Ford and Jaguar to star in Sweeney remake | Car Talk - Car News Aug 2012

11:41 Tuesday 24 Sep 2013

For those too young to remember it, 'The Sweeney' was a 1970s TV series in which Jack Regan (John Thaw) and George Carter (Dennis Waterman) drove around London in flared trousers shouting "Guv'nor" as they chased baddies in Jags around bleak industrial estates in Ford Consuls.

However, 'The Sweeney' has now been brought bang up to date, and a feature-length version of the show premieres in cinemas next month, starring celebrity Phil Mitchell-impersonator Ray Winstone and somebody called Plan B, (maybe he wasn't the first choice for the role).

Thaw and Waterman in the original TV Series (left) alongside Winstone and B in the upcoming remake (right).

Obviously, the cars had to be updated -- Mr Winstone and Mr B could not be seen driving around in a Ford Consul in 2012 -- but the film's producers decided to stick to the 'Cops in Fords, Baddies in Jags' formula of the original series.

Ford Consul

The Ford Consul (later Granada) as seen in the original series.

So, for the new film, Regan and Carter will be pedalling a new Ford Focus ST with a 247bhp 2.0-litre engine and a 0-62mph time of 6.5 seconds. The baddies, on the other hand, will be driving a Jaguar XF-R.

The Ford Focus ST (left) and the Jaguar XF-R (right).

Ford provided six Focuses for the shooting of the new film; however, there was a slight hitch. Unfortunately, the new ST was not ready by the time production began, so Ford fitted ST bodykits to six standard Focuses to achieve the desired effect.

So, Regan and Carter will be chasing Jag-driving baddies in a standard Ford Focus.

Could be a long film...