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Mass. Lt. Gov. Murray was unbelted, driving 100 mph while snoozing before crash?

Dan Roth — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:01:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Government/Legal, Ford

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray (Dem) didn't brake or try to steer away from the rock ledge his Ford Crown Victoria was headed for at speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour. That's according to reports stemming from the aftermath of an early morning accident on November 2, 2011 in which Murray's state-owned car left the roadway on Interstate 190 in Sterling, MA, and struck a rock ledge at 92 mph before rolling over. The Massachusetts State Police have released the black box data from the incident, which revealed not only the high rate of speed, but also contradicts prior statements from Lt. Governor Murray that he was wearing a seatbelt and driving around the speed limit.

This particular stretch of Interstate 190, which your author drives five days a week, isn't particularly treacherous, although the region did experience a freak snowstorm just two days prior on Halloween. The storm caused significant damage to trees and power outages were widespread, and Lt. Governor Murray had set out early that morning to assess the damage in the region that serves as his homebase. Massachusetts State Police have concluded after analyzing the black box data that the Lieutenant Governor fell asleep at the wheel, which accounts for the rapid acceleration from a sustained 75 mph to essentially flat-out, as well as the lack of avoidance maneuvers or braking attempts.

At the scene, Lt. Governor Murray asked for a Breathalyzer, which showed there was no alcohol in his system, and in statements since then, he's pledged to reimburse the state for the vehicle. In light of this latest evidence, State Police cited Lt. Governor Murray with a $555 fine, but he managed to avoid further charges including reckless driving. From where we sit, that's a stroke of good fortune, but no more lucky than Murray avoiding serious injuries in the first place.

Mass. Lt. Gov. Murray was unbelted, driving 100 mph while snoozing before crash? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Say ‘goodbye’ to these cars and trucks for the new year

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Sedan, SUV, Crossover, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Volvo, Tesla

As we prepare to flip our calendars from 2011 to 2012, it's time to say goodbye to a handful of vehicles that are being sent to the Great Parking Lot In The Sky before the 2012 model year completely takes hold. And while we're not exactly upset about having to bid farewell to things like the Mitsubishi Endeavor, Mazda Tribute or Chevrolet HHR, there are a few vehicles that we're truly going to miss.

The Mazda RX-8, for example, has grown to be one of our favorite sports cars since its introduction in 2003. We love its lightweight construction, high-revving rotary engine and surprisingly functional suicide door design. It's kind of like a Miata with a roof and rear seats. Speaking of the Miata, Tesla's two-seat Roadster - the automaker's first production vehicle - proved to us that open-top motoring can be thrilling even with a stack of batteries driving the wheels.

We'll miss the Honda Element and its rugged, utilitarian nature. We'll miss the Volvo V50 and its capacious cargo area made for Ikea runs. And we'll really miss those large lords of luxury, the Cadillac DTS and Ford Crown Victoria. We've already said goodbye to the faithful but overripe Ford Ranger, and as ridiculous as the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid was, it was a shockingly good-to-drive electrified crossover.

There are plenty more models that won't be making the journey to the 2012 model year, so have a look at the full list in our attached image gallery, then let us know which ones you'll miss (if any) in the Comments.

Say 'goodbye' to these cars and trucks for the new year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Georgia police car accidentally sold on Craigslist

Zach Bowman — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:02:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Government/Legal, Ford, Police/Emergency

We're not strangers to the allure of Craigslist. The classified ad site is our go-to distraction when it comes time to contemplate our next project vehicle, and we've been tempted by the occasional decommissioned Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor more often than we care to admit. As one Chattanooga, Tennessee man recently found out, those vehicles may be more trouble than they're worth. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Luke Ridings was recently stopped by authorities as he was driving his newly acquired Crown Vic, complete with lights, camera and radar equipment. Ridings said that he bought the vehicle for $4,000 from an individual in Georgia.

The only problem was that the cruiser was supposed to be crushed by a towing company after electrical issues had forced officials in East Ellijay to pull the vehicle from service. At this point, the company is trying to discover how it originally lost track of the doomed Interceptor. Ridings had his slightly used cop car confiscated and was charged with operating an unregistered vehicle as well as underage drinking.

Georgia police car accidentally sold on Craigslist originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #248

Dan Roth — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:36:00 +0000

Filed under: Motorsports, Podcasts, Etc., Chevrolet, Ford, GMC

Targa Newfoundland, Hyundai Veloster, the last Crown Victoria, Chevrolet Caprice PPV

Episode #248 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. This week Chris, Zach, Dan and Chris Paukert talk about the Targa Newfoundland, Hyundai Veloster, the final Ford Crown Victoria, and the Chevrolet Caprice PPV. Your questions and comments power the last third of the podcast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #248:

In the Autoblog Garage
2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD
2012 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert
Runtime: 01:28:04

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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #248

Autoblog Podcast #248 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last Ford Crown Victoria build documented by St. Thomas Assembly

John Neff — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Ford, Police/Emergency, Specialty

Pour a 40 out, dance a dervish or do whatever your people do to celebrate the dead, because yesterday, the final Ford Crown Victoria rolled off the assembly line at St. Thomas Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. Workers from the plant have been documenting the wind-down on a Facebook page, and you can check out some choice build pictures of the last-ever Vicky in our gallery. The final Crown Victoria was a white model with tan interior and optional rear-seat air conditioning for a customer in Saudi Arabia. With the long-serving Lincoln Town Car also ending production, only 250 of the plant's roughly 1,200 workers will be kept through December to help decommission the facility.

On sale for roughly 32 years, the Crown Victoria was a mainstay of the Ford lineup that refused to modernize. Aside from the Lincoln, it was the only rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame sedan left on sale in America. You could get it with a column-mounted shifter. You could order two bench seats and seat six comfortably (front bench seats in passenger vehicles are now officially dead in America). It rode on the oldest continuously produced platform on sale in America, Ford's tough-as-nails Panther platform that was first used back in 1979. Lastly, it always offered a V8 no matter what gas was going for at the corner station. Click through the jump to continue reading...

Continue reading Last Ford Crown Victoria build documented by St. Thomas Assembly

Last Ford Crown Victoria build documented by St. Thomas Assembly originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Taurus Police Interceptor to hit streets with 2013 updates

Chris Shunk — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Work, Ford

2013 Ford Taurus and 2012 Taurus Police Interceptor - Click either image for high-res gallery

The Ford Crown Victoria has been such a valuable asset to police agencies around the U.S. that some municipalities have gone as far as to order extras. The reason? The Crown Vic will be retired at the end of 2011, with a replacement coming in the form of the Taurus Police Interceptor. But with the new 2013 Taurus being shown at the New York Auto Show and Ford already having shown a version of the cruiser based on the 2011 model, which version will the cops get?

USA Today reports that Ford product boss Derrick Kuzak says the Taurus PI will in fact be based off the 2013 model, which includes LED taillights and new front and rear fascias. Beyond cosmetic upgrades, the 2013 Taurus will also receive a 27-horsepower boost from the 3.5-liter V6 (to 290 hp) and an EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbo that boasts highway fuel economy of 31 miles per gallon. The V6-powered EcoBoost Taurus SHO will continue to feature 365 hp.

Since the new Taurus PI will be a 2013 model, will it also offer all three powertrains? We're thinking there might be a few police agencies that would be interested in a more fuel efficient cop car. A 2.0-liter EcoBoost model could save municipalities some bucks, but historically, most departments have shied away from the high-tech and smaller displacement in favor of the less complex and tried-and-true, so we're not sure how well they'd fare in the marketplace. What are your thoughts? Have your say in Comments.

Gallery: 2013 Ford Taurus

Gallery: 2012 Ford Police Interceptor

[Source: USA Today]

Ford Taurus Police Interceptor to hit streets with 2013 updates originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Moab’s Hells Canyon conquered… in a Ford Crown Victoria?!

Chris Shunk — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Videos, Ford

Ford Crown Victoria in Hells Canyon - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Hells Canyon is said to be one of the more challenging off-roading destinations in Moab, Utah. The road-free zone is usually traversed by the likes of a Jeep Wrangler, Hummer H2 or perhaps a Toyota FJ Cruiser, but apparently a trail-capable SUV isn't needed for this lunar rock landscape. Heck, you don't even need four-wheel drive, as one Ford Crown Victoria owner seems to know all to well.

Hit the jump to watch in amazement as an old rear-drive Crown Vic takes on the undulations of Hells Canyon. Almost as impressive is the fact that the owner's dog walks beside the car the entire way, seemingly unconcerned by the rocky hills. The video's music is a bit obnoxious and its camera work shaky, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment of this climbing Panther. Now we know why cops love the Crown Vic so much. Hat tip to Chad!

[Source: Daily Debri]

Continue reading Video: Moab's Hells Canyon conquered... in a Ford Crown Victoria?!

Video: Moab's Hells Canyon conquered... in a Ford Crown Victoria?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fitting Retirement: Grand Marquis last Mercury off the line

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury

The signs have come down and retail production ended back in October of 2010. Now, the very last Mercury model has rolled off the assembly line. This last Mercury somewhat fittingly takes the form of a Grand Marquis reporting for fleet duty. It was built at the St. Thomas plant in Ontario, Canada, which is the same facility that continues to produce the Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car for fleet and livery duty.

St. Thomas' days are numbered, however, as the factory is slated to close on August 31. When it goes, the Panther platform is likely to follow. So long, and thanks for all the ~~fish~~ memories.

[Source: Autoweek]

Fitting Retirement: Grand Marquis last Mercury off the line originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car… barely

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GM, Police/Emergency

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV -- Click above for high-res image gallery

The numbers are in, folks. This year's Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation pitted Ford's Jurassic Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (the new Taurus-based Police Interceptor was reportedly on hand, but its numbers won't be included until next year), Chrysler's 2011 Dodge Charger Police Pursuit model and General Motors' Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish. And let's just say the results are closer than you might think.

For instance, as pointed out by the proud parents at Chevrolet, the Caprice did, in fact, manage to set the best acceleration times to 60 miles per hour and 100 mph. But... and there's always a but... the 2011 Charger was pretty much neck-and-neck with the Caprice. In fact, the Charger was quicker to 20, 40, 50, 70 and 80 mph. So, which one is really quicker? Pretty much a photo finish, if you ask us.

Also, top speeds between the two competitors were within spitting distance: 148 mph for the Caprice and 146 for the Hemi-powered Charger. There's plenty more intriguing data as well, such as the fact that the new Pentastar V6-powered Charger was, on average, almost exactly as fast around the race track as its more powerful V8-powered sibling, and both were about a second behind the Caprice in the lap time derby.

And what of the old stalwart? Ford's age-old Crown Victoria did its best, but was still over two seconds behind at 60 mph and a woeful 10 seconds afield by 100. Top speed for the Vic was 129 (with a 3.27 rear end, which was even slower in acceleration tests than its 3.55-equipped brother), and its lap times were well behind that of the Caprice and Charger.

Braking tests also favored the new Caprice and Charger. Chevy's entry posted a projected 60-0 stopping distance of 128.3 feet and the Charger managed to come to a halt in 133.9 feet (133.2 with the V6). For comparison, the Crown Vic needs 141.6 feet to haul itself down from speed.

One final note: If acceleration is really what an officer is into, perhaps he should consider a switch to two wheels. Kawasaki's Concours 14 ABS Police bike hit 100 mph in under 10 seconds and the BMW R1200 RTP did the deed in under 12. See the complete preliminary testing results here at the link below.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car

[Source: Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation]

Official MSP Numbers: Chevy Caprice is quickest, fastest police car... barely originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: Ex-Bondurant Cobra-engined Roush Ford Crown Victoria [w/video]

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:31:00 +0000

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Performance, Auctions, Videos, Ford, Specialty

Ex-Bondurant Cobra-engined Roush Ford Crown Victoria - Click above for high-res image gallery

We're aching for some seat time in the the new Ford Police Interceptor, but given our choice of flogging one of the new-school bruisers or one of the old-school cruisers, we know which one we'd take. And it just happened to appear on eBay Motors. Used as an ex-Bondurant Driving School car, this 1999 Crown Victoria is just one of eighteen cars built by Roush for Bob Bondurant's school. Number 15, to be precise.

Under the hood sits a 320-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 engine plucked from the 1999 Ford Mustang Cobra. The typical police-issue slushbox has been nixed in favor of the T45 five-speed manual normally reserved for SVT Cobra duty. The front and rear suspension setup features Eibach springs and solid sway bars, and the go-fast action can be brought to a quicker halt thanks to a set of Brembo rotors, Hawk pads and Baer steel-braided brake lines. The car is also fitted with a Corbeau driver's seat and five-point safety harness, four-point harnesses for the other seats and a fully-integrated roll cage. If that isn't enough, this potential super-sleeper has a Halon fire suppression system should things get a little warm in the cabin.

The good news is that you can put this car in your driveway by parting with 20,000 of your hard-earned dollars, or perhaps somewhat less if you're a savvy bidder. The bad news? it's not street legal. It's a purpose-built machine for Bondurant and has never been registered or titled. Track beater anyone?

Hop on over to eBay to see the listing to see the specs and hop the jump to see this big black beast in action.

Gallery: Ex-Bondurant Cobra-Engined Roush Crown Victoria

[Source: eBay Motors | Image: Challenger Motorsports]

Continue reading eBay Find of the Day: Ex-Bondurant Cobra-engined Roush Ford Crown Victoria [w/video]

eBay Find of the Day: Ex-Bondurant Cobra-engined Roush Ford Crown Victoria [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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