zimmthumps
Full Member
This is pretty interesting...
Well Suited for Both Smokeys and Bandits
The New York Times
August 25, 2002
By NORMAN S. MAYERSOHN
FIREBIRDS have their fans, and Camaros have their cheerleaders. Among the few things on which both sides agree is this: the Pontiacs got the movie roles and the Chevys got the bad guys.
Pontiac's version of the General Motors F-car played leading roles in the ''Smokey and the Bandit'' movies and in television series like ''The Rockford Files'' and ''Knight Rider.''
But it was the Camaro with the ''special service package'' that was usually found in the motor pools of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as in the fleets of many states' highway patrol departments.
Essentially a Z28 in sheep's clothing, the specially equipped Camaros are agile, high-speed chase vehicles. As such, they are often assigned to open roads and highways where their top speed of 150 miles an hour is most useful. (After an apprehension, larger four-door police cruisers are often called in to take the suspect away.)
The Secret Service also uses Camaros to train agents in evasive driving techniques. President Bush watched a demonstration of those techniques this spring at the agency's training center in Beltsville, Md.
And the Camaro contributes to national security. Scott Settlemire, a product manager with the Camaro and Corvette brand team at General Motors, said every flight of the high-altitude U-2 spy plane uses a Camaro Z28 to pace the craft on takeoff and landing because the pilot, who must wear a bulky pressure suit, has limited visibility. An Air Force pilot riding in the chase car keeps the U-2 pilot apprised of the distance between the landing gear and the runway.
Both cars have had high-profile roles on the national racing stage. The Camaro served as pace car for the Indianapolis 500 four times (in 1967, '69, '82 and '93) and the Firebird twice (in '80 and '89). Both cars have played visible roles at many other races and automotive events.
Well Suited for Both Smokeys and Bandits
The New York Times
August 25, 2002
By NORMAN S. MAYERSOHN
FIREBIRDS have their fans, and Camaros have their cheerleaders. Among the few things on which both sides agree is this: the Pontiacs got the movie roles and the Chevys got the bad guys.
Pontiac's version of the General Motors F-car played leading roles in the ''Smokey and the Bandit'' movies and in television series like ''The Rockford Files'' and ''Knight Rider.''
But it was the Camaro with the ''special service package'' that was usually found in the motor pools of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as in the fleets of many states' highway patrol departments.
Essentially a Z28 in sheep's clothing, the specially equipped Camaros are agile, high-speed chase vehicles. As such, they are often assigned to open roads and highways where their top speed of 150 miles an hour is most useful. (After an apprehension, larger four-door police cruisers are often called in to take the suspect away.)
The Secret Service also uses Camaros to train agents in evasive driving techniques. President Bush watched a demonstration of those techniques this spring at the agency's training center in Beltsville, Md.
And the Camaro contributes to national security. Scott Settlemire, a product manager with the Camaro and Corvette brand team at General Motors, said every flight of the high-altitude U-2 spy plane uses a Camaro Z28 to pace the craft on takeoff and landing because the pilot, who must wear a bulky pressure suit, has limited visibility. An Air Force pilot riding in the chase car keeps the U-2 pilot apprised of the distance between the landing gear and the runway.
Both cars have had high-profile roles on the national racing stage. The Camaro served as pace car for the Indianapolis 500 four times (in 1967, '69, '82 and '93) and the Firebird twice (in '80 and '89). Both cars have played visible roles at many other races and automotive events.