NYPD Tests Charger Cop Cars

Fords Crown Victoria is a very intimidating looking vehicle. Big, tough, and capable of crushing smaller vehicles at a single blow, the last of the full perimeter-framed passenger cars is the choice for hundreds of police departments. However, weighing as much as a post-buffet Brontosaurus and saddled with a sadly underpowered drivetrain, Fords honored fleetmobile is in desperate need of replacement.

But with what? Chevys Impala has passed the rigors of police service testing and is now well-entrenched in many police forces, but the midsize sedan is often easily shrugged off by larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs. So, until now, police forces have been stuck between a rock and a hard place; the smaller, nimbler Impala or the bigger, heavier Crown Victoria. As a result theyve been forced to supplement with specific use vehicles, such as Camaros, Mustangs, Explorers, while even a few SUVs and trucks have entered the fray. But what if they could have a car that was quick and handled well, yet big and tough at the same time?

Well, the NYPD now has exactly that in their fleet of 15 Dodge Chargers. Currently being field tested, this new fleet of cars represents the first real-life trial of the special police-prepared Charger that Dodge debuted only months after the initial models introduction. With fewer creature comforts but more importantly retaining the HEMI V8, the police-issue Chargers are lighter than civilian models, and feature a few special heavy-duty options, the combination of which have made ex-police cars the choice of hot rodders everywhere for decades. The Charger specifically features an oil cooler to ensure competent lubrication during continuous severe duty situations, as well as a nifty "stealth mode" that allows the car to have its engine running but all of its lights off; emulating a parked car for those extra sneaky speed traps we all hate so much.

Costing $29,900, the police-equipped Charger is cheaper than any of the HEMI powered civilian models, but optioning it out with all the various cop goodies can bring the price up quickly. Of course, ordering in bulk drives that price down again, and should the initial 15 pass their field tests the NYPD has already mentioned that theyd be ordering a few hundred to supplement their fleet of 3,000 vehicles.

No doubt police agencies North America-wide are watching the trials closely, and with a top speed 40 mph higher and vastly improved performance over the existing cars, combined with better fuel mileage, theres no question as to why.