The LAPD scores a patrol car fit for Rodeo Drive with its new Lamborghini Gallardo

By Stephen Edelstein Published March 18, 2014

By now, every gearhead should know about the Dubai Police and its fantasy fleet of exotic cop cars, including a Lamborghini Aventador.

Sadly, U.S. police departments haven’t had the resources for a publicity stunt like that. Until now.

Car and Driver reports that the Los Angeles Police Department now has a black-and-white Lambo to call its own and, no, parking fines in the City of Angels haven’t been raised to historic highs.

That’s because this Lamborghini Gallardo is on loan from Nathalie and Travis Marg, the owners of telecommunications contractor Light Source 1. It’s police livery is a removable vinyl wrap, and presumably this supercar will get slightly better treatment than the LAPD’s aging fleet of Ford Crown Victorias.

Like the Dubai Police’s exotic-car collection, the LAPD Gallardo will be used for public-relations purposes, specifically charity events conducted by the LAPD air-support team. Its 5.2-liter V10 wouldn’t be very useful in the city’s notorious traffic, anyway.

Supercar spotters will also note that this isn’t the latest and greatest Lamborghini. It’s an early-model Gallardo, so it doesn’t feature any of the cosmetic or performance enhancements different versions of Lambo’s “entry-level” model received during its 10-year run.

Perhaps the LAPD will find a party willing to loan it a new 2015 Huracán LP610-4. Until then, a Lamborghini is still a Lamborghini.

Stephen Edelstein

Former Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Topics

Photo Galleries

Cars

Volvo’s purported EX50 could be the budget-friendly plot twist nobody saw coming

Volvo's next electric SUV could shake up the EX lineup with more room and a smaller price tag.

Volvo’s electric lineup needed a genuinely affordable entry point, and a new report suggests that buyers might actually get one.

According to a new Automotive News report, Volvo is quietly working on a compact electric crossover, called the EX50. It will be aimed at replacing the dated EX40 in the US sometime in 2027.

Cars

Xiaomi just launched an SUV with seven seats and a bedroom upstairs

Xiaomi’s SkyNomad SUV could replace your car, office, lounge, and tent

Skynomad

Xiaomi’s new family SUV is basically a house on wheels with enough claimed range to cover more than 1,000 miles. It also costs considerably less than its outlandish feature list might suggest. The company has officially launched the SkyNomad N90 Max in China for 299,900 yuan, equivalent to roughly $44,400 through direct conversion.

Preorders are open now, with the first vehicles expected to reach customers in September. The converted figure provides useful context, though it does not represent pricing outside China. Xiaomi describes the seven-seat flagship as a “house you can move.” This unusually grand pitch starts making sense once you see what happens inside.

Cars

Mazda chief says the MX-5 Miata could go electric

2019 Mazda Mazda3 AWD review

For years, the idea of an electric Mazda MX-5 Miata felt almost impossible. The little roadster has always been celebrated for one thing above everything else: keeping things light. Add a heavy battery pack into the equation, and many enthusiasts assumed the Miata's trademark driving character would disappear along with it.

Mazda, however, appears to have changed its mind. In an interview with German publication auto motor und sport, Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro confirmed that the next-generation MX-5 is being developed with the possibility of an all-electric version in mind. It doesn't mean the iconic roadster is abandoning gasoline anytime soon. Still, it does suggest Mazda wants the Miata to survive in a future where internal combustion engines may no longer be an option.