In traffic yesterday and was overtaken by an unmarked Audi A3 Sporthatch, brand new. Inside were two young men casually dressed but with sharp haircuts. The car was flashing blues and making siren noises, but it is clear that if the car was parked up at the kerb you would never have spotted the lights.
So, not an unmarked traffic car as the occupants were not in uniform. What was it?
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Could be any number of agencies.
An interesting point though, is the taxpayer getting good value in whoever it was driving an Audi A3 rather than the cheaper yet mechanically similar Skoda Octavia (for example).
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"An interesting point though, is the taxpayer getting good value in whoever it was driving an Audi A3 rather than the cheaper yet mechanically similar Skoda Octavia (for example)."
Indeed, I wonder why the traffic cops need to drive BMW X5's. Surely they cannot be the most cost effective way of achieving all that they need their vehicles to achieve?
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I think the X5 may be something to do with the volume/weight of all the stuff that they need to carry when on patrol. Discovery etc maybe not reliable enough so perhaps an X5 fits the BILL - joke and not a good one!
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Indeed, I wonder why the traffic cops need to drive BMW X5's. Surely they cannot be the most cost effective way of achieving all that they need their vehicles to achieve?
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I guess it?s arguably the best ?all-round? vehicle that there is. Hopefully they use the diesel versions.
I do wonder why the Police seem to frequently have a range of vehicles doing the same job ? in Cheshire they use both Volvo V70?s and Vectra?s for traffic work, which I wouldn?t have said were comparable vehicles. If the Vectra will do the job, then why have the V70 too?
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This has all been discussed many times before - don't assume the police and agencies are paying top dollar for these cars. They will have very good deals and, in some instances, I believe they are given free from the manufacturers for reliability and suitability testing.
As for the A3, I have seen various cars with discreet blue lights been driven by senior fire personnel, usually when there has been a serious incident. Don't know if these are "company " cars, or maybe their own lease cars that are adapted or whatever.
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At a slight tangent, I noticed in news footage of the London bombings in July that the Met were using Subaru Imprezas and Foresters. Lucky plod!
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At a slight tangent, I noticed in news footage of the London bombings in July that the Met were using Subaru Imprezas and Foresters. Lucky plod!
On a clip I saw it was almost entirely unmarked Audis with blue lights a-flashing heading into Taverstock(?) Square.
4 Wheel drive, yet small enough to nip through traffic is a possible reason for Audis, Scoobies etc
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Only a guess but it might fire service. I passed a few odd cars with hidden lights going like the clappers the other day. A slightly ageing SAAB 9-5 was one that lodged in the memory but I have feeling a Galant was amongst them too - they were all heading towards a very big fire in Bury a couple of weeks back.
In Pimhole actually for fans of the Mad Max films (If you've been there you'll know what I mean.
Still, nothing beats the H reg Cavalier with hidden lights I saw a while back going through a cross-roads on red on the wrong side.
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Why not just a pair of plain-clothes police?
Andy
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The Fire Brigade in my area has its cars painted in a distinctive red pattern to mark their status.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Police & Sharp Haircuts?
Actually, you would be hard pushed to count the number of cars polce use for plain clothes duty. Recent ones come to mind such as a V6 Galaxy, Zafira, Golf GTi, Seat Cordoba, the occasional Saab and even a Renault Safrane. It is also not unusual to run out of cars and have to hire one and use portable blue lights
Years ago, I remember plain clothes cars from a pool of Dolomite Sprints, and Vauxhall 2.3 Magnums!!!
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It was definately police and the lights were well hidden behind the grille and near the centre stop light in the rear screen.
It had all the feel of undercover drug squad, but wonder if the controls for the blues and twos would not have given the game away. I suppose it could have been a private car which is used by a copper rather than use a 'company' car to save tax.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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There is a 'blue light' exemption from company car tax for emergency services vehicles in fact. ie: if you are allowed to take a blue lighted vehicle home with you for emergency call outs it does not create a tax charge.
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Could have been any of the emergency services. Senior officers of the Fire and Ambulance services usually have a company car and can have blues fitted if they want them.
It could also have been a Police Driving School car - last time I had a look around a Police HQ they had all kinds - loads of white Astras but also a Mondeo V6, a Mondeo ST220, BMW E39 525d, Volvo V70 T5 etc.
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I noticed an 04 plate E39 530d on the news the other day.
Lucky gits, wish Joe Public could still buy nice 5 Series.
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North manchester
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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National Crime Squad, I'd think - some of their fleet is somewhat more select, than regular Police 'company' cars - their term for civilaian spec, but unmarked vehicles, on non-active duties.
VB
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I've been to auctions where ex-police cars come through and they basically seem to use everything and anything. You also get some 'odd' ex-police cars - like an immaculate 10-year-old Toyota I once saw with about 20k miles on it - what had that been doing all its life?
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I was in the yard of my local police training centre this morning - they have about 7 V70s, two S60s, an S50 (or is it V50?), some 307s as well as a couple of A3s, Skoda octavias, Vauxhall Signums and an Impreza. Mostly white, but one or two other colours. Most had lights in the grille, and the V70s had flashers in the rear reverse lights as well.
O
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Jaguar XJS V12 - comes with free personalised oil tanker.
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I saw a black Focus estate in Chester, it had silvered back windows, with blue lights behind the grill, and a siren. It was followed a few minutes later by paramedics, an ambulance, two fire engines, and couple of liveried police cars, so it could have been any one of the emergency services.
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round where i live there are a few 04 plate E320 CDI estate cop cars. They must cost at least £45,000 with all the extra bits of kit. I'm sure something else could do the job much more cheaply.
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>>>>E320 CDI estate cop cars. They must cost at least £45,000 with all the extra bits of ki<<<<
I bet the Job doesn't pay anything like that for them!
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I wouldn't fancy going to your Merc dealer - full list price on an E320 CDi Auto Avantgarde Estate is only £38k
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Could have been doctors, The Sweeney or someone impersonating the police.
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