Decommissioned police cruisers have always been one of the best ways to get a top-spec muscle car with upgrades you won't typically find on a second-hand civilian model. You might not love the sight of a cop car in your rearview mirror, but there's nothing like having your own Bluesmobile in the driveway.While we'd love to get our hands on that 1,000-hp Dodge Challenger they took off a drug dealer in Texas, one of our favorites has to be the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, a car which, in its sixth generation, was only offered as a fleet vehicle in the US. Specifically, it was sold as a 355-hp cop car with stiffened suspension. With the police decals removed, it's an awesome sleeper. But buying one in good condition might be easier said than done. What Makes The Caprice PPV So Cool? Cars & Bids If we're being completely honest, part of the reason we love the Caprice is the fact that it's so hard to come by. The car was never available as a standard retail model, meaning that, if you weren't a cop, you could forget about driving one brand-new. That alone makes this car that much cooler. But, putting all of that aside, it's just a heck of sleeper, with the appearance of a boring rental car, and the beating heart of an Australian muscle car.The sixth-gen Caprice doesn't have much to do with earlier iterations of the car. It's actually a rebadged Holden WM Caprice, a full-size rear-wheel-drive luxury car sold in Australia. In its heyday, Holden was sort of Australia's GM, to Ford's... well, Ford. The two brands had at least as storied a rivalry down under as Chevy and Ford had here in the US, so it's only natural that Chevrolet would go to Holden for help competing against Ford Fusions and Ford Tauruses in the fleet car segment. The Police-Spec Caprice Is Packed With Cool Upgrades Chevrolet This is a cop car, so there's more to it than just the engine specs. Standard upgrades and a black paintjob essentially make the PPV a street-legal Batmobile, wanting only a set of tail fins to complete the look. To go over some of the cooler features of the V8 police package. Cloth bucket seats sculpted for gun belts Cloth bench seat in the back Programmable door locks to enable or disable remote unlocking Dual note horn 2.92 axle ratio with limited slip differential Patrol vehicle specific shocks, spring, and stabilizer bar tuning for a stiffer ride In addition to these, you've got plenty of upgrades to keep you comfortable on the daily commute, even when you're not chasing burglars and bank robbers. Dual-zone air conditioning, a 12-volt power outlet, remote engine start, light-tinted windshield. Everything you would expect of a muscle car that started its life as a luxury sedan. You Won't Find These At Your Local Used Chevy Dealer Cars & Bids These cars can be hard to come by because of the simple fact that they were never offered to everyday buyers. They pop up on auction sites from time to time, but Classic.com shows no current listings. They do, however, give us a fair price range based on a couple of listings in the past year.We were able to find a few recent-ish listings on Bring a Trailer to give you an idea of what's out there, and the miles people are putting on these cars. A 62,000-mile 2013 PPV sold for $18,250 in late 2024. A 78,000-mile 2013 PPV sold for $9,988 last August. A 91,000-mile 2011 PPV sold for $9,200 in late 2024. Your best bet may be to skip the usual auction websites and go to GovDeals.com, which is widely regarded as the best resource for decommissioned government vehicles. Our own search turned up a handful of Caprices in various conditions. One car "may require a boost or a new battery to start". Another listing, for a Caprice with 113,022 miles on the odometer, reports that the "transmission loses reverse when it gets warm".The occasional Caprice PPV in good condition may pop up on GovDeals, but you really don't want to bother browsing this site if you're not willing to get your hands dirty (or pay someone else to do the upkeep for you). Elbow Grease Not Included Cars & Bids If we're buying fleet cars, we'll take the cop-spec muscle cars over rentals and taxis. But, fleet cars in general are typically going to be in rough shape when they hit the second-hand market. Even if you're buying a cop car that was used to patrol a quiet little small town, even if it was never used in a high-speed chase, you're still looking at thousands of idle hours, and a whole roster of drivers who never had to worry about paying for the maintenance out of their own pockets.Additionally, buying a decommissioned cop car isn't the same as strolling into your local Honda dealer for a 2020 Civic. There may be some additional hurdles for you to hop. Here's What Caprice Buyers Have To Say In order to get some advice on buying a Caprice PPV, we went right to the owners. Here's what we turned up on the NewCaprice.com forum. User Xcidmigs advises checking the idle hours before buying. Some listings have this number posted, but it's worth taking a look yourself to make sure the numbers match up. You can check the idle hours via the steering wheel controls for the instrument cluster, according to user Garrett. CrashTestDummy advises being wary of anything where more than half of the total hours have been spent idling, noting that buyers should check the car's maintenance for a cam/lifters replacement at that point. CrashTestDummy also notes that most agencies go straight to the dealer for all major work, so there should be extensive maintenance records for you to look at. Check out anything under the hood, especially transmission service, and look for collision repairs and suspension work. User No Moa is one of many drivers advising that you have some cash on hand when buying a cop car, even if you're buying on credit, as you may need to pay various handling, transportation, and storage fees associated with the purchase. Not to mention, you may wind up having to do some extensive fix-it work on the car before it's ready for the road. In short: be ready to tow this thing home if necessary. The consensus among users is that the 2011-2013 model Caprices are the best of the bunch, being available with floor-mounted shifters and hydraulic power steering. If you get the chance, take the time to inspect the car yourself. Make sure the maintenance records match what you're looking at, and don't be afraid to pass on something if you're not confident in the purchase. These cars are uncommon, but not so rare that you need to settle for whatever you can get.Government auction cars are sold as is, and they're probably not going to let you test drive the car before you make the purchase. There's a certain degree of risk that can't be avoided when buying a decommissioned cop car, although it can be reduced if you shop smart, and if you're not afraid to do a little work on the car before you make it your daily driver.If that sounds like a lot of hassle, well, it is. But fleet cars tend to sell for pennies on the dollar compared to what they would have cost brand-new (if you were able to buy a Caprice brand-new in the first place, that is), and, once you've put a little work into them, you have a badass muscle car unlike anything else on your block.