Dodge in Hot Pursuit of Police Car Market

Not Everyone Will Be Happy to See Dodges Hot New LX Cars in Police Uniforms

Remember the Dodge Diplomat? OK, it didnt come along at a particularly exciting moment in the brands history and therefore had styling reminiscent of three stacked boxes and about as much presence as a K-car, but it was the last rear-wheel drive V8-powered sedan that came with a police package.

If the lack of styling didnt cause disdain, most people wont have fond memories of blue and white, black and white, or all-white Diplomats for the obvious "do you know how fast you were going" reasons, which is the same reason that honest citizens who drive within the flow of traffic but still manage to get ticketed due to speed limits set lower than what is deemed safe for todays modern vehicles, hate Ford Crown Victorias and Chevrolet Impalas.

News flash: soon you will get that same uneasy feeling every time a new Dodge Charger sedan or Dodge Magnum sport wagon pulls into your rearview mirror. Whether strong sales of police specification Chargers and Magnums, what Chrysler Group no doubt would like, will enhance the cars images or turn fans off will remain to be seen, but whatever the outcome the number three player in the Big 3 rivalry has designs on getting back into the policing business in a big way.

But the new LX sedan and wagon arent the first Chrysler Group models to be fitted with flashing lights and specially tuned suspension systems, etcetera, since the old Diplomat. Only four years ago, after a twelve year hiatus, the automaker launched its specially equipped 2002 Dodge Intrepid, touting the advantages of V6 fuel economy, front-wheel drive handling and cab-forward design for interior roominess.

While the steak is a different cut this time around, being rear-wheel driven, V8-powered and about as far removed from cab-forward design as anything on the market, no one need question whether Dodge has come to the table with a significant slice of meat or not.

That meat is known on the street as HEMI, and if police departments take Chrysler Groups bait they might not only be buying into the most potent cruiser to ever hit the highway, but one of the best tools their local precinct HR department head could ever hope for, for signing up new recruits.

"With rear-wheel drive and available HEMI power at the pavement, the Dodge Charger provides optimum police car pursuit performance," said Darryl Jackson, Vice President - Dodge Marketing, Chrysler Group. "Dodge has a strong police heritage and is proud to offer vehicles armed with modern muscle and cutting-edge technology."

The 300C is already legendary, pulling as many premium luxury sedan buyers into Chrysler showrooms as it has "import" tuners. The car has street cred, just like the new Magnum is getting and new Charger will.

The HEMI that powers Chrysler Groups top vehicles is identical to that under the hood of civilian 300Cs, Magnum R/Ts and Charger R/Ts, producing 340-horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 390 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm, which should be ample to hunt down the bad guys as well as intimidate mom and the three kids in the minivan clocking 10 kilometres over the speed limit.

"We listened to what law enforcement officers asked for and paid attention to the details that are important to them," said Ray Fisher, Vice President - Sales, Service and Parts Operations, Chrysler Group. "By integrating features and functionality into the original design of the Dodge Charger, we can give our police customers an affordable, capable vehicle with industry-leading innovations."

One of those innovations is Chrysler Groups Multi-Displacement System (MDS), the first cylinder deactivation system sold in North America on large-volume vehicles. MDS is said to increase fuel economy by up to 20 percent while still delivering all the engines power and torque when called upon.

New developments such as high-speed electronic controls, sophisticated algorithms controlling the systems and the integration of electronic throttle control have made the technology possible. As a result Chrysler Group reports a seamless deactivation and activation process, needing only 40 milliseconds (0.040 seconds) to transition from eight-cylinders to four or vice versa.

So how does it work? Essentially MDS deactivates the valve lifters in four of theV8s cylinders (1, 7, 4 and 6), resulting in four closed valves and zero combustion in half the cylinders. Fortunately the "dead" cylinders dont drag energy from the working four, due to air being pumped through those cylinders temporarily out of action.

HEMI-powered Charger and Magnum police cruisers will get Chryslers Mercedes-Benz derived five-speed automatic transmission with an Electronically Modulated Converter Clutch (EMCC) offers, reported to respond to "a variety of driving styles, situations and road conditions."

The result, in the Dodge Charger police cruiser at least, is a zero to 60 mph acceleration time of about 6.0 seconds.

For officers not in need of North Americas ultimate power source Dodge will make its well-proven 3.5-liter V6 available, sporting the same 250-horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 250 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm it does in the base 300, and mid-grade Magnum and Charger. The same five-speed automatic fitted to HEMI-powered cars comes standard in police equipped 3.5-liter cars, so performance should be improved over the current V6-powered 300 and Magnum which only offer a four-speed automatic unless all-wheel drive is included. Chrysler has made no mention of an all-wheel drive police cruiser, but it only makes sense the option will be available if requested.

On another note, the inclusion of a 5-speed automatic with rear-drive police cruisers powered by the 3.5-liter V6, could mean that all 2006 model year LX cars, even those sold to civilians, except base models powered by the 2.7-liter engine, will get another forward cog in the gearbox. If true, this would be a very important step in keeping the V6-powered LX cars competitive with rivals boasting five- and even six-speed automatic transmissions.

Making sure high-speed pursuit action doesnt get out of hand, in those jurisdictions which still allow such heroics, the police spec Charger and Magnum get heavy-duty brakes and linings, plus antilock (ABS) and Emergency Brake Assist (BA). The inclusion of Electronic Stability Program (ESP) might be the most important of all driver aids, while All-speed Traction Control will be appreciated for getting started in colder climes.

Passive safety features include advanced multistage driver and front passenger airbags, a front passenger Occupant Classification System (OCS) for controlled airbag deployment, constant force seat belt retractors, pretensioners, an energy-absorbing steering column, optional side-curtain airbags and a tire pressure monitoring system to alert officers of low tire pressure, which if left unchecked can dramatically reduce any vehicles road-holding capability.

Specialty standard equipment only available on the police cruiser package includes a 100-amp battery power feed in trunk, a 160-amp high-output alternator, an 800CCA heavy-duty battery, a 160 mph calibrated speedometer, cloth front bucket seats with manual lumbar and rear fixed bench seat, a column shifter to make way for radio equipment, easy path wiring grommet between underhood and the passenger compartment, an emergency rear-door-lock override, external oil coolers, and a performance tuned four-wheel independent suspension.

Added to this list is an integrated engine hour meter, P225/60R 18 V-rated all-season performance tires and 18-inch steel wheels, a performance-tuned steering system, police equipment interface module, police equipment mounting bracket, rear door locks and rear window switches inoperable from the rear seats, severe-duty cooling system, software-controlled alternating head- and taillamps, special electrical wiring for police market applications, speed control, and a stealth mode switch for interior lighting. Of course, additional equipment is available, depending on the use of the car.

Production of the police specified Charger and Magnum will begin this fall at the Brampton Assembly Plant, where all 300s and Magnums are current built, and where Charger will soon celebrate its lineoff. Cars will be available to federal, provincial and municipal police departments beginning in the fourth quarter of 2005, with pricing being announced to coincide with availability.