Special Report

Fastest American Police Cars

Chris Lange

Published: July 30, 2023 9:10 am

The TV show “Cops,” which follows real-life law enforcement officers as they perform their duties, has seen commercial success and has been running for a few decades now. The show often featured intense encounters and arrests, as well as some high speed chases, some even ending in disaster. Mostly, the cop cars in pursuit are capable of catching the criminal no matter how fast they are going. And this, in no small part, is because police vehicles can be very fast.

For the most part, police departments across the United States deploy a diverse array of motor vehicles depending on their specific enforcement or operational needs. While each serves a unique purpose, certain makes and models that have emerged as the fastest are widely used for high speed pursuits and similar operations.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed various state and police sources to determine the fastest American police cars. For each vehicle, we included horsepower, top speed, manufacturer, and body style. Vehicles are ranked by top speed. Only police cars that have widespread use across the country and top speeds exceeding 100 mph were included. 

Among the most common patrol vehicles is the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, which boasts some of the highest top speeds of any of the cars on this list. Built on Ford’s Explorer SUV platform, it allows officers to handle various terrains and weather conditions. One of the stock designs comes with a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 engine that can generate up to 400 horsepower and a top speed of nearly 150 mph, making it one of the fastest police cars on the road. (See the most widely used American police cars.)

Another vehicle in heavy use is the Dodge Charger Pursuit. Opting for power under the hood, one stock model is equipped with a 5.7-litre HEMI V8 that cranks out up to 370 horsepower. It features a top speed of around 140 mph. Its aggressive design has given it somewhat of a reputation on the road for chasing down cars and makes it a popular choice among law enforcement nationwide. (These are the states with the most militarized police departments.)

It is worth pointing out that most of the vehicles on this list come from only a handful of manufacturers, but mainly Ford. Large police departments, municipalities, and states are offered deals by Ford and other domestic manufacturers to outfit their agencies with these vehicles.

Here is a look at the fastest police cars that are most widely used across police departments in the U.S.

Orange County Florida Sheriff ... (CC BY 2.0) by Steven Straiton

17. Chevrolet Silverado
> Top speed: 112 mph
> Horsepower: 355
> Manufacturer: Chevrolet
> Body style: Pickup truck

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16. Ford Fusion
> Top speed: 118 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 325
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: Sedan

24/7 Wall St.
The Most Widely Used American Police Cars

Norton Police Dodge Ram 1500 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

15. Dodge Ram 1500
> Top speed: 118 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 395
> Manufacturer: Dodge
> Body style: Pickup truck

14. Ford F-series (F-150)
> Top speed: 120 mph
> Horsepower: 400
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: Pickup truck

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Delaware Police Ford Expeditio... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

13. Ford Expedition
> Top speed: 124 mph
> Horsepower: 400
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: SUV

12. Cadillac Escalade
> Top speed: 125 mph
> Horsepower: 682
> Manufacturer: Cadillac
> Body style: SUV

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11. Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
> Top speed: 129 mph
> Horsepower: 250
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: Sedan

Norton Police Dodge Durango - ... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

10. Dodge Durango
> Top speed: 130 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 360
> Manufacturer: Dodge
> Body style: SUV

Norwalk Ohio Police Ford Escap... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

9. Ford Escape
> Top speed: 130 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 181
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: SUV

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Medina County Park District Ra... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

8. Chevrolet Colorado
> Top speed: 135 mph
> Horsepower: 310
> Manufacturer: Chevrolet
> Body style: Pickup truck

NH State Police (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Josh Graciano

7. Dodge Charger
> Top speed: 139 mph
> Horsepower: 370
> Manufacturer: Dodge
> Body style: Sedan

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Kalamazoo Michigan Public Safe... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

6. Chevrolet Tahoe
> Top speed: 140 mph
> Horsepower: 355
> Manufacturer: Chevrolet
> Body style: SUV

24/7 Wall St.
The Most Popular Police Firearms

California Highway Patrol Ford... (CC BY 2.0) by Steven Straiton

5. Ford Explorer
> Top speed: 148 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 318
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: SUV

Minneapolis Minnesota Police F... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

4. Ford Police Interceptor Utility
> Top speed: 148 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 400
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: SUV

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Walton Hills Police Ford Tauru... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

3. Ford Taurus Police Interceptor
> Top speed: 148 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 415
> Manufacturer: Ford
> Body style: Sedan

Lakewood Police Chevrolet Capr... (CC BY 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

2. Chevrolet Caprice
> Top speed: 155 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 301
> Manufacturer: Chevrolet
> Body style: Sedan

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Fort Wayne Indiana Police Chev... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Raymond Wambsgans

1. Chevrolet Impala
> Top speed: 155 mph (tied)
> Horsepower: 302
> Manufacturer: Chevrolet
> Body style: Sedan