe entered service as a patrol vehicle. 

Usually, Japan fields the Toyota Crown as one of its most common police patrol cars. The aforementioned GT-R, however, is a cut above its contemporaries due to its 3.8-liter V6 engine that is capable of producing 562 hp and 637 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque. Backing up its beefy six-cylinder mill is an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system and a dual-clutch automatic transmission. So, as one can imagine, it will make short work of running down perps when necessary. 

In the Philippine market, the latest version of the Nissan GT-R R35 was introduced in 2024, featuring a revised front fascia. 

Here are the basic mechanical specifications of the Nissan GT-R R35 currently sold in the Philippine market: 

Engine	3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 gasoline
Drivetrain	AWD
Transmission	Six-speed dual-clutch automatic with rev-matching
Horsepower	562
Torque	637 Nm
Front suspension	Double-wishbone
Rear suspension	Multi-link
Brakes	Brembo brake system (front and rear discs)

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

At the 11th General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference (GPEC) held in 2020, one of the rides Mercedes-Benz showcased was the E-Class 300 Estate (wagon) emergency vehicle. Currently, the aforementioned model is utilized by various police forces and emergency response units in Europe.  

But while it is immensely cool that modern European police units are using a wagon, the German marque’s local arm currently lacks an option with the said body type. 

In other markets, the latest iteration of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class comes with a plug-in hybrid powertrain with the following basic mechanical specs: 

Model	Mercedes-Benz E-Class 300 e
Engine	2.0-liter inline-4 gasoline
Drivetrain	Rear-wheel-drive
Transmission	Nine-speed automatic
Horsepower	313
Torque	550 Nm
Front suspension	Air body control system
Rear suspension
Brakes	Front and rear discs

Porsche 911 

The fleet of the Austrian police force once included several examples of the iconic 911 sports car equipped with a radio system and all the necessary auxiliary lighting fixtures of a law enforcement vehicle. The said units were primarily used by traffic management units.

Per Porsche, the 911 police units were provided as a temporary loan to the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior. 

However, despite its brief service with the Austrian police, the 911 nameplate has actually served as a traditional patrol vehicle in the European country over the years. As shared by the German manufacturer, one notable example is the 911 Targa from the 1960s to the 1970s.

In the local setting, a Porsche 911 remains an aspirational vehicle for many driving enthusiasts. One of its most powerful trims available in the Philippines is the 911 Turbo S, which utilizes a 3.7-liter twin-turbo flat-six gasoline engine with a maximum churn of 641 hp and 800 Nm of torque. 

See the table below for the basic mechanical specs of the Porsche 911 Turbo S:

Engine	3.7-liter twin-turbo flat-six gasoline
Drivetrain	AWD
Transmission	Eight-speed PDK
Horsepower	641
Torque	800 Nm
Front suspension	Porsche Active Suspension Management
Rear suspension
Brakes	Front and rear discs

Dodge Charger Pursuit

Stellantis-owned Dodge has been producing the Charger Pursuit vehicle since 2006. Since then, the model has been a mainstay in many city or county-based law enforcement units in the United States. 

The latest version of the Dodge Charger Pursuit was rolled out in 2023, and similar to most of the cars listed above, it comes from the factory with the typical red and blue police lighting fixtures. 

Law enforcement in the United States, however, comes with its unique challenges, as such, Dodge has equipped the Charger Pursuit with special equipment that ensures speedy performance, safety, and structural robustness. 

For starters, the police version of the four-door muscle car was kitted out with a “heavy-duty suspension and braking system.” The aforementioned goes along with a frame-mounted public safety-rated push bar mounted directly to its frame. 

As shared by the American carmaker, other notable equipment of the Dodge Charger Pursuit includes: 

• “Police-tuned” steering system
• Ballistic door panels
• Column-mounted shifter
• Heavy-duty cloth bucket seats
• Equipment mounting brackets
• Spot lamp wiring
• “Police-tuned” anti-lock braking system

For its powertrain, the most powerful version of the Dodge Charger Pursuit is propelled by a 5.7-liter V8 HEMI gasoline engine capable of producing up to 370 hp. Power is sent to its rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. 

In the Philippines, the Dodge Charger is available in the R/T Scat Pack Widebody trim, priced at P5.78 million. 

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Many, of course, know of the Dubai Police Force’s opulent selection of hypercars and rugged off-road vehicles. It’s most luxurious law enforcement vehicle by far, however, is a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which was handed over to the agency’s public-facing Tourist Police Department. 

Instead of a stock Cullinan, however, the one that was turned over to the Dubai Police Force back in April 2025 was further modified by Germany-based tuning company Mansory. 

Similar to many other custom Mansory jobs, the said example of the Cullinan was doused with a large helping of carbon fiber components. Plus, its 6.7-liter twin-turbo V12 was provided with a performance tune, upping its maximum output from 563 hp to 610 hp. 

Final thoughts

So, there you have it, our list of the six most interesting police-duty vehicles from around the world. 

Notably, there are many other impressive and interesting police vehicles in operation in various countries around the world. If you think we've missed a particularly eye-catching example, please let us know. 

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