The number 1 supplier of gas to the US is Canada- not the middle east as most people think. Mexico is the #2 source.

13% of all gas consumed in the US is from Canada.

 

Paul,
GM is indeed trying hard to get into the Police car market, but not with a car built in the USA. They are looking at the Australian designed and built Holden Statesman, a longer wheelbase luxury version of the top selling Australian car, the Holden Commodore. See if you can find a Pontiac G8, it's a left hand drive version of the Holden Commodore. That will give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Holden have been selling the top level Commodore, the Calais, but built in Australia left hand drive, to the middle east, where the wealthy like the good road dynamics of the rear wheel drive platform. It is sold there as a Chevrolet Lumina. It was also sold in North America as a Pontiac G8 until the Pontiac name was shut down.

The long wheelbase luxury Holden Statesman Caprice is also sold in the middle east as a Chevrolet Caprice, also in LHD. This is the platform that GM is using to entice the local law enforcement agencies.

Built LHD, many of the "luxury" items are omitted for police work. Rubber mats in the rear, specially designed seats with cut-outs for sidearms, twin batteries to power all of the law enforcement computers and radios, etc. With a Holden designed IRS and a race developed strut front end, the car handles like a dream in any conditions.

Several of the Police forces that have driven the Holden in the USA have raved about how superior the car is compared to the Crown Victoria and want their departments to purchase the Holden. It will, however, be marketed as a Chevrolet. It is powered by the familiar LS6 engine, although a V6 engine is available in the Australian car, and possibly as a "plain Jane" FBI car in the USA.

The US Police departments have the potential to purchase 70,000 cars per annum, which would be double what the Holden plant in South Australia knocks out annually, but it is unlikely that a single order that big would be delivered. Holden has a LHD line for the middle east cars, and from memory only works one shift per day, but that could be doubled and maybe tripled if needed.

If the Police departments choose wisely, that would mean billions of dollars of income to the Australian automobile manufacturing industry, and bear in mind that the engines and transmissions will be made in Canada/USA and shipped by the container load to Australia, so plenty of jobs would be created in your country as well.

Ford can only offer the insipid Taurus or an SUV, Chrysler the Charger/Challenger or possibly the 300, none of which can hold a candle to the Holden Commodore in handling, braking and good old reliable US grunt under the bonnet.

Hopefully, the decision will be made over your winter, and a bright economic future for both your countries and Australia will take place.

Regards from Down Under.

aussiejohn

 

We already have some of the new Chevy Caprices as well as just about everything else imaginable.
The vast majority are Chargers but maintenance costs are far too high.
The Caprice fleet and PPV are rumored to possibly be made in Oshawa as well as Australia since it is the same zeta platform as the current Camaro.
The skirting C.A.F.E. rules are probably the deciding factor.

Here is a link to the recent Broward bid sheet. Note the many different vehicles including Camaro, Cruz and Traverse.
http://sheriff.org/about_bso/admin/p...VY%20FINAL.pdf

 

Now that just ain't right.

I expect law enforcement cars to have some intimidation factor. This car has none. Other than the word "sheriff" on the side, it doesn't even command respect.

 

We probably shot at your relatives in 1812 !

Bill