Zac Quinn 
With Dodge no longer making Charger police vehicles, at least not right now. Police Departments are looking elsewhere to fill the void for a fast and agile police pursuit vehicle, relative to the big SUVs they’ve been trading up into. And the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has just bought 25 examples of the 2024 Ford Mustang GT to use for police patrol duties across the state, and with 480 horsepower under the hood, these are some fast police cars.
They’ll probably have to call for backup in the event of making arrests, however. The lack of rear doors and a tiny second row of the S650 Ford Mustang may impede things otherwise.
S650 Ford Mustang GT Police Car: Details
This information comes from the patrol’s Instagram account, where photos of the 2024 Mustang wearing the state’s silver and black livery were shared. It’s unclear whether these use the standard GTs or the Premium trims. However, we can tell that the cars are equipped with the optional GT Performance Package based on the wheels and rear wing. That’s an extra $4,995 add-on that gives the car Brembo brakes, upgraded suspension, a Torsen differential, tweaked exhaust, additional chassis bracing, and front tow hooks. The Performance Package gives the pony car an extra 6 horsepower under the hood as well, bringing the total output for these police cars to 486 hp.
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We can also assume that the cars are equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission, which adds another $1,595 to the mix, bringing the total cost per car to $50,790, assuming this is just the standard 2024 Ford Mustang GT. In the post, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol claims the cost is “comparable to other vehicles currently deployed” in its fleet. However, this is certainly a force to be reckoned with, thanks to its performance figures on tap.
This isn’t the first time the Mustang has been employed for police work, as its assistance in law enforcement can stretch back to the 1980s when Ford offered its old 5.0 with a Special Service Package (SSP), which added several features to the car designed specifically for law enforcement duty. While Ford doesn’t explicitly make anything for the S650 Mustang that caters to police work, some upfit companies are likely capable of transforming the Mustang into a true police car.
