SEMA debut for Stealth Ford Police Interceptor

The Ford Police Interceptor was made first famous by the Australian blockbuster Mad Max and now the Blue Oval's US division is busting out an equally sinister concept version for this week's SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) trade show in Las Vegas.

Using the existing American Police Interceptor Taurus sedan as a base, Ford designer Melvin Betancourt developed a customised undercover stealth version that's "full of high-tech surprises".

Bettancourt derived his inspiration from the Lockheed SR-71 -- a high-altitude, long-range reconnaissance plane designed in the 1960s and nicknamed "Blackbird" for its imposing presence.

Capable of travelling at three times the speed of sound, the SR-71 is still considered the ultimate airplane by many aviation enthusiasts.

A hard act to follow, but Bettancourt started by lowering ride height an inch (25mm), and stuffing in 22-inch wheels with a staggered rim section to create the impression of added width and muscle.

"The rim section is stacked to give it the illusion of greater width," he said. "The centre of the wheel is glossy black, and the rim is chrome. So we have that racy, hot rod look, but at the same time we're building a sinister, stealthy, 'Don't mess with me' feeling."

The exterior of the Police Interceptor stealth vehicle is solid black. The lights on the car are designed to be inconspicuous, with the surrounding area painted black so they blend in until illuminated.

The bootlid is topped by a spoiler adorned with bead lights painted black so they remain unnoticed until the car is started. The taillights are smoked, the windows tinted.

"When you think stealth, you think, 'there, but not there.' This is all about strength, secrecy and concealment," said Bettancourt.

In keeping with the Police Interceptor concept's stealthy exterior, the cabin also hides its true intent.

"It's all about concealing everything," Bettancourt said. "The headliner is black, we wrapped the B-pillars in black, and then we started looking at, 'Where can I hide this? How can I conceal this?' We repackaged the console -- it looks like a production console with the waterfall of the instrument panel. But when you start opening doors and panels, that's when you see everything."

According to Bettancourt, unless you're supposed to be in the vehicle, you won't know where and how to find the compartments, he said. For example, the radio is hidden inside the console, as is an onboard computer. Also, the glove box has a secret space designed for weapons.

Betancourt anticipates visitors to SEMA will immediately sense the uniqueness of the car.

"Right away, they'll see this vehicle that looks different, that looks sinister -- but they won't know exactly why. Then, as they get closer, they'll start to see all of these touches that work together to create the overall image."

The production Police Interceptor sedan comes with two powertrain options in the US -- a 3.5-litre, E85-compatible V6 engine with 209kW and a twin-turbocharged, direct-injection EcoBoost version with 272kW and 475Nm across a broad rpm range.

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