Dodge Charger Pursuit Police Package

The appearance of absolute power corrupts absolutely.


August 2012 By DAVID GLUCKMAN Photos By PATRICK M. HOEY

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Driving a police-spec Charger as a civilian isn’t so much about the car as the experience. That’s because it feels and performs like a regular model—we’ve reviewed those in many forms—save for one major distinction: Its performance is almost entirely dictated by its appearance, not the beefed-up chassis or the burly 5.7-liter V-8. You might go faster than normal traffic or slower than normal traffic—but generally, it’s the traffic that decides, one way or another.


Highs
A lot of buttons that control a bunch of cool things, scares anyone with warrants or a guilty conscience—which is to say everyone.




Lows
Doesn’t exactly slip through traffic, some people knew we weren’t real cops, we sometimes forgot we weren’t cops.





If Looks Could Grille
Our Patrol Package #1 test car wore white-over-black graphics, a light bar, A-pillar spot lamps, and black steelies. Any one of those elements is enough to put other drivers on red alert, but together they’re downright intimidating—enough so that most motorists didn’t bother to read the Dodge Law Enforcement marketing-message shields on the doors or take in the huge Dodge windshield banner. The getup was so believable, in fact, that one actual officer of the law gave us a wave as we passed. In his defense, we were traveling in the opposite direction at about 55 mph on a two-lane. Still, we’re assuming he wasn’t a detective.
The kids working the Tim Hortons drive-through gave the car a second look, though, peeking their heads out the window after we ordered. They might have been deciding whether to ready freebies, but they correctly figured us for fakes, and we shelled out 80 cents for our glazed sour-cream doughnut.
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A fake power trip in a Hemi-packing Charger cop car taught us several lessons in motorist psychology as it relates to traffic impedance and reactions to police presence. We could have actively messed with people, but we didn’t. Too much. And not really on purpose.
In thicker highway traffic, approaching a group of cars from behind causes a rolling, sub-70-mph blockade to form instantly. Slip by somehow, and no one passes you, regardless of how fast or slow you’re setting the pace. It’s a strange feeling to drive down an interstate leading a four-abreast wall of traffic like some sort of pied police piper.
It happens in low-traffic situations, too. In one instance, we were trundling along in the right lane at about 70 with cruise engaged when someone in the left lane came barreling up on us. Clearly recognizing the livery—but not noticing that it wasn’t real—the fellow dove in behind us and matched his speed to ours. We formed a two-car convoy just like that until he exited 15 miles later.
You might think the next step would be to speed up and let the trailers be. The problem is that you’ll inevitably catch up with another pack of cars and go through the same routine again. And the clear forward view afforded by the faux-cop livery makes you more watchful than ever for cars wearing real cop livery. The certified-accurate speedometer would make it even tougher to feign ignorance, too. All of it might be stressful, if driving a cop car weren’t such an interesting—and ridiculously fun—experience.
And now we know the temptation the president resists when he sees the Big Red Button. The panel of buttons and switches on the center console was fully functional, activating and cycling through some very bright lights and some very piercing sirens. Using them on the road would have certainly altered traffic patterns. (This dilemma is something like controlling the fate of the world, right?) But if we used any of them, we’d have been meeting the real cops. They were pretty sweet to use in the privacy of our office parking lot, though, and you can really glam up a garage with all lights blazing.
Can You Outrun This?
Test-track performance demonstrated that citizen Charger owners would need only a head start to outrun the copper version. Weighing only marginally more, this 370-horse, Hemi-powered Pursuit model basically matched the numbers put down by a previously tested R/T: 60 mph comes up in 5.2 seconds, the quarter is eclipsed in 13.9 seconds, and top speed is a governed 150 mph. (The 292-hp, 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 is available for departments watching their bottom lines or in less of a hurry.) It takes 170 feet to stop from 70 mph. There are a few duty-specific performance mods, though. The Pursuit has heftier suspension components, including modified rear spring rates and a set of rear load-leveling dampers—like those available on Chrysler’s minivans—to handle the weight of crime-fighting equipment. Our car was also fitted with the same taller rear-end gears that are included with the R/T���s Road & Track group.
View 30 Photos Other neat details: a column shifter that frees up space for gear between the front seats, a stealthy red interior dome light, and a PA system for the power hungry. Plus, special programming will allow cops—or us, in this case—to leave the engine running and lock the doors without the proximity key inside. We’re not sure why we find that so cool.
In short, playing cop is fun. Impersonating a cop is, of course, illegal—but it’s mighty tempting.

"Are you the cops? No sir we're musicians".....the Blues Brothers

 

[h=1]DODGE CHARGER POLICE CAR: The Specs[/h] After showing their new 2015 Dodge Chargers in civilian form, Dodge unveiled the police cars, which keep the look of the civilian version while adding many changes for police use, from the seats to the stiffer suspensions and heavy-duty brakes.Steel wheels and tires were chosen for impact resistance. The stiff suspension makes the car less comfortable than civilian versions, but increases the Chargers cornering abilities.Even before 2015, Dodge worked on complaints by some police departments, beefing up front suspension components to increase durability and longevity.The engines have both been tweaked, with 5 more pound-feet of torque from the V8 and different power peaks for both. Only the police get a new three-spoke thick rim sport steering wheel with larger, illuminated buttons, and programmable buttons for auxiliary equipment. Like the civilian models, police cars have UConnect 5, with hands-free phone connections, and the usual 7-inch color customizable instrument gauge cluster.Developed with guidance from Dodge's Police Advisory Board is the 2015 Charger Pursuit's new systems interface module for easy equipment integration, police-duty front seats with bolstering that allows belt-mounted gear, and a column-mounted shifter with AutoStick to free up space for center-console mounted controls.or 2016, the company added an integrated 12-inch display and optional wireless keyboard/trackpad, connected to a trunk-mounted computer, to eliminate the need for an aftermarket-mount computer. This increases safety and let Dodge reduce the console size, so that there is more room for the officers.In addition, for 2015:The 14.5-inch front and 13.8-inch rear pursuit-rated brake package became standardFuel economy increasedElectric steering increases reliability and efficiency, with no fluid to maintainFront suspension bushing durability increased in RWD carsWig Wag prepared LEDs were added to the front headlamp assemblyThe system gained input/output for radio mute, vehicle speed, and reverse and drive positionsEngines carry over: a 292 horsepower V6 and a 370 horsepower V8 with 390 lb.-ft. of torque. There is, again, an AWD package.The Charger Pursuit only comes with five-speed automatic transmissions, though civilians have an all-eight-speed lineup; ex-law-officer Bill Cawthon believes this is because the company has not yet decided to invest in a column shifter for the eight speed, even though, being an electronically controlled system, this is not a major undertaking. Dodge has claimed that police departments prefer the "tried and true" five speed because officers are accustomed to it and more gears might mean more training which means more money. Performance with the V6 is vastly different between the two, but there is likely a smaller gap with the 370-horsepower V8.All Charger Pursuits come with a standard 220 amp alternator and 800 CCA battery. One piece lower control arms are only used on Charger V8 AWD. Two rack and pinion steering systems are used: pure electric on rear drive, and electro-hydraulic with AWD.The drag coefficient has been dropped to 0.297 on all Pursuits. The frontal area is 26.2 square feet. V6 models have a 52/48 weight ratio, with V8 RWD having a 53/47 ratio. Tires are P225/60R18 Goodyear all-season performance models, with optional P245/55R18s. Wheels are steel for durability.Front brakes have 14.5 x 1.26 vented rotors, with dual-piston sliding calipers in a cast iron housing. Rear rotors are 13.8 x 1.02, vented, with single-piston calipers.The base police prep package for the 2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit includes:Wire harness: to provide power, ground, and fusing for LED, lighting, siren, computer, modem, or camera systems. The harness integrates with the Vehicle Systems Interference Module (VSIM) 24-way connector and the 12-pin connector at the console.Power distribution center (PDC): Supplied from the battery with twin 100-amp main fuses, this contains the fusing and relays for circuits in the wire harness. Two fuses are used, because some departments control some circuits with a timing device. For installers who want to use timer systems to prevent power drains on the battery, the PDC will accept the device's output and channel it to the usual elements controlled by timers, including camera, computer, modem, and printer systems.Slide-out trunk tray: A stable, accessible platform for electrical equipment, the trunk tray provides a 37.5-inch by 19-inch mounting surface. A locking slides provide movement, while allowing technicians access to equipment. An industry-first integral ground buss bar helps eliminate poor grounding, the most common police equipment issue. The tray is adjustable. (See our 2012 photo below.)Trunk air-circulation fan: Stabilizes trunk temperature and circulates air from the cabin into the trunk, helping electronic equipment.Siren speaker: A 100-watt siren driver that meets SAE Class A and California Title XIII requirements when matched with an appropriate siren amplifier. The system is mounted behind the grille, but does not impact engine cooling.The wiring prep package for the 2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit includes the aforementioned wire harness and power distribution center only. Other Mopar parts which may be ordered separately are:Police floor consoleSpare-tire relocation bracketHorizontal and vertical vinyl graphicsBallistic door panels for driver and passenger doors (Protection: NIJ Level III+)Steel seat back inserts for driver and passenger seats