The Chrysler Group has just announced a new member of their
police department offerings with the Dodge Durango Special Service, which joins
the Dodge Charger Pursuit and the Ram 1500 Special Service pickup.With three models, the Chrysler Group offers
the broadest collection of special service vehicles and thanks to the efforts
of the 3.6L Pentastar V6 and the 5.7L Hemi V8 – these police package models are
among the most efficient and most powerful in the segment.
The Dodge Durango Special Service models include the same
engine lineup as those sold to the public, beginning with the 290 horsepower
Pentastar V6 and topping out with the 360 horsepower Hemi V8.Whether fitted with the V6 or V8 option, the
Durango fire and police vehicles will receive a heavy-duty braking package, a
high output 220-amp alternator recharging a heavy duty battery, a high volume
water pump and an engine oil cooler.These
features help to deal with the odd driving cycles of a police or fire
department vehicle with the electrical system improvements help to accommodate the
added strain of the interior and exterior electrical gadgetry.
In the future, Dodge fans should keep an eye out for the police and fire variant on the used car market. Consumers won’t be able to buy these heavy-duty Durangos right away, but once a police force is done with a vehicle they typically auction them
off. In a few years, the patient among us be able to get their hands on a police spec Durango or Charger when they finally hit the block.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
The Chrysler Group has just announced a new member of their