this post was submitted on 10 Apr 2026
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No Stupid Questions

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[–] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 35 points 2 days ago (1 children)

White Ford Bronco. What can I say, I'm a traditionalist and I prefer my police chases to be conducted at a safe and comfortable speed.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Really strange that Goldust tried to outrun Rowdy Roddy Piper in that thing.

[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 12 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

In Finland we have a saying that someone has "Vatasen jalat, mutta omat kädet" which translates to "Vatanen's feet but their own hands."

Ari Vatanen is a Finnish rally legend.

So in other words: it's not the car, it's the driver. Anyone can drive fast but that doesn't matter if you can't keep the car on the road.

[–] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Is it common in Finnish for proper name spelling to be altered like that? "Vatasen"/Vatanen

Finnish is probably my favourite foreign (to me) language. The Finnish accent in English just captures my attention for some reason. Also love how unique it is on paper. Just super cool. There's a lot to admire about Finns and Finland in general. I'd really like to take a trip out to Oulu and jist ride a bike everywhere.

Ari Vatanen was a badass too. I wish my country had rally heritage like that.

[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah perfectly normal. Vatasen = Vatanen's, Vataselle = to Vatanen, Vataselta = from Vatanen, Vatasessa = in Vatanen, and so on.

It's a flexible language. I don't envy the ones trying to learn it.

[–] AstralPath@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

Wow, I had no idea. That's so interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[–] CyberSeeker@discuss.tchncs.de 21 points 2 days ago (2 children)

A motorcycle. You can’t outrun the radio.

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 12 points 2 days ago

Yep. Can get a 600cc sport bike for not much. Of course, you also have, like, a 50% chance of death if you try to outrun the cops on it.

Otoh, iirc the cops in my area just have a standing order to not chase bikes that run. Too much chance of someone getting dead, which is more paperwork and bad pr than they want to deal with.

[–] Pat_Riot@lemmy.today 5 points 2 days ago

Not always true, but outrunning the helicopter is damn close to not doable.

Still agree with the motorcycle.

[–] trevdog@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago
[–] stoy@lemmy.zip 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Look for the most common model in your area, and get one in the most common color.

Then forget about running, focus on evasion instead.

[–] TwodogsFighting 2 points 2 days ago

Bonus points for repeating in paint that will wash off. Then you get double evasion.

[–] etchinghillside@reddthat.com 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Nah, they'll just shoot them all and charge you with "felony murder"

[–] Remember_the_tooth@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago

That's a funny joke, but also very accurate. Once a felony is on the table, all related deaths are on the suspect(s). It has a very long case history. People actually get additional charges for the fact that cops shot someone else while pursuing them for a felony crime.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

During the chase, drop one every two minutes

[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 1 points 2 days ago

No littering!

[–] SolidShake@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago

Buy two of something. Bridge and switch

[–] Una@europe.pub 3 points 1 day ago

Renault Clio with diesel engine, you wouldn't outrun anyone but you will create big smoke and poof dissapear like magician.

[–] sexual_tomato@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Get a hellcat, live in an area with a long straight section of interstate (i10 in Texas works well) , only commit one crime with the car.

Most police choppers have a max speed of 140mph. The hellcat can sustain 180.

[–] treadful@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Hasn't this actually happened a few times in LA? The hellcats outrunning the helicopters, I mean.

Shit, that experience might be worth the jail time.

[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

At 180mph you only have to encounter one panicked bystander to cause a few deaths, including your own.

Even the best driver in the world shares the road with everyone else.

[–] captcha_incorrect@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

This reminds me of my parents explaning to me as a kid that even if you are the best driver in the world, everyone else is not and they cannot read your mind. So it would still be dangerous.

[–] sexual_tomato@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

There are police videos of it happening all over YouTube. I first saw a guy running from the law eastbound from Houston. The helicopter couldn't go fast enough.

[–] cecilkorik@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

That seems like the kind of problem that a radio and a spike belt were designed to solve.

[–] redsand@infosec.pub 2 points 1 day ago

Modified Subarus have done this. Really anything that can hold 200+ but range becomes an issue at those speeds. You would need to plan routes and do math or add a tank and be a driving phenomenon

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 5 points 2 days ago

Reminder: only run if what you're doing is already a felony. Running itself is a felony.
Just eat the misdemeanor unless you're 100% certain you'll get away.

[–] HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago

Drug running gangs in France steal Audis and Mini Cooper Sports to drive to the netherlands with the strategy of "outrun them if they catch on" and they seem pretty successful so something like that?

[–] Jerb322@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You can get an old cop Charger fairly cheap at action...

[–] klugerama@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago (2 children)

It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.

[–] Vandals_handle@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Fix the cigarette lighter

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

these days, they do stick a governor that tunes down the performance curve back into the thing. a good shop can fix that for you, though.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

whatever is common in your area.

you're not going to outrun the cops. your better off trying to play coy.

[–] Strider@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Technically correct would be a tank, because the police won't have the means to stop you. However, this will only work until you run out of gas.

[–] Digestive_Biscuit@feddit.uk 1 points 1 day ago

Like that killdozer where some dude (farmer? Can't remember) bought a bulldozer and fortified it and welded himself inside. He didn't go on a killing rampage, he had beef with the city and squashed loads of buildings.

As you said it came to an end when he couldn't move it. I think he got it stuck rather than running out of gas.

[–] Steve@communick.news -1 points 1 day ago

Tanks aren't fast and they don't hide well.
They can't stop you. They just have to follow you until you run out of fuel, as you said.

[–] blargh513@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

Assuming we are in the US with this question. We will also have to assume that the driver is skilled and not a clot with two ham fists.

You probably should consider what a police chase will entail and the tactics they will use to stop you to get to a good answer.

Many police chases are stopped with the pursuit vehicle catches up and can PIT the fleeing car. Also, the police can use stop sticks to destroy/flatten tires of a runner. They have radio and multiple units, they will eventually bring a helicopter in if available.

Given that, you have a few requirements. You could go for straight speed. If you go fast enough, they won't be able to catch up to PIT you. However, you cannot count on having clear room to run. Traffic, pedestrians, obstacles will be in your path at every point, so your car of choice should be fast enough to get away, but it should not be the only means of escape.

Most police cars in the US are Ford Explorers, some Dodge Chargers (though fewer and fewer), and a scatter of other things. You have to anticipate that they will be able to pursue quickly and sustain damage of their own as they will have things like push bars to absorb some impact. Your defense against a PIT is twofold: first, you do everything in your power to stay away using tactics like brake checking to foil their positioning for a push, constant movement and leverage other cars to act as obstacles. The other portion can be weight and suspension. If a cop were to get behind a Corvette and push, the hard suspension would flex little and the rear would be easily pushed given the relative light weight of the car. If you were in something like a lifted 4x4, now you go too far the other way. A push would upset the tall suspension and high center of gravity and could well end in a rollover even if not a successful PIT. You need the middle ground; something like a non-lifted full sized truck or SUV. Think Silverado or Tahoe. Enough weigh that the cop would have to go really hard at you to get the weight shifted, enough suspension travel that it would lean into a push, but not tip over as easily as something tall.

The big dogs won't be able to move quite as fast as something zippier, but there is a practical limit to how much speed you really need. Rapid acceleration won't really solve a lot of problems, your pursuers will eventually catch up once you hit a traffic tangle or obstacle. Being able to go around a corner fast is good, but is it enough to get you away? Being small also means more vulnerable and also a smaller fuel carrying capacity. You don't want to run out of gas, that would be embarrassing. A full sized truck/suv will also blend in better if you were able to escape the sightline and that really is going to be important.

If you think you're going to run and run, you're eventually just going to get more units looking out for you, more pursuers and worst of all, a helicopter that you will not be outrunning. Your objective with the chosen vehicle would be to escape line of sight and then hide in plain sight. Take your truck/suv and park at a Home Depot or Lowes. If you are really wily, find something that's reasonably similar and swap license plates with it. Go in, buy some lumber, throw it in and leave like you're in no hurry.

The other option is to find a parking garage, dip in and leave. Assuming the vehicle is not registered to you or traceable back to you, you're golden. In fact, put a small motorcycle in the back of the truck. Park in garage, leave on motorcycle or scooter at a modest pace.

[–] rosco385@lemmy.wtf 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)
[–] IntrovertTurtle@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)
[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 1 points 2 days ago

It wasn't designed to outrun the police and it didn't. It got stuck and the driver killed himself. They did manage to destroy half of the town though.

[–] Apeman42@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

1977 or 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 3 points 2 days ago

An ex-police car.

[–] schwim@piefed.zip 3 points 2 days ago

Bugatti Veyron.

[–] plateee@piefed.social 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I had a 1987 Chevy Caprice Classic 5.0L V8. The thing was a tank.

Go ahead and try to pit me, I dare you.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I too owned a 1987 Caprice Classic. It was my first car but it was already probably 15 years old when I got it. Not sure if they offered it with different engine options, but it was indeed a tank. We called it the boat.

E: I just looked back, and I had a 1990 Caprice Classic, not the 87. Still, a tank.

[–] plateee@piefed.social 1 points 2 days ago

Ah, then you had one with a working transmission! Chevy evidently tried something new for their 1986-1988 V8 engines and it wasn't good.

I replaced the transmission in my behemoth twice before giving up on it.