DELMAR — With immense responsibility, law enforcement officers are sometimes bestowed with the enviable task of driving the meanest cars on the road.
The Bethlehem Police Department has eyed three new 2021 Dodge Charger police pursuit vehicles to replace the same number of older, high mileage cars in its fleet. The purchase request was passed by the Town Board on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
The vehicles, coming from Robert Green Truck Division in Rock Hill, New York, have a collective sticker price of $90,239.44.
Pursuit vehicles are unlike the average sedan found on a dealership lot. They’re high performance automobiles that need to withstand the rigors of quick acceleration, and handle additional weight displacement of added equipment.
Dodge’s fleet of 2021 pursuit vehicles, which also includes a modified Durango SUV model, are built with input from the Police Advisory Board.
Bethlehem’s fleet manager did not specify which of the various Charger models the police department will purchase. Dodge offers a V-6 with all-wheel drive or a V-8 Hemi with rear-drive. Both include eight-speed automatic transmission for increased performance and fuel efficiency.
MotorTrend magazine compared the engine outputs of contemporary civilian models and pursuit models of the past. Dodge didn’t release output. Civilian AWD Chargers now make 300 horsepower and 264 lb-ft; the same engine was worth 292 horses and 260 lb-ft in previous Charger Pursuits. The magazine speculates a top speed of 140 mph.
