Twenty years have elapsed since Dodge has been in the police cruiser game. Occasionally, the odd Intrepid can be seen outfitted in the livery of state or local law enforcement, but not since Dodge retired the creaky old Diplomat in the early 1980s have thousands of cop cars worn a gunsight grille.

That changes with the 2006 Dodge Charger Police Edition. Company engineers consulted officers from around the country when developing this new pursuit vehicle and, in fact, the police version has been part of the Charger plan since the vehicle's inception. What may be most appealing about the Charger Police Vehicle are its rear-wheel-drive platform and its spacious interior. Many of the heavy-duty components found on the new Charger SRT-8 are shared with the Police Vehicle. Also on the Police unit is an upgraded electrical system that will accommodate all of the officers' equipment, and the standard 3.5-liter V6 (ha-ha, puh-leeze!) can be upgraded to a 340-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 Hemi that twists out 390 lb.-ft. of torque. Front seats are cloth, while the rear bench is vinyl; 18-inch steel wheels wear V-rated tires; the shifter for the automatic transmission has been moved to the column to allow room for gear in the center console; and police equipment mounting brackets and an interface module are standard.

Interestingly, the 6.1-liter Hemi is not available in the Police Vehicle, but is standard fare on the Dodge Charger SRT-8 that it may someday be pursuing…