Cop-Spec: Is the 2021 Chevy Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle a Muscle SUV in Disguise?
For decades there's been something cool about the police versions of civilian vehicles, with sedans like the Ford Crown Victoria P71 and Chevy Caprice 9C1 becoming favorites among both the officers who drove them and the enthusiasts who would buy the cars after their service careers were over.
These cop-spec vehicles would often have significant upgrades compared to their civilians counterparts, with beefed-up suspension and cooling systems and sometimes extra horsepower under the hood.
And even though most law enforcement agencies have moved away from sedans and to SUVs as their vehicles of choice, these police SUVs continue to pack a lot of the same tricks. Case in point, Chevy's just-debuted 2021 Tahoe Police Pursuit Vehicle.
Based on the all-new 2021 Tahoe that was introduced a few months back, the police version of the new Tahoe packs a lot of those same tricks that have always made police vehicles a cut above their civilian counterparts.
There will actually be two different law enforcement versions of the '21 Tahoe, a Special Service Vehicle designed primarily for off-road situations and Police Pursuit Vehicle designed for highway use.
While both models will be powered by the latest iteration of GM's 5.3 liter V8, the PPV model gets a lot of extra tricks, including Camaro ZL1 rocker covers to improve crank case ventilation and a heavily upgraded cooling system.
Other upgrades include more aggressive suspension tuning for improved handling, a lower ride height, a clutch-type LSD in the rear and a set of six-piston Brembo brakes covered by 20" steel wheels with high performance tires. Naturally it also comes with all of the other interior components including an upgraded wiring harness and auxiliary battery setup.
From an enthusiast standpoint, the Tahoe PPV might not be a "true" performance vehicle but there's definitely something impressive about all these upgraded bits hiding under a government-issued SUV.
The Tahoe PPV will begin production in Texas later this year, with deliveries to law enforcement agencies beginning early next year. For the rest of us civilians, we'll have to wait some years before these retired Tahoe PPVs start becoming available at auctions for a discounted price.
Speaking of Chevy PPVs, don't forget about the rare Caprice PPV that now makes for one of the most unusual project car choices around.
