Photo of the day: an Escort RS Cosworth police car

Stop what you’re doing in the name of the law and look at that image above. Go on, soak up the sheer magnificence of it. 

Yes, that really is a retro photo of a Ford Escort RS Cosworth in police livery with a police helicopter hovering in the background. Win, win and more win.

Now nothing gets us excited quite like an inappropriate car with blues 'n' twos, but this Cossie may take the biscuit. It was purchased by Humberside Police’s Vehicle Crime Unit in 1992 as a development vehicle. Based on the standard model, the rozzas turned to Ford Motor Sport and Ford Special Vehicle Engineering with the aim of making the most sophisticated police car ever. Well, as sophisticated as the early Nineties would allow.

With 250bhp from a 2.0-litre 16-valve turbo, plus permanent four-wheel drive, it could hit 62mph in five seconds and chase naughty crims past 150mph. These were figures that were unheard of at the time. The fact it looks achingly cool thanks to its double whale tail spoiler is just a happy by-product.

Since then, the fast police car game has moved on quite a bit. Especially in the Middle East. So in case you’ve missed out, we’ve corralled together some of the world’s finest fast police cars, so sit back and take a look through by clicking these blue words. Then tell us which one you’d like to be pulled over by below.