Czech Police Seize Ferrari and Repurpose it as a Patrol Car

A 2011 Ferrari F 142-458 Italia was seized from criminals by Czech police, who confiscate several vehicles every year. Typically, confiscated cars are sold and the profits are used to pay for whatever damages the previous owner of the vehicle may have caused. The police were able to keep this one, and are adding it to their fleet.

On Friday, Czech Republic police officers began using the Ferrari-turned luxury police vehicle, which can reach a top speed of over 200 mph (326 km/hr), to chase down stolen vehicles, patrol highways, as well as tackling the issue of illegal street racing, which the mid-engine sports car will be better equipped to combat compared to regular Czech police vehicles.

The head of the Czech Republic’s police traffic department, Colonel Jiří Zlý, 46, said the sports car would be used to chase down the “most aggressive” drivers on their roads.

"The vehicle will be used in a nationwide unit and we are counting on its deployment against the most aggressive pirates of Czech roads. We can also use its potential when chasing stolen vehicles that pass through our territory to neighboring countries. The range of tasks that the vehicle will perform is really wide,” said Zlý.

The flaming red Ferrari, which can go from 0 miles to 62 miles (100 km) in just 3.4 seconds, was repainted and outfitted with police markings which include fluorescent yellow and blue stripes as well as police equipment including a camera, radio, and speedometer. The car, which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, will be driven by designated officers in the Special Surveillance Department of the Czech Republic, who are trained to handle the luxury vehicle's power.

The Ferrari was confiscated with only 1,200 miles of use and is valued at about $275,000. Czech police saved a large chunk of change, as modifications made to the vehicle cost them only $14,000.

The Ferrari was not the most valuable nor the most extraordinary vehicle that the police department was able to confiscate, but it is one of the “most luxurious” in their possession, said Jakub Vincalek, a police spokesperson. Vincalek added in a statement that the department had seized almost 900 vehicles in the past year alone.