The Daily Telegraph from London, Greater London, England • 92

C12 SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1998 Motoring THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Humberside Police has just added an impressive new vehicle to its fleet a rally-spec Subaru for hotter pursuits. Russell Bulgin investigates Who do you think you are: Colin In the hot seat: Russell Bulgin takes Sgt Peck for a ride cle: it is an -gathering car, used in high-speed work. "A big-engined traffic car is no good for city pursuits," says project leader Sgt Mike Peck. Peck is a time-served mechanic and rally competitor turned copper. He can, if need be, read you your rights and explain away understeer in a single sentence.

"The idea was to spend a few more pounds to make the car go where the criminals go like across explains Peck matter-of-factly. The Humberside vehicle crime unit identifies and targets criminals who use cars to commit crimes and evade capture: "We specialise in highspeed situations where criminals might go on or off The Impreza replaces Ford Escort RS Cosworth, now three-and-a-half years old and showing 56,000 miles. "You wouldn't like to see we've taken the smiles Peck, it still doesn't have any damage underneath!" With the Escort Cosworth out of production, Sgt Peck drew up a shortlist of potential replacements. A Lancia Delta integrale Evolution was lefthand drive only; the Audi S4 unavailable at the time. The Impreza, with a turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive, seemed perfect to Peck.

"To keep up with a criminal in a chase, a police driver might have to drive a regular patrol car at 95 per cent; with a car like this, he drives at 70 per cent. That's much safer." Except that the Impreza's small size, which Peck reckoned to be a key advantage allowing to the car to slip down narrow back alleys was a problem when it came to housing two stout policeman and the gubbins of modern car-crime fighting: three radios, a telephone, Provida video-speed recording equipment, intercom and sirens. Prodrive provided mechanical upgrades based on those in Cut to the chase: the Impreza's racy looks command respect; right, a video display unit Rally round: Sgt Peck, once a mechanic and competitor, at the Prodrive factory controls rear, all and front roof lights." Often, at an incident, a police car has to be left with the engine running to keep its lighting and communications systems alive. pushing a button, the ignition key can be removed with the engine still operating: touching the brake pedal, clutch or throttle kills the engine dead. This device saves the embarrassment of any particularly resolute TW0Cer, scallywag or herbert With an Approved Used Saab SAAG you will discover many pleasant SCANIA 1 surprises and one big shock.

SAAB network APPROVED dealership Discover a Saab and enjoy more for less. ovation in front of the gear lever shows real-time images Pictures: CHARLIE IRONY? Paradox? Possibly both. How so? Because key elements of the technology makes Britain's former World Rally Champion Colin McRae go faster have been frothed up into a machine that, at first glance, seems intended to stop you going faster. Prodrive, the Banbury-based creator of the world-beating Subaru rally cars has, it appears, slipped from poacher to high tech gamekeeper in engineering this Subaru Impreza police car. Until now, true performance Subarus glinted in metallic blue and were dotted with 555 cigarette logos: this car, by contrast, is an unsullied jam sandwich, Homepride white with a Day-Glo filling spilling nose to tail.

But don't fret. You won't see this car parked on a motorway, beady eyes and radar guns peering out across three lanes. As befits a Prodrive Subaru, this car has a rare singularity of purpose. Just as McRae, with back-up from Prodrive, tackles the planet's top rally drivers head on, so Humberside Police uses this Impreza to chase TWOCers, scallywags and assorted herberts. TW0Cers? Those who Take Without Owner's Consent.

Technically, this Impreza is a rare sub-species of police vehi- ERE 2 PROTECT REASSURE Humberside: badge of honour The Daily Telegraph SAAB SearchLine Authorised Saab Dealerships are committed to providing our readers with a full sales and after sales service and will always endeavour to supply you with a quality Approved used Saab that meets your specific needs. However, if you are unable to find the Saab of your choice on this page, The Daily Telegraph may be able to help you. Please call the number below and leave details of your exact requirements and the area you are calling from on our Saab Used Car SearchLine. 0171 538 6428 Tough: the Impreza follows joyriders across fields aerofoil and gold alloy wheels, 16in in diameter, with performance-oriented Pirelli P-Zero tyres? "Actually, those bits are important," says Peck. "That was the great thing about the Escort Cosworth it was so in-your-face.

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Top speed: 150mph Upgraded: the 240bhp engine its limited edition Impreza WR model. A new engine management system, big-bore exhaust and uprated brakes were fitted. These push the power output to 240bhp, up 32bhp on the standard Impreza turbo and increasing the top speed without the roof-mounted lamp-bar slicing and dicing the airstream to 150mph. Yet this Impreza does not feature Prodrive's sports suspension upgrade. "'We negotiate a lot of traffic-calming explains Peck, absolutely straight-faced.

longer travel of the standard suspension, and the inch greater ride-height is particularly useful then." Just in case the traffic-calming measures live up to their name, Prodrive installed a full sumpguard. To drive, this Prodrive police car is simply a very fine performance saloon, replete with a glorious tenor exhaust burble and a hugely seductive range of optional equipment. Ahead of the gear lever sits the video display: for full Humberside-goes-to-Hollywood chases, it can also show real-time images grabbed by a police helicopter. On tiny carbon-fibre panel sits a small slider. "They call this the 'RAF says Peck.

"It grabbed by police helicopter POLICE SIPKA and thieves down narrow alleys abandoning his stolen car and then pinching the police car as his pursuers attempt to locate him on foot. Other -influenced equipment includes Recaro seats, vital to any law -enforcement sacroiliac on a long shift, and a Momo steering wheel. Nudging the horn-push when the klaxon is on changes the siren's note from a cheery whoop to anguished yelp. This is stuff that makes sense but what of the boy-racer rear complete with Escort Cosworth and helicopter set up in September 1994, when Hull was, in the Humberside force's own words, "branded as the car crime capital of England' with 15,018 offences recorded. Since then, car crime figures have been slashed by 39 per cent, with an estimated saving to the community of £16-4 million.

Mike Wood, Prodrive's WR Sport sales manager believes that "every police force in the country could use a couple of these cars and there are 50- odd forces in That represents hefty potential business for Prodrive. "Since we begun this project," confirms Sgt Peck. "we've already had inquiries from four forces." Mike Peck, rallymanturned-copper, looks for a second. "This kind of car is the only realistic way of dealing with the.