State police test arresting new cruiser that recalls ’60s muscle cars!
BY ANDY DAVIS

With its stylish lines, menacing grille and 18-inch wheels, the 2006 Dodge Charger has been getting a lot of attention since it arrived at the Arkansas State Police headquarters last week.

Decked out with lights, sirens and blue-and-white state police markings, it made an impression on a recent afternoon when Lt. Keith Eremea pulled into the parking lot of a McDonald’s restaurant.“You watch these guys stare,” Eremea said as he pulled up near two men working on the landscaping surrounding the drivethrough menu. “If he sees it, he’ll stare at it.

”Sure enough, the workers did a double-take.“We were like, ‘Man, that’s a nice car, ’” 22-year-old Julius Coleman said later.

Its distinctive look is one reason state police officials are praising the Charger, a reworking of the classic 1960s muscle car that this year is making its debut as a police cruiser. The state police ordered 40 of them in a test to see whether the Charger should replace the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor they have relied on for years.

The first car arrived July 7. The rest are expected within the next few weeks.Half of the 40 Chargers have 340-horsepower, V-8 Hemi engines. (A Hemi has hemispherical combustion chambers, an improvement in efficiency. )

Compared to the Crown Victorias, the V-8 s are faster and get slightly better gas mileage, thanks in part to a device that shuts off four cylinders when the car is idling or cruising on the highway. The Chargers cost about $ 20,000, the same as the Crown Victorias, the state police said.

Troopers also praise a device that automatically applies the brakes or cuts the engine to help the driver maintain control on tight curves. The car also allows the driver to switch from automatic to manual shifting, which could come in handy on icy roads or rough terrain.

At the invitation of DaimlerChrysler, the state police tested Chargers earlier this year at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. A few weeks later, more than 20 troopers took turns putting a car through maneuvers at the Petit Jean State Park airport.“I’ve never driven a Lexus, but compared to what I’ve driven in my career, they’re a great handling vehicle,” said Maj.

Ed Wolfe, who is in charge of the highway patrol. “Hopefully, it’s the vehicle of the future for police agencies.”Eremea said the car could improve the state police’s image. While driving it to Russellville and Rogers shortly after it arrived, he noticed several people taking pictures with their camera phones.

“We’re trying to recruit good people, and people like sharp cars,” Eremea said. Built by Chrysler from 1966 to 1987, the Charger earned fame in The Dukes of Hazzard television show and as the bad guys’ car in the 1968 Steve McQueen movie Bullitt. DaimlerChrysler reintroduced the Charger last year, offering a police version for the first time.

The state police also continue to buy Crown Victorias, the most popular police car on the market with about 45000 sold each year. Ford’s nearest competitor in the market, General Motors, sells about 15,000 Chevrolet Impalas.

Ford refused to sell police cars in Arkansas beginning in December 2004, because of an investigation by Attorney General Mike Beebe into whether the company falsely labeled components as “heavy duty.”

The state police then began buying Impalas until May 2005, when the state promised not to sue Ford over its advertising, and the company resumed its sales.The state police consider the Impala inferior because it’s smaller and has front-wheel drive, which the agency considers less rugged.

Like the Crown Victoria, the Charger is rear-wheel drive. While smaller than the Crown Victoria, it is roomier than the Impala.The disagreement with Ford didn’t weigh in the decision to try the Chargers, said Wolfe, the highway patrol commander.“

The reason we did this is, Dodge has come out with this new product,” Wolfe said. “It’s advertised as a better product, and we’re looking for ways to improve the safety of our troopers and be more cost-effective.”Each of the state police’s 12 troops will get three Chargers, and the four other cars will be used for training.If the Charger performs well enough, the state police will order 70 to 80 more this fall, eventually replacing its entire 400-car fleet of cruisers.

DaimlerChrysler spokesman James Kenyon declined to say how many police Chargers have been sold nationally, but he said they have gone to about 20 police departments across the country.The White County sheriff’s office, which had previously been buying Dodge Durango sport utility vehicles, bought six Chargers, the first of which arrived three weeks ago.

Chief Deputy Jimmy Ervin said the sheriff’s office wanted a car with good handling that would hold up on the county’s gravel roads. Speed wasn’t a big concern, he said, because deputies rarely get involved in pursuits.“Most of the people we encounter, we know who they are,” Ervin said.

Classic American Muscle Cars Dodge Challenger