Mustang back on the radar for NSW Police

The NSW Police Force hasn’t given up on securing the Ford Mustang GT as a highway patrol vehicle, despite running into several hurdles with the US-built rear-wheel-drive V8.

The team of officers responsible for sourcing the next generation of highway patrol cars have been conducting extensive testing to resolve a peculiar technical issue that was revealed during preliminary runs at the force’s Goulburn test centre.

Calibration issues with the V8-powered Mustang’s gearbox temperature sensors prevented the car from completing a crucial set of rigorous braking tests, with a Melbourne-based firm drafted in to create a fix.

Additional heat shielding and bespoke software have been added to the police-liveried Mustang GT, which was tested at Sydney Motorsport Park this week where this exclusive pic was snapped.

While no one involved in the testing was prepared to comment on whether the Mustang would actually join the NSW Highway Patrol fleet, time is running out for replacement cars to be sourced.

The Ford Falcon XR8 is all but at the end of its production life, while the Holden Commodore SS will go off sale towards the end of next year.

A lack of obvious replacements is another factor, with a highway car’s specific set of requirements – namely an automatic transmission and high-performance brakes – ruling out many likely candidates, including the Subaru WRX.

The last time NSW Police used the WRX in 2001 ended in ignominy, when it was revealed the 20 vehicles converted into Highway Patrol cars had never had their speedometers correctly calibrated, rendering them legally unable to issue speeding infringements.

Other vehicles that have been trialled by various regional NSW command regions in the past decade include the Chrysler 300C and Volvo’s S60 Polestar.

Other cars that are allegedly under consideration for Highway Patrol duty from next year include the Mercedes-AMG C63, with an AMG-spec GLE63 already on loan to Victorian Police.

What do you reckon of the Mustang as a cop car? Tell us what you think in the comments below.