Thread: Look at the riceburner following us---

Queensland highway patrol deputizes the TRD Aurion

Posted Jan 19th 2008 3:02PM by Alex Nunez
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Toyota, Police/Emergency, Australia

Click image for a gallery of more police Aurions

Many thanks to Anton, an Autoblog reader from Down Under, who was kind enough to grab a couple of snapshots showing us one of the Queensland Police Department's new highway patrol cars. We've reported on Toyota Australia's TRD Aurion before -- it's basically the Camry we want but can't have. With a much better-looking face and 323 supercharged horses underhood, the Aussie-built sedan is inherently more appealing than the vanillamobile available at our local Toyota stores. And now the fuzz has them, too.

Earlier this month, the Queensland police welcomed some of the "regular" Aurions into its white-liveried standard fleet. Our new friend Anton noticed a TRD Aurion dressed in the red finish used by the highway patrol. Curious, he followed it back to the station and talked up the officers there to get their opinion on their new interceptor. The verdict is that the TRD Aurion has as much punch as the older V8-powered FPV Falcons and Holden Monaros, and it is the clear winner in terms of interior comfort. Its front-wheel-drive configuration took some getting used to, however. The RWD pursuit cars could power through corners, and any oversteer incurred could be easily corrected from the driver's seat. The officers say that the Aurion's tendency to torque steer forced them to adjust their driving technique.According to them, hammering the throttle mid-corner doesn't do much at all, and the the car plows straight ahead. Solution: they don't do that anymore, and they're apparently "overjoyed" with their new toys, which, as Anton puts it, "go like the clappers." Thanks for the TRD pursuit car shots, Anton!

Gallery: Queensland Police Toyota Aurions


Gallery: 2007 TRD Aurion (AU)

It's a sad day when one has to worry about being pulled over by a Camry!

Ron (Secretary Anti-Camry League)