Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

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

By

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Stephen Edelstein
Stephen Edelstein
Contributing Editor
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class (also known as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen), an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology — the final name of the SUV previously known as the EQG — isn’t the first electric off-roader. The Rivian R1S and R1T and GMC Hummer EV have proven that electric powertrains and off-roading are a great combination. But the electric G-Wagen is different because it’s based on an internal-combustion model — and a very traditional one at that.

Read more
Honda believes hydrogen semi trucks will make the case for fuel cells
Honda hydrogen fuel-cell semi truck.

Honda remains committed to hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but the market for those vehicles remains limited. So Honda is looking at other uses for fuel cells -- including commercial trucks.

To show how that could work, Honda converted a semi truck to fuel-cell power, replacing its diesel engine with three fuel-cell modules. Together, the three modules produce a combined 321 horsepower, and can propel the truck to a top speed of 70 mph. There's enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 400-mile range with a full load, Honda claims.

Read more
Mercedes-Benz G580 vs Rivian R2: Is the much cheaper Rivian actually better?
2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 from three quarter view.

Mercedes-Benz has finally taken the wraps off of the new "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology." Yeah, it's a mouthful, but it's basically a new electric G-Wagon. It looks a lot like the G-Wagon you know and love, but with an electric powertrain and a battery. It's not the only electric SUV out there, however, and there are some great ones -- like the Rivian R2.

Both the Mercedes G580 and the Rivian R2 have a lot going for them, but they also approach the electric SUV slightly differently. Is one better than the other? I put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The approach that the two vehicles take to design is quite different -- and you might like one better than the other.

Read more