Return Of The Enforcer: NC Highway Patrol Gets 25 Ford Mustang GTs

Revving up their enforcement game, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol has welcomed the arrival of the first of 25 Ford Mustangs set to hit the roads for duty in the months ahead

This is not the first time the state highway patrol in North Carolina has utilized Ford’s pony car; in the 1980s and 1990s, it boasted a fleet of Mustang SSPs. Its new highway cruisers are based on the 2024 Mustang GT, and the agency states that the costs of these new muscle cars are “comparable to other vehicles” in its fleet.

However, it has not disclosed the total cost of the fleet of 25 Mustangs or the amount of taxpayer money allocated to their purchase.

Read: Prototype Ford Mustang SSP Is A Foxy Cop Car Ready To Outrun Wallets

Local police will primarily use the new Mustangs on interstates throughout the North Carolina.

Several changes have been made to the Fords to get them ready for police duty. The muscle car is primarily painted in gloss black but features matte silver accents running along the sides with the NC State Highway Patrol emblem. No photos of the cabin have been released but it too will have been upgraded with police equipment.

Ford introduced the seventh-generation Mustang at the North American International Auto Show back in September 2022. The GT model rocks the fourth generation of Ford’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8 with dual air intakes and dual throttle bodies. It pumps out 480 hp at 7,150 rpm and 415 lb-ft (563 Nm) of torque. That should be more than enough grunt for police officers to chase down all but the fastest of sports cars and supercars.

Earlier this month, Ford revealed that a new addition to the Mustang family will launch next year. Details about this new model are limited but a teaser released by the marque confirmed it will have a fixed rear wing.