After nearly a year of additional testing and a massive interruption from Mother Nature, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has finally pressed its new fleet of V8-powered Ford Mustang Police Interceptors into service. Sure, your EV might hit 60 mph quicker than most V8s on the road, but you won’t be outrunning these gasoline-powered ponies on the highway. Best to just pull over and admit defeat.
The purchase of 25 Coyote-powered pursuit vehicles is a throwback to the ’80s and ’90s when Ford’s Fox body Mustang SSP (Special Service Package, previously SSM for “Severe Service Mustang”) was available to police departments nationwide. From California to Texas—and yes, the Carolinas—V8-powered Mustangs were on the prowl for those looking to express their inner Sammy Hagar.
“These patrol vehicles, while small in number, will serve a valuable purpose throughout our state,” North Carolina Highway Patrol commander Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr. said. “Their presence while on patrol will undoubtedly help to serve as a deterrent and assist in our important role as ambassadors for the great state of North Carolina.”
Since Ford no longer produces a purpose-built law enforcement package for the Mustang, the troopers had to handle the upgrades in-house. Its logistics staff was tasked with outfitting them for police duty, at which point they were handed off to the department’s driver training staff to bring the troopers up to speed on the Mustang’s capabilities. After all, the next-closest performance machine in the department’s stable is a Dodge Charger, which weighs a lot more and offers less horsepower.
The first of the new V8-powered interceptors was actually delivered last spring, the department said, but the process was interrupted in September with the arrival of Hurricane Helene. Its landfall prompted the department to divert resources away from the Mustang rollout to provide “relief, assistance, and public safety” in western North Carolina—efforts that continue to this day, the department said.
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