Just to touch on this, they started the F-150's as a pilot project, and are slowly switching all the Explorer SUV's to the pickups because, and this is what the news article said...
- Apparently the F-150's cost less to buy, and are more fuel-efficient than the Explorers (not sure to how much of an extent this is true, but I guess it could be partly due to the fact that AB gets large inventories of pickups compared to SUV's)
- Higher ride height, allowing the officers to have a better view of the road ahead
- And apparently the rank and file liked the trucks because they have more interior room, especially considering all the gear the cops cram into their vehicles
That's what I remember, but I'd have to dig up the news story to see exactly what it said.
I don't know think the ride height is customizable on these cars, it's usually fairly standard.
CPS and LRPS use exactly the same model for their new vehicles, they both have black wheels (standard from Ford), and the color schemes are both black and white, so I don't really understand your point. That being said, however, I will admit that the push bumper gives it that 'nose down' look.
Lethbridge
Lethbridge (high res, but rear view only)
Calgary
Calgary (before the push bumper was installed)
I can see how the push bumper affects the look...and to be honest, I don't really know why they installed them. The only logical explanation I can think of is that it makes it easier to mount the extra lights and the siren speaker on the front of the car.
CPS has a no-pursuits policy, and I don't see why the brass would allow cops to smash up the bumpers of their brand new cars by PIT'ing a fleeing car.
btimbit outlined the reasons for the switch...while someone may have seen "looking badass" as a side benefit, I don't believe for a second that they actually
intended to scare people.
Like btimbit said, there wasn't much opposition to this when the pilot project started. In fact, the only reactions I read at the time were positive ones...and these were news and Facebook comments, lol. But as soon as we hear about rifles being left in personal vehicles or a suspect being shot by police, all of a sudden, they're robocops with intimidating vehicles.
Aside from the push bumper on the front, how is a CPS Interceptor more aggressive-looking than an LRPS one? They're both black with white doors, are they not?
We could go back and forth on this forever, and never reach a consensus. This is probably the stupidest thing to argue over...although the internet has done worse!
