Dodge Charger police cars to be evaluated for local work

[au2000]

I believe in the states the charger and Taurus are available as a police pack the same as BMW do with their vehicles, so the only additional cost for the challenger will be the conversion cost to RHD as police here will generally kit out their vehicles with a in house team.

[383hq]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Maybe value adding here could be if they come out of the factory in the USA completely kitted out with sirens, lights, suitable electronics etc.

It avoids the process of having to do all of that later after you buy a 'emergency services ready' vehicle - it costs tens of thousands or into 6 figures depending on what vehicle you are modifying at a second stage manufacturer.

A Victorian Ambulance costs circa $180,000, it's budgeted for around 350 hours of labour per vehicle, plus everything that goes into it like it's lights, sirens, electronics, stretcher, medical equipment, furniture etc and then engineering fees added on etc.

If not and the Charger has to go through this process again then this is an absolute waste of time.

This is somewhere that Ford Australia could kill that market with their in house engineering capabilities, become a niche vehicle manufacturer but backed by a massive OEM with its available resources and they could turn out a very quality product that won't catch on fire every 5 minutes and make the news - Booze buses and ambulances anyone

Plenty already playing in that space, Two examples include Varley & Minecorp
Typically small in size compared to the glory days. Aus ain't no USA/China/India...

[xxx000]

Getting multiple States here to agree on a suitable spec vehicle has always been a challenge.
The Charger V8 is a fuel guzzler and just for that reason alone will struggle to be a real contender.
There's lots of Euros that sip fuel by comparison and the rapid onset of EV's will provide faster and more reliable choices along with a reduction in fuel costs for depts

[DK30RB]

I've got a current model 530D like the police use. Had a couple of FG XR6T's and an FGX XR8.

The BMW is a class above - yes it costs more - but you can't buy a falcon anymore!!.

Very respectable performance and handling. Build quality leaves the Aussie stuff for dead...

Looking at pickles there are ex hwy BMW's with over 130,000km on the clock. Interiors look better that the Falcon's and Commodores did after 80 - 90k....

[xafalcongs]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

I’ve been wondering if our police are physically bulkier on average, than European police, and if they typically strap on more gear for their shifts.

Being a Yank that just moved back to the US from many years in Germany AND having travelled to AU many times over these past few years, I can say YES! Your cops and our cops are much larger than any skinny ***, Eurotrash German cop. Your cops wear about the same amount of gear were as US cops look like they are going into battle….which they have too due to the large number of gun toting crims in our country….thank god we have Venezuela and South Africa to out pace us in gun crimes.

[xafalcongs]

Originally Posted by xxx000

Getting multiple States here to agree on a suitable spec vehicle has always been a challenge.
The Charger V8 is a fuel guzzler and just for that reason alone will struggle to be a real contender.
There's lots of Euros that sip fuel by comparison and the rapid onset of EV's will provide faster and more reliable choices along with a reduction in fuel costs for depts

50 US states and none of them agree on cop car specs..Every year they all hold their own cop car comparison tests…..aka cop car shootouts.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by DK30RB

I've got a current model 530D like the police use. Had a couple of FG XR6T's and an FGX XR8.

The BMW is a class above - yes it costs more - but you can't buy a falcon anymore!!.

Very respectable performance and handling. Build quality leaves the Aussie stuff for dead...

Looking at pickles there are ex hwy BMW's with over 130,000km on the clock. Interiors look better that the Falcon's and Commodores did after 80 - 90k....

Do you find the 530D even has a similar Growl a low RPM to the Barra.

certainly doesn't sound like the typical diesel

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by 383hq

Plenty already playing in that space, Two examples include Varley & Minecorp
Typically small in size compared to the glory days. Aus ain't no USA/China/India...

Yep - exactly what I mean by niche market, perfect for Ford Australia to kill all these little hotch potch mobs who turn out crap quality work and charge up the *** for vehicles which catch on fire all the time when you're having a heart attack and the ambulance catches on fire in your driveway.

Kinda like the opportunity HSV has capitalised on with American utes, niche market and a bunch of cowboys who've had no competition for decades - it's the first time an OEM has entered that sphere.

They already have engineers, they already have intellectual property of their vehicle range, you just need 10-20 blokes, or at least partner with one of these mobs on an opportunity.

There's already one OEM with an Australian engineering capability which has been investigating this

[slowsnake]

You too cool Franco!..lol..


Cheers Billy.

[DK30RB]

Originally Posted by Vesper Martini

Do you find the 530D even has a similar Growl a low RPM to the Barra.

certainly doesn't sound like the typical diesel

Yes it does have a nice growl. Totally unexpected. Most people who sit in it don't pick its diesel until after they get out of the car and hear it running from the outside at idle.

[Vesper Martini]

No factory backing from Dodge or FCA Australia. so basically no new car warranty

https://www.caradvice.com.au/968671/...r-police-cars/

[Vesper Martini]

In the US it doesn't look like ford Offer a Sedan anymore the interceptor is now an Explorer.
This would be an expensive bit of kit
https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/hybrid-utility/



Franco check out their service vehicle range
https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/ssv/

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Vesper Martini

No factory backing from Dodge or FCA Australia. so basically no new car warranty

https://www.caradvice.com.au/968671/...r-police-cars/

So pretty much they've said - don't buy our products through dodgy third party second stage manufacturers.

Stellantis Group is made up of the crappiest auto manufacturers globally who can't build a car for **** anyway, anyone else see the irony about Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge pointing the quality finger at others?

The problem is if they were still keen on this idea politically it looks poor for QLD Police to reach out to a Melbourne based company like HSV/Walkinshaw who may be Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge official partner in Australia when they have the capabilities in QLD with SCD.

I've had the misfortune of working on a Silverado converted by one of those QLD mobs, absolute junk with cut n shut wiring looms everywhere, they wouldn't even share information to the customer who bought it, on a tow truck and 1600km up the road to go back to them at customer expense.

[MITCHAY]

Did the Walkinshaw operation start from the outset as a factory backed operation or did they convert a few themselves made their case to get it? This part I'm not clear on.

Good on them for having a punt but I don't see it happening.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Did the Walkinshaw operation start from the outset as a factory backed operation or did they convert a few themselves made their case to get it? This part I'm not clear on.

Good on them for having a punt but I don't see it happening.

https://www.goauto.com.au/news/ram/a...-30/73003.html

“We needed a partner to undertake the engineering and production of the Ram 2500 and 3500 in right-hand drive as quickly and effectively as possible following the appointment of the Ateco Group as the sole factory authorised importer and distributor of Ram trucks for Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

There must be some form of factory backing there:

https://www.caradvice.com.au/459885/...e-scenes-tour/

https://www.goauto.com.au/news/ram/w...-20/10660.html

It makes sense as HSV/Walkinshaw is an OEM with second stage manufacturing capabilities, they're a cut above the other operations doing the same thing who are just second stage manufacturers and things are cut/shut and hodge podge put together.

Originally Posted by Vesper Martini

In the US it doesn't look like ford Offer a Sedan anymore the interceptor is now an Explorer.
This would be an expensive bit of kit
https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/hybrid-utility/



Franco check out their service vehicle range
https://www.ford.com/police-vehicles/ssv/

Maybe an opportunity for Walkinshaw/HSV

[MITCHAY]

I have to admit I got a bit confused seeing the ASV badges thinking they were one of the non Walkinshaw convertors.

You have to start from somewhere so maybe this company can end up making a case for it. Though it would seem logical to me if they can, then Walkinshaw could too. Who knows