Azalea City Cruiser
The Valdosta Police Department will patrol in a hopped-up Steeda ’Stang
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Steeda Autosports
Late last year Steeda Autosports announced that it was continuing its tradition of building Special Service vehicles with its 2016 Steeda line of Mustangs for police, special service and military customers. Recently the company complete this example, which is earmarked for traffic enforcement, for the Valdosta Police Department.
If you are familiar with Steeda, you know the company’s expansive manufacturing facilities are located in Valdosta, Georgia, so it comes as know surprised that city law enforcement would turn to a local company for a more capable pursuit vehicle.
“From U.S. manufacturing facilities—to supporting the United States Military—to supporting Law Enforcement … Steeda has tremendous roots when it comes to their relationship with this great nation,” says the company. “This support is as strong as ever as Steeda Autosports continues their relationship with the Valdosta Police Deptartment dating back to 2010 when Steeda was challenged to improved safety features, upgrade braking systems and provide fuel saving technology modifications to improve miles per gallon.”
These vehicles are based on Steeda’s Q-series Mustangs that are available to the general public in naturally aspirated and supercharged variants. However, the Steeda Special Service vehicles are set up with the necessary lighting and communications upgrades and they are compatible with the commonly available ballistic protections used by law enforcement vehicles.
In the case of the Valdosta Police Department patrol car, it is a naturally aspirated example equipped with a variety of Steeda upgrades. Enhancing the performance are a Steeda no-tune-required cold air intake and axle-back exhaust. Meanwhile the handling is improved courtesy of Steeda sway bars (front and rear), a Steeda two-point G-trac brace, a Steeda strut-tower brace, a Steeda IRS subframe brace and Steeda subframe bushing spacer kit. In deference to the off-road duty most patrol cars are put through, this car retains the stock suspension springs for ground clearance.
For more on those mods, you can take a tour of this police car with Scott Boda, Steeda Autosports' Director of Manufacturing, right here…
[video=youtube;Gj-QRb-vsHg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj-QRb-vsHg[/video]
“The Steeda Police Interceptors are tested and proven law enforcement vehicles that reflect the do-anything commitment of Law Enforcement Agencies,” Dario Orlando, President of Steeda Autosports, said when this program was announced late last year. “We’ve selected specific components from that have been extensively race and track tested—leaving nothing to chance for law enforcement agents.”
For those interested in special service or consumer Mustangs built by Steeda Autosports, you can check out the Steeda Vehicles site right here.
Steeda Autosports recently completed this Special Service S550 for the Police Department in Valdosta, Georgia.
For agencies that want a stealthier patrol pony, Steeda offers its Special Service Mustangs in unmarked versions as well. We don’t think Valdosta PD has one of these yet, but you never know...
