The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has acquired 25 units of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (with manual transmission) which will be used alongside the Proton Wajas and Iswaras as patrol cars. The purchase was rumored for some time but the PDRM did not officially comment on it and it was thought that the cars might be used for undercover purposes.

Before:

After:

High-performance models are nothing new to the PDRM and even as far back as the 1970s, the force had a fleet of 2-litre Alfa Romeo Alfettas, the first police force outside Italy to use the Italian cars. Marketed by City Motors at that time, they were assembled at the Swedish Motor Assemblies plant in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Later on, during the 1980s, the police also purchased a small fleet of Ford TX3s which were used for undercover operations. The cars were unmarked and little was known about them other than that they existed. Around that time, other government agencies like the Customs also used models like the Citroen BX and BMW 318i in order to pursue criminals who had fast machines.

In the 1990s, the Highway Patrol got the powerful Volvo 850 T5 stationwagons which were ideal for use on the North-South Highway. The station wagons served for some time but today, the Highway Patrol uses Mitsubishi Pajeros, Nissan X-Trails and some Proton Satria GTIs.

The PDRM will be sending its Evo drivers for special training courses so that they will be able to make full use of the car’s performance so illegal racers had better think twice before trying to accelerate away when they see flashing blue lights behind them. The police also say that the cars may have other roles that require high-speed escorts.

As these are government vehicles, the cost would be about half the showroom price of RM324,000 since they are purchased tax-free. Also, the Evo’s 295 bhp engine is a thirsty power plant but since the police also get tax-free petrol, that should not be a worry either! ~ Motor Trader dot com.

WoW! Just what we need in our times of financial difficulties! Spend our money on cars that is unnecessary so that we can show off to our neighbors that we too can use some muscle when chasing criminals and illegal racers in Malaysia!

Not that I feel we do not need fast patrol cars, but just imagine this scenario, here you are in an Evo 10 patrol car patrolling the North-South Highway and suddenly one Lamborghini Gallardo and one Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M with our neighbor’s license plates on them zoomed towards Kuala Lumpur, anyone with the right state of mind knows that no matter how or what you put in the Evo 10 can actually chase these supercars!

Ok, I may have been a bit extreme. Let’s just say a Nissan Skyline R-34 GTR V-SPEC and a BMW M5 owned by friends of mine are illegally racing down the Sepang highway, you think with 600 plus horses under each hood are a match for the Evos?

I remembered I think it was somewhere last year somewhere near the second link where our boys organized illegal races you see similar in the Fast & Furious franchise. All the Cops did was blocked each end of the highway with trailers and buses and they had nowhere to run. There, you didn’t need any fast cars then and you guys need 25 of them now?

For what is my question?

To escort our VVIPS? In which earlier this year just because some VVIP is accessing the private road with an entourage, a man lost his live just because he was startled and slammed the brakes when he was ordered to the side of the road? Sometime it makes me wonder, why all the precautions? Has any political or corporate figures been assassinated in public roads before? Were there any car bombs placed by the roadside to bomb some VVIP? I guess its just for show right? I believe Malaysians do not resort to violence unless provoked. Oh, let’s get back to the topic.

Yes, until I find some explanation on why do we need Evo 10s as patrol cars, I shall always wonder why are we just wasting tax payers money. Just like the Scorpene submarines we bought. Are we using them to scare the Abu Sayaf pirates of Sabah and Sarawak’s shores? Are we at war with Singapore so we can sneak up and fire torpedos so that Singapore sink faster? Are we even prepared to lose our boys as submarine accidents do happen. Look at the US, they even lose nuclear subs whenever problem arises under sea and are the Scorpenes any match to the nuclear subs?

Let us ponder….

UPDATES : 05 March 2009

view the latest pictures of RMP Highway Eagle (evo10)

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4. First it was Evos now Volvos?