Top 10 UK Police Pursuit Cars Of All Time | Ex-Police Interceptor Tells All

[@Sam-yh7wt]

I’ve got a white Octavia VRS Estate and the way the road clears in front of me on the motorway is just magical. Every single person on the road just stays away from it and nobody dares overtake me either. Love it!

[@JGrindel]

My mate had the same experience with his blue vrs estate, he could park in a layby and people would just slow down!

[@kharnt.betrayer2946]

Video suggestion: Take us through all the equipment typically loaded into the back of a traffic car. I know there are stingers, cones and first aid kit but it always looks very full in the back of those cars.

[@Lar308]

Surprised none of the BMW 5 series iterations used by the UK police has been mentioned. The E39 version in particular was a superb vehicle.

[@MarcBirks]

not really great in a pursuit imo, too boaty big and heavy, don't handle like the 330, and with the same 30/35d engine they arent that quick.

[@youwould69]

Cough, Vauxhall, Cough Senator 24v. Back in 1997 I saw a scrote joy riding, soon after a police V70R came by and stopped, asked us which way the joy rider went, we told him and I have never seen a car accelerate so fast as that V70 did, it was like the Enterprise going into warp speed.

[@deanj846]

No Opel Senator 24v,no Rover SD1..god I'm old lol.

[@gustav_a.mozumder2011]

No Jaguar XJ6 or the Mark 2 here either and they were brilliant during pursuits in my time 😏

[@chrisblay]

Remember seeing all of these as Police cars on the roads over the years. Shows how old I am. 😂

[@maxcullen3427]

All seemed slightly modern to me 🚔

[@dannyjayke8695]

@@maxcullen3427 the only modern ones are the Skoda vrs the bmw 330 which are used to this day but the subaru sti the evo 10 the vectra vxr the Volvo which are modern but they haven’t been used on the roads by police for donkies they’re to expensive to maintain or the parts are few n far between or they just arnt economical to run

[@maxcullen3427]

@@dannyjayke8695 about 20 years ago banned again as was in coma have to retake test er no way I’ll pass

[@g8ymw]

I'll take you all back a bit, Triumph 2500 PI

[@chrisblay]

@@g8ymw That would have been 1970’s? I thought the most imposing Police car of the 1980’s was the Rover SD1, you definitely noticed one of those. Usually on the motorway.

[@willb19]

My grandad had a sierra cosworth. It’s his pride and joy 😊

[@imkirbo3094]

The unmarked RS Cosworth Saphire's in the 90s were an unreal cop car.

[@armpitfuzz]

Back in the day, my boyfriend had a Capri. The car was OK, but he turned out to be a proper tosser ! 🤣

[@georgireadman4604]

Do we have the same ex? Mine crashed 6 of them and was the biggest tosser I've met to this day 🤦‍♀️😂

[@dukeofdevon5608]

Did he have slick back hair and wear slip on’s?? 😂

[@g8ymw]

@@dukeofdevon5608 Sounds like he fancied himself as Jack Reagan (The Sweeney)

[@sloeginandsleep1170]

That made me laugh far harder than it should have. My older brother had a couple of Capri's, and my god he's a tosser 😂

[@spinzanti]

All tossers drive capris, my dad's first car was one and he abandoned us in 2018 😭💀

[@davidsimpson2709]

Another excellent blog Ben, but for people of a certain age (eg us old codgers) the best Police vehicle ever was the Vauxhall Senator 3.0 24 valve. Keep your chin up and continue with the fantastic work you do. You are an inspiration to us all. Kind regards Dave

[@holdenman8850]

To the old codger, the Senator was the best Vauxhall full stop :)

[@drphilgarner]

This. Senny was king of the road in 1991. DUAL RAM 24V 😂

[@holdenman8850]

@@drphilgarner Sure was :)

[@richardhorton4563]

Agree, Vauxhall Senny, chipcutter grill, I had 2 ex plod, took one up the main runway at RAF marham, when they held charity trak days. Would pull in 5th Gear all the way to the red line (and beyond if you had the chip to rev to 6996 from 6600) 160mph+ verified by GPS. My K plate one had quite obviously more than the standard 204bhp. fantastic cars.

[@johnj3577]

My Dad had a load of pubs for 15 years and often used to get followed and stalked by the local scumbags when he left late at night with the nights takings. His solution to this predicament was to have a few different cars and he had 2 x Senator 3.0 24v and a Rover 827 fastback. "If the police use them they must be good" was his reasoning. Those Senators were literally bombproof and got him to safety on numerous occasions.

[@carlrobson5745]

Rover sd1 the liver run maybe not the fastest traffic car but certainly car and driver one of the best.

[@roberttaylor6075]

That was some run.

[@craigkearns6425]

Maybe before your time but the Vauxhall Senator 3.0i and the Rover SD1 V8 were the staples of traffic cops around my way in the ‘80s

[@MontytheHorse]

I remember BMW 5 Series being the staple traffic car in my bit of Scotland back then.

[@andysmith4037]

Car number 3 you just said 2.8 but you never said what the car model was

[@ZG0002]

The T5 is the traffic car I remember the most, been in the back of a few over the years for speeding and got let off a couple times (I mostly found traffic cops sound if you didn't try bullshit them) my mate had a V70 T5 in proper old man spec when we were in our early 20's, right laugh pissing the Saxo/Corsa driving youth off (they all have bloody Golf R's and A35's now on lease at like 20yrs old, Mental!) Got a Skoda Octavia vRS myself now, great family car for the dad who hasn't fully grown up 😅.

[@TheRealMrSir]

I remember my Dads mate got hold of a ex police Rover SD1 at auction for cheap and came around to show off. I remember jumping in the back and I still have that drive imprinted into my mind, the speed was immense considering I was under 5 at the time

[@holdenman8850]

The Sierra was a Devon and Cornwall police car going by the number plate.. Keep up the great work Ben,

[@andyjamieson9576]

Only addition for me is the Honda Accord Type R’s the GMP had in the 00’s! In the Max Power days, these things were loved/feared in equal measure! Great video (again).

[@sloeginandsleep1170]

I'd forgotten about the Type R's with GMP. That takes me back seeing them!

[@Richard_Barnes]

Ohhh, back in my teens the Vauxhall Cavalier SRi, oh my, they were superb when I was 18 and had some time in a company car garage. Awesome. Then the Ford RS Cosworths were just epic. I never got to drive one but every time one passed me I always looked. Just an incredible car. Fantastic time to own one back then as well.

[@matthewtemprell5422]

Here in Derbyshire there's a few rs3 unmarked cars and I can imagine these are fun in a police pursuit.

[@winzfeld1]

No, Derbyshire Constabulary do not have any RS3’s. They do have S3 saloons, Golf R, Cupra R ST estate

[@custom165]

Vag is boring

[@sepangrs3381]

No they don’t… S3s yes.

[@maybenot6075]

Merseyside police have Kia stingers & a couple of unmarked subarus, oh and a couple teslas. Seems they're putting the "war on drugs" money from the government to better use 😂

[@stevie_rides]

Love a Volvo T5, top car and just happens to be the same enging as in my Focus ST. The sound of a 5 cylinder engine is just beautiful 😍

[@natrjack965]

Absolutely fantastic video ben as a kid I loved the Ford capri (jam butty car) I lived in blackley Manchester and Plant Hill police station was D Division so they had all the bikes and cars there ....keep smiling ben ..

[@meandthefamily1485]

Yes 3.0s Capri's and then the 2.8 injections were gtr Manchester, s choice in the late 70,s early 80,s great cars and looked menacing 👍

[@modelrailwaynoob]

I had a Capri 2.0 Ghia when I was a student nurse in the 80s. It wasn't fast but it looked good. I had an Escort GTi but again not that fast. The best police car I saw was an Impreza STi. My friend was a police officer. He said the T5s were good but not on roundabouts but his favourite was the 5 series Bob Marley's. A police officer in Leics was sacked for 'testing' his car at 130+ on the M54. He wasn't chasing anyone. My most fun car was a Saxo VTS I had in my 30s. I used to love embarrassing the boy racers with their girlfriends - strictly within the limit of course.

[@jacobdrummond3013]

No mention of the SD1!

[@TheJbsportstech]

Loved this driven v70 t5 and focus st, have a VRS tsi and my uncle had the Saab 93 aero 2.8 v6 twin power turbo was like 275 bhp(Same as the VXR vectra) mighty cars. I did get to drive escort cossie mental cars but massive turbo lag and then insane peak power delivery

[@rickydub6950]

Escort Cosworth still my dream car too 😁

[@UmvimvaniT]

Missed you Ben!! Great to see this video up! xxx

[@matthewcousins419]

I'm surprised you never gave the vauxhall senator 3.0i 24v a mention? A Fast car back in the day's!

[@fatwalletboy2]

Going back to the 90s you had the Rover 420 GSi Turbo Cavalier Turbo and the Sierra RS Cosworths as unmarked vehicles.......in the day absolute weapons.

[@smokerjim]

A bit before your time, but an honourable mention should go to the 3.8 MkII Jags that the Met got (because the villains were leaving their Wolsey's choking on their exhaust). After getting them, the Met vehicle workshops made some modifications to the engine, suspension and brakes and Jaguar revoked the warranties

[@Kevxmed]

Love you Ben!!! Glad to see you’re back!

[@stevenking2946]

I've owned two ex police vectra v6 sri, one was a cleaveland constabulary car, the other was a 2.5 sri auto met car....absolutely awsome cars compared to the civilian spec v6's that I had owned previously, 8mpg if yoy opened them up, the met car i regret selling....we also still own a mk1 2.8 sierra Xr4x4, thats been owned by us for 30 years.. 16mpg around town. 30 on a run tho.

[@johnny6476]

Out of all of these I’d have the vectra VXR, There really good cars.

[@sidbobby3233]

Iam a ford fan and surprised u havent mentioned the saph cozy i love the escort cosy but for me the saphy was the understated sleeper for me. 😎😎✌✌👌👌👍👍

[@happydog6500]

Rover P3's and P6's for the win.

[@mcgherkinstudios]

Best thing about the Volvo T5 is they took it out of the big heavy estates and put it in a few hatchbacks with actual decent suspension - Focus ST if you’re a yob, and C30 T5 if you’re not. And then because they’re massively tuneable, you can make them really fast 👍 The loss of Imprezas and Evos will forever sadden me.

[@mattski8787]

Couldn't fit the family in either unfortunately so got it in the S-Max instead and it's still doing alright 👍

[@dannyhudson5115]

I've always said, money no object what would I buy first, 1996 escort cosworth lux

[@frasersutherland6837]

Good stuff Ben......but where's the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth!😀

[@redtela]

My old man had a capri, gear changes felt like stirring soup in a couldron. My uncle had a 4x4 Sierra with a Cosworth engine, man talk about drinking fuel. Late 90's was £30 unleaded from Heckmondwike to Huddersfield town centre! I've had the pleasure of driving an ex-force V70. One of the first automatic gearboxes I drove... protip, don't try to press the clutch with your left foot. You stop REALLY quickly. Sadly, you missed the force bikes. I've owned some that are force off road bikes, still own a Honda ST1300, and have ridden the current choice of the BMW RT1250 RT.

[@karens4503]

Some interesting and awesome cars there Ben. Brilliant video as always.

[@andrewyeates6811]

I was really surprised the golf r didn’t make the list tbf. Those mk7 golf R’s drive on rails in all weather

[@evo9al605]

Knew it’d be an evo. They are gods gift. There was no room for Mary and Joseph as the inn keeper didn’t want anyone parking next to his evo

[@beefovbd2]

the FQ in the 360 stands for fooking quick

[@BenPearson1965]

Dam right

[@tiguanman1170]

I know a retired Traffic Officer who reckons the Volvo T5 wad the best motorway car. He reckons that BMWs were purchased instead as they had better residuals when they were sold off. The RWD beamer was absolutely useless in Winter. Just sat spinning its wheels. He thought the Subaru was rubbish. He drive one flat out from Scotch Corner to Wetherby and it seized when he switched it off!

[@TheJbsportstech]

Octavia VRS petrol for the win! Tsi is basically is the Golf r engine with gti turbo, little less power or just a quick map gets you back to 310bhp

[@colinrimmer789]

Awesome City Car was the Ford Escort RS2000 I think Merseyside Police were the only Force to use them. I only drove them on my Advanced Car Course. Amazing.

[@steveknight878]

I remember back in the late 60s seeing Daimler Darts around Cambridgeshire. They looked really good. Don't know how good they were in use.

[@williamraysmith95]

I would pick a 4x4 sapphire cosworth over the escort for practicalicty

[@1979jon]

Ford xr4x4 are so rare now

[@aljack1979]

Big jags? Remember the xj6 on the motorway in the 80s-90s

[@markgr1nyer]

How about a motorbike version....as long as 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3 aren't the BMW R1200RT/R1250RT as that's all the police seem to use these days, although there are some tasty undercover bikes (west mercia at least used to have a ZZR1400)

[@garytheobald9538]

I had an Austin chummy pursuit car back in 1959 NOTHING could stay with me.

[@owainnewton326]

Shame he never had a run up against a Lotus Carlton. That car is legendary.

[@1-18-KARmania]

Of course the Evo X comes out first place! I collect 1/18 scale models and modified a RHD plain white Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X into Humberside Police´s Road Crime Unit interceptor registration YX58FLA ten years ago with light and sound. Video can be found on my channel. It was working in tandem with a BMW 3 estate, so I modified that too. First, though, I had AUTOart´s Subaru Impreza model of Humberside´s earlier interceptor. The Evo X is no longer in service in Humberside, though, I suppose. Or is it?

[@mykehyslop198]

I was once chased by a 1100 cc Ford Escort mk II Panda car.I was driving my mums Hillman Hunter 1725.I won.🤣🤣 I recently owned an EVO FQ400.That was mental.

[@gearupgifts]

This video was FANTASTIC!!!!!!

[@TheMarioExpertMan]

I've actually seen the Evo, but it was an FQ-400. I can remember being at the Norfolk Show and seeing it for the first time. This was not a traffic car, this was a car for show. I must've spent a good hour just looking at it. (Ex Police Cadet) Last I know of it was it was given back to Essex. These were the goat for the time (00's to early 2010's) and it's a real shame they're not made anymore.

[@sammyg6387]

This was fun🤩

[@bobdidit55]

Funny you put the evo at 1. The traffics that had them up my way, said they didn’t care for them as there wasn’t a lot of room for all their gear. And the lag was crap. Everyone to their own I suppose.

[@lucasmanderville8031]

I had a Volvo S80 T5 was brilliant but only flaw were the electronics had to many issues and scrapped it 2 years ago

[@gc7820]

PC Stamp on the Bill used to crash his Sierra every week! Amazed he could still get insurance. As far as the Subaru, I was once told that South Wales Police had 6 and they all got written off on non emergency calls 😅

[@berniecoles2337]

I loved the good old days before cameras, ANPR etc. All the traffic cops knew me on my sports bike, but none of them could catch me. The only thing that could outrun me was their radios but I was aware of that. Most of the traffic officers were also bikers and we had a kind of mutual respect for one another. I remember once having a coffee at Aust services on the M4 when 2 traffic cops came and sat with me at my table. They said they were glad I stopped, as they had been trying to keep up chasing me, not to nick me but to have a look at the bike, as then a ZZR1100 was the fastest bike available and they were impressed how effortlessly I was cruising at ballistic speeds. Roads are loads busier and crap now, so I’m glad I lived through the 80’s and 90’s when we could still have fun relatively safely.

[@robinl.7948]

my old man has had 2 ZZRs (still has the 2nd one) and he's told me they're just mental like you say, pulled beyond 186 on the autobahn, and slamming open the throttle has actually got him out of a couple sticky situations before

[@MontytheHorse]

The T5 may have been tough, but a cop friend of mine was in one when it was written off in a pursuit. He has not admitted to me if he was driving. But did see it it in civilian hands a few years later, so I guess they are tough after all. 😂

[@ian-sc3fu]

What about the SD1 Rover?

[@kevinjordan9855]

Subaru Imrpeza best sounding car ever

[@centuriontaxi]

Ben I had a VXR as a taxi i kid you not. Fastest cab in the cotswold

[@martinashbridge3242]

Not even a mention for the 1.5 diesel Astra 😂😂

[@craig459]

Ben I was lucky enough to be passenger of WY Blue Mondeo St back around 2001/2 ish and that went very well👀 😁

[@Peter-or8oc]

LOTUS CARLTON BEAST OF A CAR

[@JonathanFaber]

Love the Ford Escort Cossie! I agree, if I had the money I'd have a garage full.

[@andypandy9013]

Why no Rover SD1? Before your time?

[@jeremywentworth1833]

On the cul-de-sac I live on theirs an ex west Yorkshire police traffic copper he's had quite a few VRS Octavia's , he says they are brilliant cars. Escort Cosworths by all accounts quite a few of the ex police cars still Exist from around the different forces that owned them.

[@markthomas5515]

Great vid, but you didn’t mention the grandaddy of these and the first high speed pursuit car, the Daimler dart.

[@S666GRJ]

You can't beat the sound of a turbocharged flat 4 engine (except the rotary)

[@J4NOObs]

10:23 That is so cool looking wtf as a uk police car that (best looking one?)

[@steventang3236]

thought the Vauxhalls are only good at understeer into trees 😂😂

[@stevencarsley9976]

Love the old cars

[@VideoNarstee]

Rover SD1?

[@jamesshine1]

The kia stinger merseyside police have is stunning

[@thebrowns5337]

I had a 4x4 Sierra but the 2.0l - got 36mpg!

[@ZulousOG]

For all the crap UK police have had. They've always had some cool cars. The top speed of some of them are definitely more of a suggestion, especially reading some stories about the police WRXs doing 180mph+

[@gustav_a.mozumder2011]

I have a blue Ford Escort Cosworth and I can lend it to you for even a month because it’s too old and I’m really done playing with it. 😊

[@BenPearson1965]

Yes please!!!!!!😍

[@gustav_a.mozumder2011]

@@BenPearson1965 where do I contact you and send you a photograph of it?

[@BenPearson1965]

My email is [e-mail]

[@shaunpugh3287]

Big spoon or little spoon. That cracked me up.

[@JWINDSOR]

Great video. I'd love to see your worst 10 as well!

[@dickyr3295]

MG Maestro Turbo would have to be included. It was as fast as you like but unfortunately roads apparently have to change direction occasionally.

[@natashafletcher600]

Ahh yeah! I was so hoping the Evo would be top!

[@MrKonquer]

Vauxhall omega 3.2l v6, did you not like them? I remember from first hand accounts drug dealers hated seeing those things 😂

[@BugByte100]

I have a new shape XC90 T8 400BHP and even when the Police D5 Diesel XC90s go past its with respect. The presence of these Tanks, even makes the Drug Dealers queesy when your behind them. Bens right, back in the 90s you sh*t yourself when a police Volvo T5 was behind you. You aint getting away from it and it'll squish you like a can of coke if you bang into it. The new police XC90s are the safest cars on the road.

[@xxxmissmuffinxxx]

Hi Ben, you missed one the Vauxhall senator

[@richardcurrinn9880]

The police ones must have had a lot of work to get them to hold the road cos most of my family had them Vectra cars and they held the road like a brick in a bath of water no way they held a island without losing it

[@ukunboxings2242]

The Subaru's were the best, big fan of Subaru's. 😊

[@trevorockwell8764]

No Cosworth, but you can have a go with my Volvo 850R if you want?

[@gearupgifts]

Oh my god!!!!! I haven't got past number 10!!! I literally NEED that Ford Capri. THAT should be number 1 !!!!!! Sexiest car on the planet!!!!

[@PwnstarUK]

They made a Sierra RS Cosworth police car.. it got stolen from Bispham police station on the first day 😂. I was expecting that to be number one..

[@angelamuircroft5181]

Oh, that I was that multimillionaire, you surely would have your 100 Cosworths.

[@JosephRawsthorne31]

Now rate this for a police car, a covert police modified mini JCW, that would be the best thing since sliced bread.if they offered you this what would your reaction and out of 10 would it be ?

[@LewisMacdonaldMedia]

Ben this video has been uploaded as Unlisted, that's why the views are low. You can change it in the KZbin Studio app/website or re upload it all together.

[@BenPearson1965]

Ha ha I know pal it released it by accident it’s due to be released tomorrow 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@LewisMacdonaldMedia]

@@BenPearson1965 no worries great video regardless. Question for ya, have you ever pursued a advanced driver or perhaps one of your colleagues chased after one before? That's gotta be a case of down to tactics surely?

[@dukeofdevon5608]

Vxr vectra 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@johnny6476]

Out of all’s of these cars I’d have the VXR, Then again I’m a Vauxhall fan.

[@richarddyasonihc]

There are a lot of Fords mentioned here, from experience, I would never (again) buy a Ford anything. Admittedly I didn’t get get to dchoose most of the Fords which I ha - they were Company cars.

[@Anthony_15]

I would love to see (but also shit myself) BMW Ix Xdrive 40 M sport to be a actual police car in Scotland like it was a concept show piece at cop26 in Glasgow

[@lucythemoggy1970]

fun fact, FQ actually stands for F***ING QUICK

[@glennj6465]

Not bad list but where’s the Ford Granada 4x4 -2.9 ( and if your Met police :- 24 v head with twin turbo s on 😉👍🏻apparently ) ? Basic Only 165 Bhp but smooth . And the Siena 4x4 -2.9 did the clock and some 150+ 😉

[@pacers1231]

i love watching police interceptor