Sydney police have traded in their Porsche Panamera sedan for a 911 Coupe.

Provided for free under a deal with the manufacturer, police will use the $209,100 sports car as a conversation-starter at community events and on social media.

The 911 Carrera has a 3.4-litre engine that makes 257kW of grunt - less than a V8 Holden Commodore patrol car, but enough to drive it to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds, on to a top speed of 289km/h.

NSW Police Force Superintendent Alan Sicard says the force has already received nearly 1,000,000 Facebook hits as a result of its partnership with the brand.

"Up until now our partnership with Porsche has been with its Panamera sedan. Swapping into an eye-catching 911 Carrera will up the ante to become an even more effective means to enable social dialogue," he says.

The 911 replaces a Porsche Panamera sedan.

"Although the 911 might make an ideal Police response car in some people's eyes, the true value of the sporty Carrera in police decals is that it will draw attention and curiosity with younger folk especially which is exactly what we aim to achieve."

Police say the car will not be used for high-speed pursuits, and taxpayers will only foot the bill for fuel and tolls used by the car.

The thoroughbred sports car should not prove expensive to run, as its 9.0L/100km fuel figure is only a little more than that of Holden's entry-level Commodore.

NSW Police are set to prowl the streets in a Porsche 911.

But officers driving the Porsche may need to treat it carefully, as a well-meaning officer destroyed the engine in a one-off police Ford Falcon GT in February by feeding it the wrong fuel.

NSW Police have used a variety of vehicles for community awareness duties, including a Volvo S60 Polestar sedan, Lotus Exige and supercharged HSV GTS sedan.

While they may be fancy by local standards, Australian police specials pale in comparison to the Dubai police fleet, which is home to machines such as the Lamborghini Aventador and Bugatti Veyron.

NSW Police are set to prowl the streets in a Porsche 911.

Interested in buying Porsche 911? Visit our Porsche showroom for more information.