GM unveils cops-only Chevy

2011 Chevrolet Caprice PPV will be available only to police departments.

The Caprice PPV will be hitting the market just as Ford's Crown Victoria, another large rear-wheel-drive car which has long been popular with police departments, is expected to end production.

"The new Chevrolet Caprice police car is the right tool at the right time for law enforcement," said Jim Campbell, general manager for GM Fleet and Commercial Operations. "We asked for a lot of feedback from our police customers, which helped us develop a vehicle that is superior to the Crown Victoria in key areas."

The Caprice PPV isn't an all-new car. The Chevrolet Caprice is built in Australia where it's sold as the Holden Caprice. It's also sold in the Middle East under the Chevrolet brand. It's similar to the Pontiac G8, also an Australian-built car, but this car is bigger to allow for more room inside.

Police fleets account for about 70,000 sales a year in North America, according to GM. The carmaker hopes to gain a significant portion of those sales. GM already sells the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Impala sedan for police use, but this is GM's first police-only vehicle.