• New York State Police will deploy Ford Mustang GTs statewide.
  • Muscle cars target speeders while SUVs handle regular duties.
  • Force says Mustangs cost less than patrol SUVs and look cooler.

Here comes bad news in blue lights for anyone who enjoys treating New York highways like a private racetrack. New York State Police has added 19 V8-powered Ford Mustang GTs to its fleet to help tackle speeding and aggressive driving.

One Mustang has already served as a prototype for training and evaluation duties, and now the first of the fleet enters service this week in Troop G, covering the Capital Region. The remaining Mustangs are currently being fitted with emergency lighting, radios, and other police hardware before spreading out across the state over the coming weeks.

Related: Lego Technic’s $99 Mustang GT Does What Ford’s $46K Version Still Can’t

The 480 hp (487 PS) 5.0-liter Mustangs won’t replace the department’s SUV fleet. Instead, they’ll work alongside them in a more focused role, mainly on highways and during high-visibility enforcement campaigns where speed and maneuverability can make a difference.

That split strategy makes sense. SUVs remain the preferred everyday patrol tool thanks to better visibility, easier entry and exit, cargo room, and stronger foul-weather capability. They’re more useful in snowstorms, during pothole season, and the general chaos of real life. And they’re much better suited to taking miscreants into custody.

Better For Chases

New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs

NYSP

The Mustangs, meanwhile, bring a different skill set. Lower weight, sharper handling, and proper straight-line pace make them ideal for catching reckless drivers who think, or know, a crossover can’t keep up. They also send a very clear message in the rearview mirror.

New York officials say the coupes cost around 30 percent less than patrol SUVs, which adds an unexpectedly practical angle to the move. That means the cops get a specialized traffic-enforcement tool while spending less than they would on another batch of utility vehicles. Rarely do words like “budget-friendly” and “20 MPG V8 coupe” share the same sentence.

Part-Time Troopers

New York’s Pursuit Mustangs Cost 30% Less Than Patrol SUVs
NYSP

There is one obvious limitation beyond the tiny back seats and lack of rear doors. These cars won’t be year-round heroes. Reports indicate they’ll be used from spring through fall rather than during winter, when rear-wheel-drive muscle cars and icy roads tend to have a complicated relationship.

Police Mustangs are hardly new in America, but they became less common as agencies shifted toward utility vehicles like the Ford Police Interceptor Utility. That makes New York’s decision feel a little nostalgic, but it’s not the only US police force adding Mustangs to its fleet. Cops in South Carolina, Indiana, Virginia, Florida, and Georgia are already using them to patrol their local roads.