'06 Dodge Charger And Magnum Police Vehicles
The Charger and Magnum likely indicate the future of police cars, and it was a sensible move on the part of DaimlerChrysler to make a police version of its popular rear-drive sedans now. They will have had a few years of service to evaluate the performance before Ford either redesigns the Crown Victoria or shifts the police-car model to a different vehicle line. It's likely, though, that we will be seeing the end of perimeter-frame police sedans when that happens. The Charger and Magnum are Unitbody cars with independent rear suspension. And, yes, they are available with the Hemi engine, which turned in blistering performance numbers compared to its rivals in performance evaluations conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department last October, where it out-handled, out-braked, and out-accelerated all other cars tested. Plus, with an average of 19 mpg during testing, it was the most fuel-efficient of all V-8-powered cars, thanks to its five-speed automatic transmission and Multi-Displacement System, which deactivates half of the cylinders when less power is needed.
Other police-specific kits that can be had with a Charger/Magnum police package are an upgraded braking system with better pads, bigger rotors, and a larger master cylinder; blacked-out 18-inch steel wheels; and unique programming for the Electronic Stability Program. The usual goodies are included also-the Dodge cop cars get 160-amp alternators; engine, transmission, and power-steering oil coolers, and ticket-writing lights. Another cool feature unique to these cars is the wigwags, or alternating flashers for the head- and taillights, which are available directly from Dodge and saves some of the time and cost of prepping the cars for service.
The LAPD and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are sticking with the Crown Victoria for the next couple of years at least. Sergeant Killeen from the LASD's Fleet Management Unit puts it very simply: He's not going to retool unless he has to. Since he operates on a very large volume-over 1,500 cars at any given time-his operation needs to be as efficient as possible. Most of the parts to modify the CVPIs to duty as sheriff's patrol cars are manufactured in-house-they make their own prisoner barricades, pushbars, radio and computer mounts, even wiring harnesses to power the lights, sirens, and communications systems. And these can get fitted to newer cars as the older ones are retired. He says the beauty of the Crown Victoria is that he can take virtually any of the parts from a '98 cruiser and fit them into one of the '07s. It would be cost-prohibitive for them to change their operation at this point because they would have to design all-new templates for those pieces.
For smaller departments, the cost involved with switching a fleet to Dodge cruisers would not be so great, however, and we spoke to personnel in the Glendale Police Department who are in the process of evaluating three Chargers and two Magnums. Patrick Hennigan, the equipment maintenance supervisor for the Glendale PD, is impressed with the cars so far, but says that the cops are the final judges. "The cars are their office for 12 hours a day, and I'll hear about it if they don't like something," he says. Things like radio placement, computer mounting systems, and elbow room may be more important to the officers than quarter-mile times and braking distances, considering that much of their patrolling is done at low speeds in a crowded, urban environment. The Glendale, California, PD will be evaluating the new cars for reliability and user-friendliness to determine whether to switch the entire fleet over to Dodge. A clear advantage for the Dodge is fuel economy. The cylinder-deactivation system could potentially save departments thousands of dollars per month on fuel expenses.
The Chargers and Magnums used by the Glendale Police Department are unmarked units and are on a five-year depreciation schedule, after which time they will be sent to an auction house. So, it may be a few years before you can get your hands on a retired Hemi-powered cruiser.
Engine: 5.7L OHV V-8
Horsepower*: 340 @ 5,000 rpm
Torque: 390 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
Curb weight: 4,106 lbs.
Brakes
Front: 13.6-inch ventilated disc
Rear: 13.8-inch ventilated disc
Acceleration
0-60: 6.52 seconds
Quarter-mile: 14.96 seconds
@ 99.2 mph
Braking
60-0: 137.50 feet
Top speed: 150 mph
(electronically limited)