IT HAS more power than any of the V8 Supercars at last weekend's Bathurst 1000.
It can detect stolen cars in milliseconds, and spot speeding drivers from up to a kilometre away.
The NSW Highway Patrol has taken delivery of one of the last ever Ford Falcon GT sedans which, in a one-off special, has a supercharged V8 engine tuned by racing legend Dick Johnson to a staggering 800 horsepower, or 600 kilowatts in modern terms.
Not only does this police car's power eclipse the V8 Supercars on the grid at the weekend's Bathurst 1000 — which each have about 600 horsepower or 450 kilowatts — it also has almost twice as much grunt as a Ford Falcon GT.
The car was funded by the NSW Centre for Road Safety and joins two other special models — a HSV GTS and an earlier Ford Falcon GT — to target hoons.
The police "supercomputer in a supercar" made its first official appearance in the spectator areas of the Bathurst 1000.
While the new police car is equipped with the latest technology to catch high-speed crooks and banned drivers, it will spend most of its time parked at shows and community events.
"It's about talking to car enthusiasts on their level and having them understand the technology we have available," said Assistant Commissioner John Hartley.
"The vast majority of motoring enthusiasts are safe drivers who do the right thing … but once more people realise how much technology we have to detect dangerous drivers, hopefully they'll be less inclined to break the law."
Since NSW Police fitted number plate readers to its fleet of 400 highway patrol cars in November 2009, cameras have detected 141,000 unregistered cars, 20,000 unlicensed drivers, and 5600 wanted people.
