Unfortunately, pricing of the Viper is out of range for most police department budgets and the interior room would be detrimental to squad car needs, but driving such a powerhouse through this type of course is something every sports car or hot rod enthusiast should have the opportunity to experience, and with 510 horsepower, it was a first and second gear-only experience on the course.
Other SRT models were on display at the event including convertible and hardtop Chrysler Crossfire SRT6, which is reminiscent of the James Bond-type Aston Martin, and the newly designed Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8 that looks and drives like an SUV with a racecar attitude.
Two different models of the full-size Dodge Ram truck were also available for testing; the quad-cab SRT 10 was impressive before even driving it with its 22-inch polished wheels and hood scoop featuring the "Viper Powered" logo. The Viper Powered 10-cy linder engine inside provides 500 horsepower of tire-smoking take-offs. ety=7; enum=3; For the "street racer" fan, the redesigned Dodge Neon SRT 4 was present, offering a turbocharged engine which is one of the fastest Dodges ever made. The retail versions of the Charger and Magnum were available as well along with the more luxurious Chrysler 300 which, other than the obvious police design differences, were very similar to the police Charger and Magnum.
The Charger represents new competition in the area of rear-wheel drive sedans specifically designed for police use. The Charger offers stiff competition even with the standard 3.5-liter Magnum V-6 which produces the same 250 horsepower offered by the CVPI's 4.6-liter engine, and according to the Michigan State Police tests, the same 8.9 second O to 60 speed, higher top end speed of 135 mph, and better fuel mileage of 19/27 compared to the CVPI's 17/25.
Police agencies looking to enhance power can upgrade the Dodge Charger to include a 5.7-liter Hemi engine boasting 340 horsepower where the 0-60 mph time is cut to 6.5 seconds and the top end speed jumps to 150 mph. Even with the monster engine the fuel mileage is estimated at 17/25, equal to the Ford CVPI.
Some of the forward thinking in the Charger/Magnum police units seems to be as beneficial to upfitters and maintenance personnel as much as to officers. Charger and Magnum police cars come standard with wig wag headlights and flashing taillight units already installed, as well as wiring from the front bumper to the center console area with three 20-amp-fused battery feeds and three 20-amp-fused ignition feeds.
The center console area is fitted with an equipment mounting plate for mounting console units that saves installers from drilling holes into the floorboard, a task which carries horror stories from many jurisdictions. Another standard feature in this area is a grommet for feeding wires from under the hood to the passenger compartment of the car, sure to be an installer favorite.
Upfitting issues have been electronically problematic for all police cars for decades. The problems generally center around aftermarket installers tapping into the factory wiring harnesses and existing equipment to install a third party's equipment.
With so many different hands in the operation there are bound to be electrical issues that the Charger designers have attempted to resolve through a universal control system, a specially designed module and software unit located in the car. Upfitters simply tie their equipment into the module to enable the vehicle to handle all electronic functions without jeopardizing any of the factory-installed electrical components. Chrysler is the first in the industry to provide such a system.
The Charger has earned the governmental five-star crash rating and offers anti-lock brakes, multi-stage airbags and safety belt pretensioners as standard equipment and side curtain airbags as optional equipment. Dodge is above the competition, however, in offering the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) stability control and the all-speed Traction Control System (TCS) as standard features.
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