Help - Argument about Police car spec !

[Fat Audi 80]

My BiB mate reckons his Vauxhall Omega Jam Sandwich 3.0 5sp Auto does 92mph in SECOND gear. I do not for one minute believe this!!!

1.) Does anyone know what a standard 3.0 5sp Auto Omega does?
2.) Does the Police version have a completely different engine / gearbox??

Thanks in advance, I don't want to completely fall out with my mate, but just refused to believe him on the grounds that Ferrari's don't even do those sort of speeds in second!!!

[plotloss]

I always thought that with a few exceptions (special units with tuned Scoobs etc) that all police cars were completely standard but just well maintained.

92mph sounds high for any car. The Nissan 300ZX would hit 70mph but it would complain rather a lot...

[Podie]

IIRC the only difference they make on most Police cars is to the alternator, where they fit a larger unit to deal with all the extra electronics.

I'm sure one of our resident Plods will confirm / blow this out the water...

[mattl]

If its anything like my saab auto box you only have gears 1,3,4 to select manually so 3rd is my second gear on the box and my car will certainly do 92mph in 3rd!!!

[Fat Audi 80]

3rd gear would make sense. I am going to try and find the numbers for the gear ratios on the vauxhall website and work out what rpm would be required for 92 mph in second! (I am guessing about 10,000 )

[rmurray73]

I remember my mates old style (A reg) 2.8 granada did a genuine 85mph in second. I also argued the case until he proved it.
The omega may just have long gearing............

[anonymous-user]

plotloss said:

I always thought that with a few exceptions (special units with tuned Scoobs etc) that all police cars were completely standard but just well maintained.

As I understand it, pretty much all VAG cars on force duty are chipped - e.g. the Octavia vRSs used by Wilsthire, Thames Valley, etc. are all chipped from 180bhp up to 225bhp.

[t-c]

Most Traffic cars if anything are slightly slower than their civillian counterparts. According to my former colleagues (Thames Valley Traffic) the Omega's are not chipped in any way, and because of all the roof equipment and kit in the boot it actually slows them down.

I know when I served and we had the first of the 5 speed Granada's a 1.1 Escort L would out run them. The early Senators certainly were not chipped, and I retired shortly after the Omega's started to come into service, but even so I do find 92 in second a little hard to swallow.

[_Al_]

I'd be suprised if they did 55.


My cavalier could do 90 in second, but it was a 3 speed auto. :blushes:

[tim_s]

my golf 1.8t hits just under 80 in 2nd before the rev limiter cuts in

>> Edited by tim_s on Monday 11th August 16:54

[Peter Ward]

t-c said:

Most Traffic cars if anything are slightly slower than their civillian counterparts. According to my former colleagues (Thames Valley Traffic) the Omega's are not chipped in any way, and because of all the roof equipment and kit in the boot it actually slows them down.

Does your comment on mods apply just to power, or does it include suspension, etc? I wouldn't like to drive an Omega with 1/2 ton of stuff in the boot at 100mph unless it was sensibly modified to cope with it!

Though I do wonder whether BiBs are only familiar with the handling of their patrol cars and assume everything's the same. Having just spent a fortnight with a 1.2 Polo on vacation, getting back to my Impreza's a revelation.

[silverback mike]

The suspension is altered, along with electrics.
Some vehicles have modified management systems, this is all done by the svs lot that prepare standard vehicles to police spec.

I will eat my pants if it can do 90 in 2nd!
I have never managed it, and certainly have given lots of marked cars serious beans when required.

Looks like your mate is in for a doofing.

Hope it helps,
Mike.

[outlaw]

tim_s said:

my golf 1.8t hits just under 80 in 2nd before the rev limiter cuts in >> Edited by tim_s on Monday 11th August 16:54

my astra does that without the NoS fireing.
aslong as you dont mind going sideways.

[Fat Audi 80]

Thanks Guys, Personally I think he may be using "2" on the Gear shift which may hold it in the first three gears only - hence thinking it is in 2nd gear only. Not being familiar with Auto's or with Vauxhall Omega's I have no experience of this scenario!

[d_drinks]

mmmmm not sure about this never owned a Omega but to give you an idea try this:

Lamborghini Gallardo weighs 1430 kg has a V-10 90 degree 4961 CC engine. 2nd gear ratio : 1.85:1 Max. speed in 2nd: 134.9 Km/h (that's 84.32mph) - source for this is the offical Lamborghini site.

I have my doubts that some of the figures bounded about on this thread are acurate to say the least

[tonyrec]

Dont know about 2nd gear......but flat out the unmarked ones do just over 150mph and the marked ones between 140-145mph.(using Pilot/Vascar)
All in all not bad for a family car with hubcaps.

[t-c]

My own personal car is an Omega Elite automatic, so last night on the Motorway, I tried it out to see what it would do in 2nd. I got to about 65 (ish) +/- 5 MPH and it really wanted third. Being my own car I am not prepared to cane it to the same degree I used to thrash patrol cars.

[tonyrec]

I will try this afternoon no doubt and i will post the definative answer on here at 11pm.

[nonegreen]

A freind of mine used to own the evaluation Omega which was supplied to Merseyside police prior to them ordering several. I borrowed it for a few months, nice car to drive. It was a GL trim spec with MV6 mechanicals. It had uprated suspension which was superb and an oversize alternator to drive all the crap. This was the estate version. Its performance was good. It did a true 145 MPH (calibrated speedo was left in) It did not do 92 in second and My 944 S2 left it for dead, except over speed humps.

[marvelharvey]

By the way Tonyrec, I was driving up the M23 a week or two ago and I saw an unmarked silver Vectra or Omega (covered in aerials)and the registarion plate included these letters: TONYR

I almost put my footdown, so I'd get pulled, just to see if it was you. However, it seemed sensible to just wait to ask on this forum

>> Edited by marvelharvey on Tuesday 12th August 12:07