- This black-and-white Chevy Camaro SS 1LE has a 6.2-liter V8 and 455 hp.
- It’s been 47 years since the California Highway Patrol got their first Camaro.
- The Chevy Camaro has earned a reputation as a fearsome police interceptor.
Police forces across the U.S. have used Chevrolets to catch criminals for almost 100 years, but the Camaro was among its fiercest offerings. While production of the beloved muscle car ended almost three years ago, Camaros are still being used as police cruisers across the country, including in California.
Taking to Instagram earlier this week, the California Highway Patrol revealed it has just welcomed its final Camaro to the fleet, equipped with all the goodies you’d expect of a police car. It appears to be an SS 1LE model, and while it’s not as exciting as the Corvette used by the Florida Highway Patrol, it should be plenty fast enough to patrol local highways.
Watch: 1981 Chevrolet Camaro Turned Into A Cop Car Using Drug Dealers’ Money
There’s no word on why it’s taken so long for this particular Camaro to join the fleet. It’s possible the CHP took delivery of it a couple of years ago and had simply been storing it, waiting for the right time to deploy it. Alternatively, there’s always the chance that it may have been seized from someone who was using the car during the commission of a crime. Carscoops reached out for more information, and we will update this article when we hear back.
In addition to this Camaro rocking the familiar black-and-white California Highway Patrol livery, it includes flashing red and blue lights in the grille, side skirts, and the roof-mounted light bar. The massive whip antenna is giving off some serious ’70s vibes.
Thanks to a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated LT1 V8 with 455 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque, this Camaro should be able to catch even the most determined of criminals. It also rocks red brake calipers, hinting at the performance on tap.
A Rich Police History
Police forces across the United States have been using Camaros for decades. The California Highway Patrol got its first Camaro, a Z28 no less, in 1979, and tested a fleet of roughly 12 of them before transitioning to Ford Mustangs. In 1991, Chevrolet introduced the B4C Special Service police package for the third-gen Camaro, fitting it with enlarged front and rear sway bars, a higher-powered alternator, as well as improved engine and transmission cooling.
In 2002, fourth-generation Chevy Camaro B4C police cruisers started hitting U.S. roads, equipped with a powerful 5.7-liter all-motor V8. At the time, these Camaros were among the fiercest police interceptors in service.
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