If you're planning a high-speed getaway on the roads surrounding Japan's legendary Suzuka Circuit, you might want to reconsider your life choices. The Mie Prefectural Police have just taken delivery of a vehicle that makes most getaway cars look like mobility scooters – a Honda NSX with 573 horsepower and enough technology to make NASA jealous. This isn't your ordinary police cruiser. Forget about the underpowered Toyotas that Japanese police officers usually patrol in – beige sedans that struggle to keep up with determined cyclists. This is a mid-engined hybrid supercar capable of 0-60 in three seconds flat and a top speed that would have you breaking every speed limit in Japan before the speedometer needle has barely moved. The NSX was unveiled during a ceremony at Suzuka Circuit that was so theatrical it might as well have included fireworks and dancing girls. There was a full cover removal, a musical performance, and probably several middle-aged police officers trying very hard not to giggle with excitement at their new toy. The car wears the traditional Japanese black and white police livery, which on an NSX looks about as subtle as a sumo wrestler at a ballet recital. What's perhaps most interesting about this story is that the Mie Police didn't dip into taxpayers' pockets to fund their new supercar. Instead, it was donated by one Toshiya Kobayashi, a 43-year-old real estate mogul and "race enthusiast" who evidently has more money than most of us have had hot dinners. Kobayashi attended the ceremony and, upon seeing his donated NSX do a demonstration lap around Suzuka at a pedestrian 62 mph, exclaimed "That's cool!" before adding, "Maybe they were being a little reserved about the speed." Well, yes, Mr. Kobayashi, that's rather like saying the Pacific Ocean is "a bit damp." The whole package, including all the modifications needed to make it patrol-ready, cost 25 million yen, which is about $175,000. That's approximately 175 times more expensive than what the average traffic offender can afford, which means this car will be chasing people who can't possibly own anything fast enough to outrun it. It's like using a howitzer to kill a mosquito – spectacular overkill but undeniably effective. This isn't the first time Japanese police departments have deployed sports cars in their fleets. Over the years, they've utilized Nissan GT-Rs, Skylines, 350Zs, and even rotary-powered RX-7s. It seems the Japanese police have a better understanding of car enthusiasm than most forces around the world – they don't just want to catch criminals; they want to do it with style and a bit of theatrical oversteer. Of course, if you want to see truly excessive police vehicles, you need to visit Dubai, where the force maintains a fleet of supercars that would make a billionaire's garage look understocked. Their collection includes a Bugatti Veyron, a Porsche 918 Spyder, and a Lamborghini Aventador, among others. However, these vehicles are primarily used for PR purposes and tourism promotion rather than actual police work. I imagine the paperwork required after you've scraped a million-dollar Bugatti on a bollard while chasing a shoplifter would be enough to make even the most dedicated officer consider a career change. The Mie Prefecture's NSX will reportedly appear in a parade at Suzuka in the lead-up to the August SuperGT race, so if you want to see it in person, you have plenty of time to book your tickets. Just don't get any ideas about testing its capabilities firsthand unless you fancy experiencing the inside of a Japanese police station, which I'm told is considerably less comfortable than the leather-trimmed interior of an NSX. There's something wonderfully fitting about an NSX serving as a police car in Japan. The original NSX was Honda's answer to Ferrari – a supercar that wouldn't break down if you looked at it funny, that you could actually use every day without needing a chiropractor on speed dial. The current NSX continues that tradition of usable performance, with its hybrid powertrain and dual-clutch transmission making it perfectly capable of idling along in traffic before unleashing hell when required. It's precisely the sort of car that makes sense for police work, if your definition of "police work" includes occasional appearances at track days and car shows. One has to wonder, though, what motivated Mr. Kobayashi to donate such an expensive vehicle to the police. Was it genuine civic-mindedness? A deep-seated desire to see justice served at 150 mph? Or perhaps he's simply tired of being pulled over in his own supercars and figured that if he gave the police one of their own, they might leave him alone. It's the automotive equivalent of bringing an apple for the teacher. Whatever his reasons, the streets around Suzuka are now patrolled by one of the most capable police vehicles in the world. So if you're visiting Japan and feel the urge to test the limits of your rental car, might I suggest doing so somewhere other than Mie Prefecture? Unless, of course, being chased down by a supercar is on your bucket list – in which case, carry on. Just remember to ask the arresting officer if you can take a selfie with their car before they haul you off to jail.
