By Danny Cobbs


It may appear as it has arrived from a dystopia world, set sometime in the future, but, according to the Carbon Motor Corporation, the US makers of the E7 Squad Car, this is how police cars should look, and more importantly, be built. They have a valid point. The other emergency services, fire, ambulance and the armed forces, all have specifically designed vehicles whereas the police, not just in America, but worldwide, take a bog-standard production car and retro-fit blue disco lights, nee-naws, walkie-talkies and a few other bits and pieces to it.

Well, CMC have set out their stall to change all that. The E7 is new in every aspect and designed exclusively with the cops in mind. This pre-production working concept is big – just a shade shorter and narrower than a BMW 7-Series, and weighs 1.8 tonnes – and has the menacing appearance to make most scallys think twice before trying to leg-it.

The makers are reluctant to say too much about the exact origins of the 3.0-litre, 250 bhp, turbo diesel engine, only passing comment that it has been sourced from a "European manufacturer". They are giving basic performance figures though, 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, a top speed of 150 mph and a combined fuel consumption of up to 25 mpg.
The engine aside, the rest of this monstrous panda car is utterly unique. Underneath its fearsome skin lies an aluminium space frame which has the capability to withstand a rear- crash impact of up to 75 mph. And the protection has been extended to armour plating on the door panels and front bulkhead, too.
The emergency lights and spot lights form part of the roof, reducing drag and making the E7 even more coefficient. The interior hasn't been forgotten either. All communication and surveillance paraphernalia needed - and there's an option list which includes everything a budding Judge Dredd would need to stay one step ahead of the Lex Luthers of this world - becomes part of the modular centre consol. Even the shotgun mounts are an integral part of the cabin.

Perhaps the most radical piece of design are the rear ‘suicide doors’. This allows passengers to be bundled easily into the back without fear of the officers finding themselves slapped with a law suit for police brutality. Once there, the backseats - covered in a hose clean material - have also been designed to ease the suffering of those wearing a pair of handcuffs behind their backs.
Production is still at least two years off, yet CMC insist when it does finally go on sale the price will be comparable to squad cars currently being used by the US police departments. What’s more; the UK authorities are said to be keen to trail it . Hmmm, not exactly Z Cars, is it?

For a larger image of the Carbon Motor Corporation E7 2009 Black click on the link below.

Technical Specs:

Price: TBA
Engine: 2987cc, turbodiesel
Gearbox: 5-speed auto
Max Power: 250bhp
Max Torque: 400lb ft
Max Towing Weight: N/A
Max Speed: 150mph