Whacha Gonna Do if It Comes for You?
We got the beat: Bronx officers take mug shots of a visitor, Dodge's new police car.
This is the car to replace all those aging Crown Vic's and those new, cute looking Impala's.
By NORMAN MAYERSOHN
Published: July 9, 2006
THE Dodge Charger, a favored getaway car for bad guys in memorable roles from "Bullitt" to "The Dukes of Hazzard," has turned state's evidence.
The shapely muscle cars that won stoplight showdowns and Nascar championships four decades ago have gone straight and joined the police force.
One could argue that the 21st-century Charger was born to be a cop car. Even in civilian trim, the brutish design exudes an "outta my way" attitude, its cross-hair grille set in a scowling maw — not the smiley face seen on so many of today's models. The brow above the headlights slants upward at its outer edges, giving the skeptical expression of a raised eyebrow: "Sir, you didn't see that 30 m.p.h. speed limit sign back there?" it seems to ask.
Decked out in black and white livery, the message to lawbreakers from the Charger police model I drove last month was an unambiguous "To Threaten and Intimidate." While I am not a police officer (nor do I play one on TV), I talked Chrysler into handing over the keys to what is probably the most important police car in a decade, well before most departments had taken delivery.
With the sense of power that comes from having Dodge City Police insignias on your doors, plus flashing lights and siren, I ventured out to gauge the effect. The fact that the side shields carried the Dodge ram's-head logo did little to soften the visual impact.
A linebacker's stance, reinforced by 18-inch tires on black-painted steel wheels that filled the wells, added to the no-nonsense aura. The low-profile light bar on the roof and spotlights on the windshield pillars completed the image, but the Charger's purpose would have been clear without them. Even as an unmarked cruiser, I suspect this car would never be mistaken for a livery cab, as an undercover officer's Ford Crown Victoria might be.
Other drivers acknowledged this image of authority, immediately deferring to the Charger's imposing presence. A drive on Route 3 in New Jersey became a series of Moses moments, the Charger parting traffic as if it were the Red Sea, civilian drivers scattering left and right to make way for the authority figure in the rear-view mirror. In the passenger seat, my neighbor howled each time we came up behind a car, watched as the driver noticed us in the mirror and pawed for the turn-signal stalk.
There is, as you might expect, another side to this air of officialdom. Pedestrians walk up at stoplights and ask for directions — and they expect a courteous response. I was called "officer" for the first time ever.
There is far more to the fitness of the police-edition Charger for peacekeeping duty than looking smart in a well-tailored uniform. Modifications range from practical necessities like relocating the gearshift to the steering column (which permits console-mounting of a computer and a control panel for the siren and lights) to major upgrades in the chassis — some of which are available only in the police car.
My test car, a prototype circulated among law enforcement agencies for evaluation, had the 340-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V-8; a 3.5-liter, 250-horse V-6 is also offered.
The Hemi Charger police car carries a nominal price of $29,055 without lights or siren, about the same as the civilian car despite all the extra equipment. Sales to law enforcement fleets are intensely competitive, with volume discounts a requirement, and the alternative sedans — the Chevrolet Impala and Crown Victoria Police Interceptor — are likewise priced to appeal to civic watchdogs. Adding a complement of service equipment including lights, siren, radios, computer system, video recorder and radar guns — specialized outfitters usually supply this gear — can add $15,000 in an eye blink.
Among the features standard on the police-specification Charger were a speedometer certified to 160 m.p.h., a heavy-duty cooling system and a stealth mode that dims almost all the interior lighting — very useful on stakeouts. Options appreciated in the line of duty included vinyl floor covering (ideal for parents of young children, I thought) and a dome light with red L.E.D. illumination.
Then there are items specific to the police package and not available to the citizenry. For instance, the stability control system offers three-stage operation: a normal level, like that in the conventional Charger; a minimal level that sends in the electronic nanny only at the extremes; and a full-off setting that disables the stability system entirely but leaves on the antilock brakes.
The suspension uses the same stabilizer bars as the Charger R/T, but spring rates are increased in anticipation of carrying 500 pounds of equipment at all times. The brakes are upgraded with special pads, a larger master cylinder and bigger rear rotors, and special antilock calibration.
The car's high-output alternator is available on other models, but for police use the engine-management system will increase idle speed to raise the power output when the electrical loads are high. Likewise, the cooling system includes transmission and power steering radiators that are available on other models, but adds an engine oil cooler that cannot be ordered on other Chargers.
The police-edition Charger drives like no other large American car, solid and well mannered, crisp and positive in all responses. The hefty 18-inch tires contribute to this, and despite the extreme-duty suspension, the ride is reasonably compliant, even on rough stretches in the outer boroughs. The Hemi is quieter than expected — perhaps a stealth measure — and though it will bark the tires from a standstill, the 4,100-pound car doesn't exactly leap off the line.
The cloth-upholstered front seats have little obvious contouring, but turn out to be supportive and comfortable just the same — a vital factor in this duty. Accommodations were less gracious in the test car's rear seat — what development engineers call the "guest accommodations" — thanks to the thoughtful installation of a prisoner barrier. The test car had vinyl rear seat cushions, which easily lift out so officers can make sure that a perp didn't leave any contraband behind; many departments replace the cushions with a one-piece hard plastic shell that is easier to clean.
But what do I know about police cars? Have I spent enough time in one to make a useful evaluation?
Field research dictated some time with customers, which is how the Charger found itself the center of attention at the former 44th Precinct headquarters in the Bronx, now home to a special police task force. Parked out front for photos, the car was quickly surrounded by officers (including one who owns a Hemi Charger) who did quick-draws with cellphone cameras. It was the most fun I've had under police scrutiny.
There were new-puppy oohs and aahs, to be sure, but also some knowing insights from the experts: the test car's spotlights would not be ordered, because in the past they were prone to break; the trunk is too small for all the equipment to be carried, like ropes, road cones, helmets, riot shields and, gulp, body covers. One more fact, ma'am: a single cup holder is not enough.
In pre-Daimler days, the Chrysler Corporation had a solid foothold in the police car business, accounting in some years for as much as half of United States sales. Today DaimlerChrysler offers a full line of enforcement vehicles, from the GEM electric runabout for security patrols to a right-hand-drive Jeep Wrangler for parking enforcement and even a Sprinter van that, in Dodge's words, "seats up to nine detainees."
Choosing vehicles for the police fleet is a matter of careful consideration. Many agencies around the country defer to the testing done by large departments with established programs, notably those of the Michigan State Police and the Los Angeles County Sheriff. Both are excrutiatingly scientific evaluations of the available vehicles, and the ratings are done not only for handling, braking, acceleration and top speed, but also for issues important in day-to-day use like ergonomics and fuel economy.
The Charger was added to the mix last fall when '06 models were tested. The results will not make fleet sales executives at Ford and G.M. happy.
The Dodge trounced their cars in performance measures: Michigan's test pegged the Hemi Charger at 6.5 seconds in the 0-60 run, more than 2 seconds quicker than the Crown Victoria or Impala (and about 7 seconds quicker to 100 m.p.h.). The Dodge's top speed (150 m.p.h.) exceeded its competitors' by a wide margin. The car was quicker on the handling course and it stopped nearly 10 feet shorter from 60 m.p.h. The final embarrassment: the Charger's E.P.A. mileage rating is better than the Ford V-8's and ties the Impala V-6 on the highway, at 25 m.p.g.
With this car, Dodge has the firepower. The 3.5-liter V-6, with 250 horsepower, matches the output of Ford's V-8, and when the Hemi is unholstered its rivals can only hope for a merciful surrender. The novelty we enjoyed on city streets in New York — thumbs-up signals were constant — is bound to wear off fast as agencies replace their tired fleets with this fresh entry.
Even without that magnum-force engine, the Charger is a formidable new presence in law enforcement. Don't take my word: consider the wisdom of a scruffy character on a ratty chopper who rattled noisily past the Bronx cop shop. Reading the Charger Hemi lettering on the flank, he paused a moment before shouting over the mechanical din: "The bad guys are in trouble now."
Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/automobiles/autoreviews/09AUTO.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
I know that they have the E39 5:er disguised as cop cars in the UK. Are these M cars?
