An American sheriff has ignored SUV patrol cars like the daggy Ford Explorer and instead purchased for his police department a small fleet of V8 Mustang GTs.
Sheriff for Richland County, South Carolina, Leon Lott presented 17 brand new S650-generation Mustang GTs to his deputies this month, intended to help foster stronger relationships with the local community.
The brand new vehicles are each decked out in black-and-white US police regalia and powered by 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8s. The vehicles are US-spec GT Fastbacks with 18-inch wheels and 10-speed automatic transmissions, with at least 353kW and 563Nm from the Miami V8.
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The cars will be used by the department’s Community Action Team (CAT) to patrol local neighbourhoods.
“These cars draw attention,” Lott told The State newspaper. “These are hot cars. Kids and adults see them and like them, and then come up to the car and start talking to the deputy. That’s done on purpose to attract people to the vehicle, the deputy, (where we tell them) who we are and what we do.”
An elected official, Sheriff Lott first gained office in 1996 and created CAT in 1998, which intends to build community relationships and “prevent crime in the first place”, he said.
The high performance Mustangs aren’t the first muscle cars ordered by Sheriff Lott. In 1998 the department purchased Chevrolet Camaros, which were then replaced by Dodge Magnums and Challengers, then Camaros and now, with the Chevrolet model discontinued, the Ford Mustang.
Lott said the vehicles cost no more than regular patrol cars such as the Ford Explorer or Chevrolet Tahoe. In the USA, a Mustang GT Fastback automatic costs US$45,650, or approximately $68,000 directly converted to Australian dollars. In 2024, Lott is seeking reelection against Republican rival and former Richland County police sergeant Jim Walker.
The new S650-generation Mustang is due to be officially released in Australia in the coming months. Prices will start from $64,990 for the EcoBoost Fastback four-cylinder automatic (before on-road costs), up to the $103,002 Dark Horse Fastback V8 automatic.
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