Dodge Intrepid Police Package
The 2000-2003 Dodge Intrepid R/T caused a stir when it was released. It added the famous R/T moniker to the family-size Intrepid. It empowered drivers to fulfil their lifelong ambitions of flying down a road at speeds north of 100 mph. And now DaimlerChrysler has decided that its speedy sedan should be put into civil service and help the law reel in some of their own R/T customers.
The police package Intrepid can be distinguished from the normal car by its black-out wheels with chrome center hubcaps, a sure giveaway for an unmarked cop car, as you may have figured out by now (unless the cops use a civilian model or a civilian picked up an old cop car at a police auction). It may also have the cut-out on one or both of the A-pillar for a spotlight. Don't expect to see any R/T badging. Like the Impala, this is also a front-wheel-drive car, so handling tends towards understeer more often than not and making life difficult for officers used to the Crown Vic and Caprice in high speed situations, but it is better than Chevrolet's offering.
The Intrepid is a fairly heavy car, and the 242 hp "Magnum" V6 engine does well in R/T trim, but seems to be held down in police trim, possibly by the extra weight of police package equipment. The R/T does 0-60 mph in 7.8 seconds, but the police version falls behind at 8.7 seconds. The Intrepid comes standard with a 4-speed automatic transmission mated to a Chrysler 300M driveshaft to handle the 242 hp. As with the Crown Vic and Impala, manual transmission is not offered. The police package equipment includes auxiliary wiring, lighting and spotlights, high-capacity engine cooling with auxiliary engine and transmission oil coolers, high-output 160 amp alternator and heavy-duty suspension.
Standard are all-wheel disc brakes and all-wheel independent suspension. Top speed is limited to 135 mph and braking distance from 60 mph to 0 is at about 142 feet.
Specifications :
Price Range : Only sold to law enforcement agencies. Used ones
not yet available.
Engine : V6, SOHC, front engine FWD
Displacement : 3,518 cc
Valve : 24 valves, 4 valves per cylinder
Transmission : 4-spd automatic
Fuel economy : city - 18 mpg
highway - 26 mpg
Horsepower : 242 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque : 248 lb-ft @ 3950 rpm
0-60 mph : 8.7 sec.
Curb Weight : 3583 lbs
Overall length : 203.7 in.
Wheelbase : 113.0 in.
Overall Width : 74.7 in.
Height : 55.9 in.
www.daimlerchrysler.com
History :
Before 2002, Chrysler did not officially offer a police package sedan. Only the Jeep Cherokee came in police trim, and a few departments may have bought the civilian version of the Intrepid for light-duty patrols. It is not clear how long the civilian Intrepid would have lasted under pursuit conditions, since it was not designed for constant high speed maneuvering. Probably a very short time.
The last police sedan offered was the Dodge Diplomat in the late 80s. It was fairly popular among large and small departments alike, but it ceased production after the '89 model year.
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