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The Cars of NBC’s “Chicago P.D.”

Created by Dick Wolf (best known for creating the Law & Order franchise) in 2014, Chicago P.D. is the spinoff of NBC’s Chicago Fire. Chicago P.D. takes place in the Chicago Police Department’s District 21 – comprised of uniformed cops who deal with street crimes, and the Intelligence Unit. Under the command of Sgt. Hank Voight (a tough boss who’s known for bending the rules), the Intelligence Unit deals with major crimes, including drug trafficking and high-profile murders.

As a personal favorite show of mine, I thought we might take a dive and see what cars the Intelligence Unit currently is cruising around in.

 

 

Top 8 Cars I’m Most Excited About

With the Auto Show now in our rearview, we saw a great amount of what’s to come for 2015 and 2016. Here’s what you should be looking forward to:

Buick Avenir Concept

Buick Avenir Concept

Meaning “future” in French, the Avenir is sure to be a next-generation car. Although details are far and few between, we do know that the concept model has a V6 engine (with auto stop/start and cylinder deactivation), mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. With classic good looks and curves reminiscent of Buick’s big bodied sedans, driver-selectable suspension damping and 21-inch wheels make this car a show stopper. Rumored to be built on the Cadillac CT6’s Omega platform, GM’s product-development chief Mark Reuss says the CT6 uses “a mixed-material architecture and is very flexible” — so mum’s the word for now.

Volvo XC90

Volvo XC90I’ve always been a fan of the XC90, for some reason. I’m not too sure what it is – maybe it’s the looks, maybe it’s the brand, but whatever it is, the 2016 XC90 made me an even bigger fan. Ranging in price from just under $50,000 to an est. $62,000 for the T8 model, Volvo’s crazy enough to use a turbocharger, supercharger and electric motor – all in one vehicle. The range-topping T8 model features a turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled 2.0 liter inline-4 creating 316 hp and 295 lb-ft. of torque, with permanent magnet synchronous AC electric front and rear motors. Combined, they make 400 hp and over 470 lb-ft. of torque. It’s brutish looks also help it’s case.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Mazda MX-5This I’m more excited about for the obvious — it should be a fun little car to drive. Keeping it’s weight down at just barely one ton, the MX-5 Miata does 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, all from a 2.0 liter, 155 hp I4.

Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept

Chevrolet Colorado ZR2Although only a concept, the ZR2 is based off of the all-new Colorado with beefier styling, a stronger frame and extreme off-road performance. “From the bold stance to the trail-ready special equipment, the Colorado ZR2 is all about the fun of driving where the pavement ends”, says Tony Johnson, the Colorado’s marketing manager. A four-inch wider stance courtesy of a front and rear suspension lift, King off-road racing shocks, electronic front and rear locking differentials, integrated skid plates and 35″ off-road tires make the ZR2 the perfect mid-size truck to take off road. Even better – the concept truck is powered by a 2.8L Duramax Diesel engine, pushing 181 horses and nearly 400 lb-ft. of torque.

Ram Rebel

Ram RebelIf you can’t tell by now, I really like trucks and especially ones meant to go off-road, which brings us to the Ram Rebel. Although I’m not incredibly fond of the large 5-inch letters on the tailgate, I have warmed up more to the front grille design. With fenders from the current Power Wagon and 33-inch tires from Toyo, this truck means business. The Rebel comes with specially tuned Bilstein shocks, linked to the current Ram’s air suspension system. Two engines are available – the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 (305 hp) or the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (395 hp), mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Inside, seats are covered in a Sedosa fabric with Toyo tire tread embossings, bringing some of the outside influence, inside. I just really love the way it looks – I have a current-gen Ram 1500 and can attest to the power it puts down and the thrills it brings.

Cadillac CT6

Cadillac CT6Cadillac is making its entry back into the big-bodied rear-wheel-drive platforms. Armed with sharp angles and elegant design, Cadillac sets their sights on their German competitors. With all sorts of technology in the car including 4-wheel steering, multiple performance driving modes, night vision, magnetic ride control and an HD Rear Camera Mirror that allows 300 percent more vision that an ordinary standard mirror allows, the CT6 defines luxury merged with technology. Three engine choices will be available: a 265 hp turbo four cylinder, a 335 hp V6 and a 400 hp twin-turbo 3.0L V6; all will have an eight-speed automatic driving the rear wheels, with available all-wheel-drive.

Ford Focus RS

Ford Focus RSFinally, a hot hatch that comes to the states! We’ve been waiting for a Focus RS for a while, and since our friends across the pond have been hooning them for years, we get ours (hopefully) soon. Ford has released few details BUT they did tell us it has the new Mustang’s 2.3L turbocharged EcoBoost four cylinder engine, although it has been uprated and promises to deliver “well in excess” of 315 horsepower. The EcoBoost’s turbo has been changed to a low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger with bigger intercoolers. Torque-vectoring is also standard, with twin electronically controlled clutch packs on both sides of the rear drive unit; up to 70% of the output can be sent to the rear axle, allowing us “the ability to achieve controlled oversteer drifts at the track”, according to Ford. With all-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual as the only available transmission, 0-60 in the RS should absolutely be in the sub-5 second range. We can’t wait to get our hands on this.

Ford GTFord GT

Ahh, the Ford GT. The pièce de résistance. The unicorn.

Simply put, the Ford GT just needs to get here already. Yesterday, if possible. The GT features an EcoBoost twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5 liter V6, with an estimated, rather, a promise by Ford, to produce over 600 horsepower with noted “EcoBoost” and “Powered by Ford” branding. With the GT, Ford’s game plan is all about power-to-weight ratio – the carbon fiber in the GT’s chassis tub and bodywork will be hand-laid and Chief Engineer Jamal Hameedi said they want to have “the best power-to-weight ratio of any car on the market”. Ford also has taken the time to car about the details. The rear spoiler has the added function of being an air-brake, rising vertically and tilting to capture extra downforce and drag when needed. The taillights act as heat exchanges, where, after passing through fender-mounted intercoolers, newly heated air then flows to the GT’s tail where it exits through the centers of the taillights. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, carbon-ceramic brakes, and 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 tires keep this car on the ground. Sign us up for the waiting list.

The Cars of NCIS:LA

If you’ve seen CBS’ NCIS:LA, you know the cars Callen, Sam, Kensi & Deeks drive are pretty bold for federal agents. We’re here to take you through a tour of the cars the characters drive, just in time for tonight’s all-new episode at 9/8c on CBS!

Also, check out this video featuring NCIS:LA‘s Executive Producer and Director, John Kousakis, talk about the cars featured on the show.

All photos are from the Internet Car Movie Database.

2013 Ram 1500: Truck Of The Year

Hands down, the 2013 Ram 1500 takes the cake! Having won 4 separate awards for 2013 Truck of the Year, it is clear the Chrysler Group knows what they are doing. If style and power doesn’t sell you, just wait until you see what else the truck of the year has to offer. For starters, the Ram offers a 3.6 liter Pentastar V6, 8-speed automatic transmission, pushing 305 horsepower with a best in class 25 mpg on the highway. The Ram 1500 comes with a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty, 40,000 miles more than Ford offers. According to ALG 2013 and JDP 2013, the Ram 1500 has a better resale and brand reliability than Ford and Chevrolet. If you’re into big time power, another thing that the Ram offers is the 5.7 liter HEMI V8 that cranks out 395 horses.

Congratulations to the 2013 Ram 1500, Truck of the Year.

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(HEMI is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC)

From Classic to Modern — the Dodge Charger

The first Dodge Charger was introduced in 1966, but for now, let’s look at the second-generation Charger: 1968-1970. Probably the most iconic Charger, it made appearances in The Fast and the Furious series and played the General Lee in The Dukes of Hazzard.

Photo from seriouswheels.com

Photo from seriouswheels.com

Although over 80,000 Chargers were sold in 1969, only less than 500 had the HEMI — a 425 horspower, 7 liter, 4 barrel HEMI, to be exact. One of the more popular engines in the Charger, however, was the 440 cubic inch, which made 375 horsepower and a blistering 480 lb. ft. of torque.

Today, Dodge redesigned the Charger for 2011 and we think this might be the best one yet. With scalloped doors bringing back the styling cues of the 60’s, the new Dodge Charger is bringing back a classic. With 2 HEMI’s now available — a 6.4L V8 producing 470 horsepower and a 5.7L V8 producing 370 horsepower — the Charger is no slouch in the acceleration department. Shooting fro 0-60 in as little as 4.1 seconds, the Charger is a beautiful car. For those more concerned with fuel economy, Dodge offers a Pentastar V6 model, which produces 292 horsepower.

Photo from netcarshow.com

Photo from netcarshow.com

Thank you Dodge for making such a good looking car!

Police Interceptors: Check Your Mirrors!

Since Ford has discontinued their Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, police departments have been scrambling to find replacements. For the last 20 years, police departments have relied on the Crown Victoria to provide them with the durability, safety and performance that they look for in a vehicle. Now, several car manufacturers, Ford included, have introduced new police vehicles and departments all over the United States have been seen driving the new ones.

Chevrolet has introduced the long-awaited Caprice PPV, but although there is no civilian model, the Caprice PPV is bound to impress. With a standard 3.6L V6 engine producing 301 hp, and an optional, albeit massive, 6.0L V8 producing 355 hp, the Caprice PPV has several configurations to suit the needs of each individual department. The Caprice PPV is able to achieve a combined 18-21 mpg (depending on the engine), which makes police department’s very happy. Other features include a best-in-class top speed of 154 mph, eight airbags (including ones for the knee) and a rollover detection system, and a 5-year/100,000 mile warranty.

Although the Charger police car has been around since 2006, Dodge offered their new Charger Pursuit model in 2011. With a 3.6L Pentastar V6 producing  292 hp and an available 5.7L HEMI V8 producing 370hp, the rear-wheel drive Charger Pursuit had the best fuel economy in Motor Trend’s police vehicle test, offering 16/25 mpg for city/highway. The Charger was awarded a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Ford now has two new police interceptors available: the Police Interceptor Sedan and the Police Interceptor Utility based off of the Taurus and Explorer models, respectively. Having passed a 75-mph rear crash test, the Ford Police Interceptors also have optional ballistic door panels to keep occupants safe. With police-tuned suspension, standard all-wheel drive and a reverse-sensing system on all models, the Police Interceptors have police work in mind! Both feature the 365hp, 3.5L EcoBoost V6 and the 2013 Police Interceptor sedan had the best 0-60 time (5.3 sec.) in Motor Trend’s police vehicle test, while still achieving 16/23 mpg.

As gearheads, we all know what the Crown Victoria’s headlights looked like in our rearview mirrors. Now, there’s a whole new set of headlights to learn.

Check out the new interceptors, here: Ford || Dodge || Chevrolet