Czech Police Seize Ferrari 458 Italia, Turn It Into Cop Car

This Ferrari 458 Italia is likely to turn more heads than the Czech police’s usual fleet of Skoda patrol cars. The Ferrari was seized from criminals by the Czech police force and will start a new life pursuing the most aggressive drivers in the country, criminals in stolen vehicles and those attending street racing events. Just last month, this C7 Corvette Z06 was made into a police vehicle for a police force in Florida after it was seized from a drug dealer but, unlike the Ferrari, the ‘Vette won’t see any real action going after crims. Portuguese authorities also seized this Nissan GT-R R35 and turned it into an emergency organ transport vehicle.

Sources state that the 458 Italia was originally finished in red before being converted for use by the Czech forces. They painted it silver with yellow and blue reflective stripes and fitted it with a light bar on top which will help it clear a path through traffic to go after suspects.

The Ferrari 458 Italia’s 4.5-litre V8 engine is capable of 562bhp and 398lb ft of torque, getting it from 0-62mph in just 3.4 seconds and onto a top speed of 202mph. Let’s just say that’s much faster than your average Skoda Octavia police car, and with trained specialist cops behind the wheel there won’t be much else on the roads that can outrun it.

While a Ferrari 458 Italia would usually fetch upwards of £150,000, the Czech police only spent around £10,000 modifying this example and kitting it out with the police kit – that’s around the same as the cost of a Skoda Scala hatchback; a common model in the Czech police fleet.

There are some other interesting cars that have joined this police force’s fleet of late, with the authorities also taking delivery of 10 BMW 540i xDrive Touring models. They may not have Ferrari levels of power, but each is fitted with a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine with mild hybrid assistance producing 335bhp and 331lb ft of torque. These BMWs aren’t slow either, taking 5.1 seconds to hit 62mph.

Half of these are fitted with the same silver paint scheme with blue and yellow reflective stripes, and the other half will stay subtle and unmarked to catch unsuspecting criminals. These Touring models will have much more space than the 458 Italia, allowing for two officers in the front, three perps in the back and a boot full of bulky evidence…

The Ferrari is one of 900 vehicles the Czech authorities confiscated last year, and certainly not the most unusual. These are not all turned into police cars, however, and authorities reportedly resell most of the seized cars to recoup the costs of damage caused by offenders.

What’s the coolest police car you’ve ever seen?