5 Wildest Police Cars That Served on Public Roads

As the world started swapping horse-drawn carriages for automobiles, police forces also started using this new mode of transportation.

Believe it or not, the first police car was actually an electric vehicle. Built by engineer Frank Loomis, the wagon started patrolling the streets of Akron, Ohio, in 1899 and had a battery range of 30 miles (48 km).

As decades went by, more Police departments across the country and the world started using cars for patrol duties. However, in the first part of the 1900s and even today, the vast majority of police cars are powered by internal combustion engines - for (still) obvious reasons.

All around the globe, cruisers are specially-prepared versions of the standard, mass-produced passenger cars.

Nevertheless, some select police departments have received some very special cars based on exotic models.

Ferrari 250 GT/E

Back in the 1960s, the Italian capital, Rome, had a high crime rate "thanks" to mafia-related activities.

The local gangsters' encounters with law enforcement usually ended with a car chase, and since the perpetrators usually drove a high-performance sports car, the local police officers in their four-cylinder-powered Alfa Romeos couldn't keep up.

In a meeting with his officers, the Rome Police chief asked what they needed to catch the criminals, and Armando Spatafora, a highly-regarded member of the force jokingly responded, "A Ferrari!"

A few weeks later, Spatafora and three other colleagues were surprised to learn they were selected to go to Maranello for high-speed training because the department would receive not one but two Ferraris.

The Prancing Horse that became a police interceptor was the gorgeous 250 GT/E. Powered by a V12 rated at 237 hp, the Pinninfarina-bodied grand tourer became Ferrari's first large-volume production four-seater.

Both cars delivered to the Rome Police in 1963 were painted black and donned a roof-mounted beacon. One was destroyed in a crash shortly after it went into service, but Spatafora's soldiered on for six years and became the Rome underworld's worst nightmare.

Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4

The Ferrari 250 GT/E may have been the first, but it was certainly not the last exotic to take on police duties in Italy.

In 2004, Lamborghini, along with an independent organization, donated two modified Gallardos to the Polizia Stradale, Italy's highway patrol department. The cars were used during several emergencies, most notably transporting organs destined for transplantation.

Unfortunately, both cars were totaled during high-speed chases, so in 2014, Lamborghini replaced them with the Gallardo's successor.

Still in service today, the police Lambo features a 602-hp V10 that enables it to sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in 3.4 seconds.

It does a unique light blue paint with police decals and has a long list of specific gear, such as a police computer, recording equipment, weapon holsters, or a refrigerated "frunk," so it can continue assisting with urgent organ deliveries.

Nissan GT-R

During the last four decades, some of the coolest police cars in the world could be found in Japan.

The country's law enforcement agencies were treated to Nissan sports cars like Skyline GT-Rs, Silvias, or 370Zs, but unquestionably, the wildest police vehicle to roam Japanese roads was the R35 GT-R.

The car was gifted to the Tochigi Prefecture Police in 2018, when the Nissan Kaminokawa, Tochigi plant (where the GT-R is built) celebrated 50 years of operations.

With all the required police equipment and 565 hp on tap, the GT-R joined the highway patrol fleet, terrorizing anyone who dared to exceed the speed limit.

Apart from highway duties, the stunning police car was also used for public relations appearances within the local community and became Japan's most famous police car.

A police version of the GT-R was also used in Dubai, the Middle-Eastern city that's home to the wildest police cars in the world.

Lykan Hypersport

Since we mentioned the Middle East, the next entry on our list is actually the first hypercar ever produced in the region.

Developed by W Motors, an Emirati sports car company founded in Lebanon, the Lykan Hypersport is best known for its appearance in the Furious 7 film.

Powered by a Porsche-based, RUF-engineered, twin-turbocharged flat-six rated at 750 hp, the mid-engine beast is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 2.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 242 mph (389 kph).

As the Dubai Police became famous worldwide for adding some of the most breathtaking hypercars to their fleet, their counterparts in Abu Dhabi decided to one-up them by commissioning W Motors to build them a Lykan Hypersport for highway duties.

The car received a special livery and specific equipment, becoming the only one of the seven Hypersports ever built to serve as a police interceptor.

Bugatti Veyron

Despite Abu Dhabi's efforts, the place where you can find the word's wildest cop cars remains Dubai.

Over the last twenty years, their fleet has welcomed iconic cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, McLaren MP4-12C, Audi R8, and Lamborghini Aventador, to name a few.

However, the wildest, most famous police car in Dubai (and the world) is unquestionably the Bugatti Veyron.

Added to the insane lineup in 2013, the 987-hp hypercar was unveiled at the Dubai Tour cycling event after the local police teased citizens with a rendering posted on social media.

Used to discourage local hypercar owners from exceeding the speed limit, the Veyron earned the Dubai police a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for owning the fastest police car in the world.