Which is the most arresting vehicle?

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Cato and Vaughan:

I see the Crown Victoria has hit the end of the line. As a police constable, I've done thousands of kilometres in them, although they call them Ford Interceptors when they're beefed up as police cars.

I hear Ford is going to replace it with a Ford Taurus, but that sounds too small. That's the problem with the Chev Impalas and Dodge Chargers that some forces use. Way too cramped up front if you stick a couple of bad guys in the back.

Then I hear there's a new Chevy patrol car coming along, plus some company in the United States that's building armoured police cars with diesel engines. The armour wouldn't hurt these days, but I'm not sure we'll catch anyone with a diesel.

Anyway, which one is best?

Rick

Cato: Rick, it's the end of an era and more than about time. That big, old, body-on-frame Crown Vic rides on same chassis as the Lincoln Town Car. I've made plenty of trips to the airport in the Town Car, and if I had my way, Vaughan would enjoy the back seat of a Crown Vic - if you get my drift. I mean, the Crown Vic has owned nearly 70 per cent of the cop-car market, right?

Vaughan: Cato, the best cop car ever, in my opinion, was a 1974 Dodge Monaco. It was driven by Elwood and Jake in the Blues Brothers . As Elwood pointed out, "It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks."

Cato: I am amazed. A pop culture reference from you, Vaughan, a man who still listens to ball games on a hand-held transistor radio - whose TV is so old Value Village has never seen the make and model.

So Rick, how do you feel about Vaughan's recommendation - on old Dodge Monaco?

Vaughan: Hold on here, Cato. The Monaco might be my choice, but I think they're hard to find. It looks like they destroyed hundreds of them in that movie.

Cato: About 60, to be exact. Let me tell you, that movie still resonates; the teenagers around my house were watching it only last summer and a couple of them dressed up as Jake and Elwood for Halloween.

But back to Rick. Ford's entry is based on the new Taurus; it's been packaged as a Police Interceptor. You get the EcoBoost V-6 engine - which as long as the cops don't lead-foot it around will save gas - and all-wheel-drive. Safety features? Bigger brakes and a steel panel in the front seatback to closet those back seat "passengers."

Vaughan: Here's a question: Why did Chevy throw away the cop-car market in the late 1990s by dropping that big, old Caprice. It was a rear-drive sedan and the souped-up version was popular with the boys in blue.

That front-wheel-drive Impala is too small, never caught on. This time, GM has smartened up about what cops want and for 2011 they'll offer the Chevrolet Caprice PPV (Police Patrol Vehicle). Remember the Pontiac G8? A great big rear-wheel-drive sedan, V-8 engine, and "Mad Max" credentials from Australia. That's what is underneath the new Chev cop car.

Cato: Knock me down with a feather. You've seen two movies. Granted, both were new in the 1970s, but still, it's good to see you have managed to entertain yourself with something other than that transistor radio.

Vaughan: Blues Brothers was a 1980 release.

Cato: Splitting hairs and pedantic as usual, my friend.

Yes, General Motors' Pontiac brand is toast - a decade too late - but the G8 is coming back as a North American cop car: 355 horsepower, six-speed automatic transmission, 0-100 in about 6.0 seconds.

Vaughan: It'll get you to Timmy's in a big hurry. The G8 cop car will be available in 2012 with a V-6 version, too. Plus they all have a beefed-up alternator, transmission and power steering coolers, 18-inch steel wheels and larger four-wheel disc brakes.

Cato: It's big enough for a caged back seat to house the likes of you, plus room in front for lots of equipment and extra padding in the seats for those long shifts. Plus the usual sirens and computers, of course.

Vaughan: Okay, now for the new one that you heard about Constable Rick. We're not actually sure that it will get built, as they're still waiting for a U.S. Federal Government loan. But if it does come out in about three years, it'll be from a startup company in Indiana called Carbon Motors.

Their vehicle is called the E7 at the moment, although there is a naming contest for cops now under way. Get your entry in, Constable Rick. This car is specifically designed only for police departments - the world's first purpose-built police car.

Cato: This is the cop car the cops want. Carbon asked 200 police departments and the result is a tough, fuel-thrifty car with a computer system and a tough-guy look; 300 horsepower and a plastic body over an aluminum frame. That's why it's so light - relatively - at 1,814 kg. The engine is a BMW diesel.

But my choice of the three would be the G8, er, Caprice PPV.

Vaughan: Cop cars are sold in bulk - like you, Cato - so that means deep discounts to budget-conscious PDs. So is there a profit there for Carbon? Right now, not even Jake and Elwood can know.

But I know that I like the looks of this Carbon cruiser. Rick, based on the specs and what I've seen, it's my pick. But of course you'll need to wait and see if it become a real production car.

Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan are co-hosts of Car/Business, which appears Fridays at 8 p.m. on Business News Network and Saturdays at 2 p.m. on CTV.