Police in the Australian state of Queensland are showcasing a custom-built 1994 Holden VR Calais drag car that they first introduced back in the 1990s.
The Queensland Police built two drag racing cars in the 1990s dubbed ‘Cop This’ and ‘Cop That’ and used them at drag racing events throughout the state as part of the D.R.A.G (Drag Right And Gain A Life) campaign. The aim was to encourage drag racing on tracks instead of on the street. While this campaign is long gone, ‘Cop This’ has returned after being discovered in a shed back in 2021 and undergoing a makeover.
Australia’s Drive reports that ‘Cop This’ started out as a prototype vehicle that was donated by Holden. Its V6 was removed and sitting in its place is a Chevrolet 5.7-liter V8 engine. The car was reportedly so quick back in its heyday that it could sprint down the quarter-mile in just 10.49 seconds.
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The unique Holden drag car attended the Bribie Big Arvo event on Thursday, April 14 and is being used to educate young drivers about road safety. It is unclear if local police have any intention of bringing the car back to the drag strip.
Whereas ‘Cop This’ was a Holden, ‘Cop That’ took the form of a Ford EF Falcon that was donated by Ford itself. It apparently had the powertrain of an XR6 and could set quarter-mile times in the 14-second range.
While responding to comments on a Facebook post announcing the return of ‘Cop This’, the Queensland Police state that the car is now privately owned. The original campaign was funded entirely by donations and many have called on the local police force to bring back a similar initiative.
