Although Regan and Carter are shown driving cars, the real Flying Squad have specialist drivers who only drive and who are trained to exceptional levels. The most senior officer in a car would sit in the front passenger seat, as was the case in the original TV series Regan (1975), in which most of the driving was done by the "Bill the Driver" or other specialist drivers.
The presenters and production team from Top Gear assisted in planning and filming the car chase scene. Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May were credited as stunt performers.
The finale of the film is set in the riverside town of Gravesend. Actually, Gravesend is home to the training centre for the Metropolitan Police's firearms teams. The villains choose to make their escape through the only town in England that is normally brimming with armed police.
The title of the movie "The Sweeney" derives from Sweeney Todd, the cockney rhyming slang for "Flying Squad", which is the name of the branch of the Metropolitan Police that Regan and Carter work for. The Flying Squad specialize in investigating armed robberies and ambushing suspects in the act of their crime. They are frequently armed although not routinely as depicted in this film.