Auburn Hills, Mich., Oct 9, 2008  -  Bad guys beware. The new 2009 Dodge Charger police car is ready to patrol the streets with the ultimate in pursuit power – the new-generation 5.7-liter HEMI® V8 engine. The new engine will give the good guys more horses under the hood and even better fuel economy.

“With rear-wheel drive and HEMI power at the pavement, our new 2009 Dodge Charger provides optimum police car pursuit performance,” said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Brand Marketing. “Dodge has a strong police car heritage, and we are proud to offer a vehicle armed with modern muscle and cutting-edge technology to help law enforcement agencies perform their duties.”

With the new 5.7-liter HEMI, the 2009 Dodge Charger is the most powerful production police vehicle on the road, producing 368 horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque. The 2009 Dodge Charger is the only police vehicle that offers best-in-class performance in four key pursuit categories: available power, acceleration, top speed and vehicle dynamics.

With a fuel economy rating of 16 city/25 highway, the new HEMI engine also gets up to 20 percent better fuel economy with the addition of fuel-saving Multi-Displacement System (MDS) technology, which deactivates four of the eight cylinders when less power is needed while cruising.

“Our fuel-saving MDS technology functions so smoothly that officers won’t notice when four of the eight cylinders are deactivated, but they’ll always have the power of the V8 when they need it,” said Roxie Thomas, Senior Manager -- Government Sales.

The 2009 Dodge Charger police car comes standard with a five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick® mated to a powerful, 3.5-liter High-Output V-6 engine that provides 250 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque, offering an outstanding blend of performance and fuel economy (16 city/25 highway).