Ford Ranger Raptor and Focus Estate ST set to checker U.K. police forces

Fleets in the United Kingdom use Ford police cars. The newest additions are the rough-and-tumble Ranger Raptor and the zippy Focus ST Estate.

Ford of Great Britain announced it is beginning a new trial period for police forces across the U.K. with two very different performance-minded vehicles. After previously using the Mustang GT, U.K. cops will get to drive the extreme off-road variant of the Ranger midsize pickup and the sport-tuned variant of the four-door Focus wagon/hatchback.

The Ford Special Vehicle Preparation team in Essex, England, handles alteration and prep for the cop cars. Both vehicles were treated with British police livery, a blue and yellow checkered pattern that covers most of the bodies. They also have sirens and front-, rear-, and top-mounted emergency lights.

Ford imagines the Ranger as the ideal rural pursuit vehicle, while the Focus could tackle urban pursuits. The Ranger uses 2.0-liter EcoBlue engine that makes 210 horsepower and tops out at about 105 mph, but the Focus has a 187-horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBlue engine and caps at about 155 mph.

South Wales Police will be the first to trial the vehicles, with other forces following soon after. This begs the obvious question: How long until the first Ford Mustang Mach-E cop car?