Police turn Ferrari taken from criminals into patrol car

Police in the Czech republic have transformed a Ferrari 458 supercar confiscated from criminals into a patrol car.

The car is capable of speeds of up to 202mph and can do 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds.

It uses a 4.5-litre V8 engine and is worth around £150,000, and will be used to chase the "most aggressive drivers on Czech highways," or "when chasing stolen vehicles," police said.

They added the sports car would also be used to crack down on illegal road races, which usually involve "similar vehicles with extreme performance that normal patrol vehicles cannot fully compete with."

Police said the modifications cost 340,000 Czech crowns (circa £11,680) – less than the price of a new Skoda Scala.

Modifications made to the 2011 model include it being decked out in full police livery, with a flashing blue light bar put on the roof and a camera system plus speedometer being fitted.

The police service added that the Ferrari wasn’t even the most valuable or rare car it has seized from illegal activity.

Almost 900 vehicles have been seized in the past year alone, and although the ‘vast majority’ are sold, with the proceeds going towards compensation, it has hundreds of confiscated vehicles that are used to combat crime, although none of them as high-end as the Ferrari.

The supercar, which first launched in 2009, has been in storage for 10 years and only has 2,000km (1,243 miles) on the clock.

Jiří Zlý, director of the traffic police, said in a translated statement: “The vehicle will be used in a nationwide unit against aggressive drivers.

“We will also be able to use it when pursuing stolen vehicles that are going to neighbouring countries. The range of tasks that the vehicle will perform is really wide.”

The police added that it will only be driven by specially trained officers.

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