Florida Put A Mustang On Patrol But It’s Winning More Votes Than Tickets

This new performance police car fits in well with the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Corvette already in service

Florida isn’t a great place for speeding on public roads. Sure, the officers there sometimes escort high-paying citizens to do exactly that, and the roads are notoriously flat and straight, kinda like a drag strip, but there are big issues for speeders. Not only is the state willing to take drivers to jail more often now, but it’s packing some serious pony power as it’s just unbridled a new Ford Mustang GT to catch criminals.

Ford doesn’t produce a police-spec Mustang, so Florida took matters into its own hands and built one. Whether this particular GT has any modifications beyond the standard emergency lights and livery isn’t clear, but honestly, does it need much else?

The stock model puts out 480 horsepower (357 kW) and 415 lb-ft (562 Nm) of torque, which is more than enough to keep up with, and likely outrun, most speeders FHP typically encounters.

Read: First Florida Super Speeder Caught Minutes After Law Goes Into Effect

The car is now part of history within the FHP. The department leveraged a Mustang some 30 years ago, and now it’s doing so again. In fact, it’s made that move after adding other high-speed police cars to the crew, like a Chevrolet Corvette, a Dodge Challenger, and a number of Dodge Chargers.

Photos FHP

Florida is somewhat notorious for using cars that look very civilian to do traffic patrol, so adding the Mustang (as well as the Vette) seems like an odd move. In reality, though, the FHP wants to win a competition for the best-looking police cruiser in America. So while the Ford certainly can chase down speeders, it might be more about winning votes than writing tickets. Voting has ended as of this writing, so we’re awaiting the results. Notably, the department highlights only its Corvette in the survey.

A massive amount of data suggests that police chases can be more harmful than helpful. While that’s probably even more accurate at the higher speeds these cars are capable of, perhaps their presence alone acts as a deterrent. Those who might feel confident in outrunning a stock Charger or a Tahoe might think twice when they see a Mustang GT, a Challenger, or a Corvette headlight signature in their rear-view mirror.