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40 Cars That Get Drivers Noticed By Police

Vukasin Herbez January 9, 2019

10. Sherman Tank

Although civilians cannot own or operate true military vehicles, several tank collectors found loopholes in traffic laws and managed to put license plates on their tanks. Of course, nobody can own the latest and state of the art tanks, but you can buy old tanks that don’t have working guns.

One of the most common tanks from the Second World War is the Sherman M4 Tank, which was produced in almost 50,000 examples and used by numerous armies all over the world. A surprising number of those still survives, and some are even functional and can be driven on the road. However, the owners ask over $500,000 for roadworthy examples.

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9. Toyota Hilux

Despite the fact that older versions of this truck were sold in the US, the Hilux has been absent from America for decades now. It is a shame, really, since this compact truck is one of the widely recognized “tough as nails” vehicles capable of pulling, carrying, and going through the wilderness with ease. Toyota sells thousands of those tough 4×4 trucks around the world, practically on every continent except for North America.

So, what is the reason for that? First, most Hilux models sold globally are diesel-powered. The US customers are not used to compact trucks with that kind of engine, and there is the question of emissions standards. On the other hand, once the very popular compact truck market was pretty dead for a number of years, only to recently start to reemerge with models like Chevrolet Colorado. Since Toyota’s truck division is pretty strong on the domestic market, we possibly could expect a Hilux to arrive in US shores in the future, but nothing is announced. Until then, we can only envy the rest of the world for those cheap and extremely durable compact trucks we can’t have. However, you can technically own a Hilux and import it from overseas, you just cannot register it in the US. And if police see you cruising around in one of those trucks, you will get pulled over and impounded immediately.

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8. Ford Falcon Cobra

In 1978, Ford Australia was getting ready to introduce a new body style for its popular Falcon. The new model was to be produced as a sedan or station wagon and a two-door coupe was out of production. Closing down the old model’s assembly lines, Ford was left with 400 coupe body shells, which were supposed to be scrapped. However, Ford decided to turn the leftover bodies into a particular version called Falcon Cobra.

The 1978 Falcon Cobra could be had with a 5.8 or 5.0 V8 engine, automatic or manual transmission, and two colors – white or blue. Each car was given racing stripes as an homage to Shelby Mustangs, which were popular in Australia. Today, Falcon Cobra is a valuable and much sought after car in Oceania. In the US, it is known as the Mad Max car (although in modified form), so if you own one of those rare beasts, you will get pulled over out of pure curiosity.

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7. Ferrari Testarossa

There is no doubt; the Testarossa is one of Ferrari’s most legendary models. Not only for its looks, for its reputation, for its performance but mostly for the allure of the ’80s style, appearance in cult TV shows, video games, and movies. The Testarossa was one of the definitive ’80s sports cars, despite the fact, its technology and mechanical layout date back in the mid-’70s. The basis for Testarossa is a special flat 12 engine with 5.0-liter displacement. This layout was first introduced in 1973 on Ferrari 512 BB and improved over the years.

The Testarossa was introduced in 1984 and featured the same design, although improved power and torque compared to 512 BB. The flat 12 cylinder engine affected the design since the engine itself is very wide, so the car’s width was pretty big. This helped the handling since the rear track was wider than the front but made city driving and maneuvering pretty hard, especially knowing that early Testarossas didn’t come with power steering. The power output from this highly specific flat 12 engine was enormous, and Testarossa had 396 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. The 0 to 60 mph time was just 5.5 seconds, and the car could top 180 mph. So if you plan to drive one of those ’80s legends, be prepared to get pulled over by the cops. Even if you weren’t speeding and your papers are in order, cops might want to take a look in your trunk since back in the day, this was a favorite drug dealer’s car in Miami.

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6. Porsche 911 GT3 RS

When the 996 generation of 911 debuted in 1998, Porsche purists were shocked. Their beloved car lost one of its defining characteristics – air cooling. The reason was simple: air cooling wasn’t interesting as it could no longer cope with the engines’ rising power and the demanding engineering of Porsche cars. The engines had to go to regular water cooling, far more efficient and used throughout history. Some say that 911s lost some of its appeals, but we say that this was a smart move since it allowed the engineers to develop the car further.

One of the best models of the 996 series is sublimely good GT3 RS. Porsche fans don’t like the 996 series, but the GT3 RS has met universal praise. This was an even more extreme version of the GT3 model, which featured a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter engine, dry sump, forged pistons, and race-derived engine internals. The result was 381 HP and brutal performance, and since the prices of GT3 and GT3 RS models are relatively cheap, those cars are a perfect proposition for all enthusiasts. And easy prey for cops since the iconic shape is easy to recognize.

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5. Cadillac Escalade

Although the Escalade is not a sports car or a flashy convertible, it is one of the most commonly stolen cars in America and a cop magnet because of that. It is big, expensive, and opulent. And it is a Cadillac that still represents something great in the motoring world. Cadillac jumped into the luxury SUV bandwagon relatively late in 1999 with the first-generation Escalade. And even though it was nothing more than a rebadged Suburban, the Caddy was one of the most dominant models on the market. The reason was the opulence of classic Cadillac cars easily translates to the 21st century as well as the luxury SUV segment. Cadillac understood the opportunity, so they presented three generations of the biggest, most opulent luxury SUV models available.

And the market went crazy for these apartment complexes on wheels. The Escalade is still a rebadged Suburban, but Cadillac hides with an enormous amount of luxury goods and specific details. The Escalade is the perfect classic Cadillac in a modern interpretation for the next generation of luxury car buyers. It’s also perfect for people who want to show off their success.

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4. McLaren F1

There is much written about the F1, the way it was designed and produced, and the way it changed the world of supercars forever. But let’s just repeat the basics. The F1 was introduced in 1992 and stayed in production until 1998. During that period, McLaren produced 106 cars, including the GT-R versions, highly successful racing models. The F1 featured a bespoke 6.1-liter V12 engine made by BMW Motorsport, which delivered 627 hp and used 6-speed manual transmission.

The road versions of the F1 had a very interesting, three-seat configuration with the driver’s seat in the middle of the cabin and the steering wheel positioned in the center of the dash. The initial testing, racing success, and overall excellence of the package declared the F1 as one of the best, if not the best supercar of all times. The original F1 wasn’t road legal in the USA, and although now it can be imported legally, it is illegal in some states to drive the car with a central driving position. That is good enough reason to get pulled over.

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3. Ariel Atom

The ingenuity of British engineers is seen not only on classic cars but also on some current projects. This is maybe the craziest car on sale today you can put license plates on. Ariel Atom 500 V8 weighs 1200 pounds and has 500 hp from a V8 engine, which is mounted directly behind the driver. The car is basically a Go-Kart with a spoiler, some space for two people, no trunk, no body panels, and no fenders. Just bare chassis, a screaming V8 behind you, 500 angry horses that want to run free in full power, a 7-speed sequential gearbox, and four tires.

If this description doesn’t scare you, the performance will. Ariel Atom 500 V8 is capable of jumping to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds, beating the ridiculous Bugatti Veyron, which was the world’s fastest accelerating passenger car at some point. We can only imagine how it feels being catapulted to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds in a car that has no body or roof, and the engine is just inches away from your head. It must be fantastic yet potentially deadly.

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2. Aston Martin DB5

The British always knew how to build a gorgeous Gran Turismo sports car. All through history, there were numerous Bentleys, Jaguars, Jensens, and Aston Martins, which captured people’s imagination and seduced generations of enthusiasts with their sculpted lines and powerful engines. The epitome of British GT must be a fantastic and everlasting Aston Martin DB5.

The DB5 was released in 1963, and the famed Italian Carozzeria Touring designed it. The car’s heart was a 4.0-liter straight-six engine with 282 to 315 HP depending on the trim and model. The DB5 was produced as a coupe or gorgeous convertible. Despite being powerful for the day’s standards, DB5 was more of a luxury cruiser than a sports car with acceleration figures of around eight seconds from 0 to 60 mph. It proved immensely popular, and Aston made over 1000 examples until 1965, which was considered to be a big success for a small boutique manufacturer. But this car is most famous for appearing in quite a few James Bond movies. Some say this is an early case of product placement, but we say it is a match made in heaven.

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1. Plymouth Barracuda 426 Hemi

The Plymouth Barracuda was the first pony car, introduced two weeks before the Ford Mustang, and despite cool design and features, it was always in the shadows of the Mustang and Camaro. However, in 1970, a redesigned model arrived along with Dodge Challenger, built on the same platform and with the same engines. As with Dodge, the most powerful versions were 440 Magnum with 395 hp and Hemi 426 with 425 hp.

Everybody agrees that Hemi produced more than the advertised power and that the real output was closer to 500 hp than to declared 425 hp. However, this engine option was quite expensive and cost about 1/3 of the car’s price. That is why only a small number of Hemi-equipped Barracudas left the factory in 1970 and 1971, and most buyers were serious street racers who wanted one of the fastest muscle cars ever built. The Hemi 426 in Plymouth Barracuda could sprint to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds. Interestingly, this time, documented by the magazine testers back in the day, its performance could be improved by just a few simple modifications to the intake, ignition, and carburetor jets so tuned Barracudas could go even faster.

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