Officers in the Czech Republic add sporty model to their fleet in an effort to keep up with speedsters.
Police in the Czech Republic have converted a Ferrari seized from criminals into a patrol car with a top speed of 326kph in order to help officers chase down joyriders.
The 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia has been transformed from the marque’s traditional racing red and now features yellow and blue reflective stripes along with a panel of lights on top.
Police say the sports car will be “deployed against the most aggressive drivers on Czech highways”, when chasing stolen vehicles or targeting illegal road races.
Similar Ferrari models can cost about NZ$300,000 but as it had been seized the Czech police only had to fork out about NZ$20,000 in modifications, which they say is the same cost as a new Skoda hatchback.
Police add the vehicle will be used by a special surveillance department and driven only by trained police officers.
Other police forces globally also make use of performance cars, including Italy where officers have a partnership with Lamborghini and Dubai where law enforcement runs an entire fleet of supercars.
The Czech police say the Ferrari is not the most valuable or rarest vehicle it had seized, with 900 cars confiscated last year. The majority of those cars are resold, with the proceeds used to cover damage caused by offenders.
“We keep some vehicles for official duties,” police note. “However, these are not such luxurious cars as Ferraris.”
Keyword: Police turn Ferrari into patrol car