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8 things you learn while driving a cop car [w/videos]

Let me start off with the obvious: it is absolutely illegal to impersonate a police officer. And now that that's out of the way, I'd just like to say that driving a cop car is really, really cool. Here's the background to this story: Dodge unveiled its redesigned 2015 Charger Pursuit police cruiser, and kindly allowed Autoblog to test it. That meant fellow senior editor Seyth Miersma and I would spend a week with the cop car, and the goal here was to see just how different the behind-the-wheel experience is, from a civilian's point of view. After all, it's not technically a police car – it isn't affiliated with any city, it doesn't say "police" anywhere on it, and it's been fitted with buzzkill-worthy "NOT IN SERVICE" magnets (easily removed for photos, of course). But that meant nothing. As Seyth and I found out after our week of testing, most people can't tell the difference, and the Charger Pursuit commands all the same reactions as any normal cop car would on the road. Here are a few things we noticed during our time as wannabe cops. 1. You Drive In A Bubble On The Highway Forget for a moment that our cruiser was liveried with Dodge markings instead of those of the highway patrol. Ignore the large "NOT IN SERVICE" signs adhered around the car. Something in the lizard brain of just about every licensed driver tells them to hold back when they see any hint of a cop car, or just the silhouette of a light bar on a marked sedan. Hence, when driving on the highway, and especially when one already has some distance from cars forward and aft, a sort of bubble of fear starts to open up around you. Cars just ahead seem very reluctant to pass one another or change lanes much, while those behind wait to move up on you until there's a full herd movement to do so. The effect isn't perfect – which is probably ascribable to the aforementioned giveaways that I'm not really a cop – but it did occur on several occasions during commutes from the office. 2. You Drive In A Pack In The City My commute home from the Autoblog office normally takes anywhere from 25 to 30 minutes, and it's a straight shot down Woodward Avenue from Detroit's north suburbs into the city, where I live. Traffic usually moves at a steady pace, the Michigan-spec "five-over" speed.

SRT partners with Bondurant for performance driving classes

Dodge and Bob Bondurant have announced a new partnership that will see the latter become the former's official high-performance driving school. The deal will see the Bondurant school's entire fleet of nearly 100 vehicles switched over from mostly General Motors products to Dodge Chargers, Challengers, and Vipers. It will give paying customers the chance to drive models like the new Hellcats and even the Viper ACR (for those deemed qualified to drive it) on the track in Arizona. The arrangement won't only benefit Bondurant clients, though. Anyone who buys or leases a new SRT model will get a one-day course at the school, including professional instruction on track. They'll have to pay for their own travel and accommodations, but the instruction will hopefully show more drivers of SRT vehicles how to handle all that muscle they've got at their disposal. DODGE/SRT PARTNERS WITH LEGENDARY BOB BONDURANT SCHOOL OF HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving Is Now "The Official High Performance Driving School of Dodge/SRT" - All customers who buy a new 2015 or 2016 model SRT will receive one full-day session of high-performance driving with professional instruction and time on the track as part of the Dodge/SRT package - Bondurant attendees will get to experience the full line of Dodge/SRT vehicles, including the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger Hellcats - Bondurant's entire fleet of cars is being converted over to Dodge Chargers, Challengers and Vipers - Non-Dodge owners can purchase racing instruction through Bondurant and experience their full line of Dodge SRT vehicles on the track - Racing participants who qualify will get to experience the Dodge Viper ACR, the fastest street-legal Viper track car ever November 3, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - New Dodge/SRT buyers grab your racing shoes and helmets – Dodge is teaming up with the legendary Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving to create "The Official High Performance Driving School of Dodge/SRT." Starting Jan. 1, 2016, Dodge customers who purchase or lease a 2015 or 2016 Dodge/SRT can experience a high-performance driving class with professional instruction and time on the track where they can develop their racing and driving skills in a one-day performance-packed adventure. Dodge will provide the rides – nearly 100 SRT vehicles – including the 707-horsepower Dodge Charger and Challenger SRT Hellcats.

Next Dodge Challenger to be electrified, says FCA boss

Dodge is the last of Detroit's Big Three to truly keep the muscle car purpose and heritage alive with the Challenger and Charger. As the Mustang and Camaro have transitioned to sports car-like experiences, the high-horsepower Dodges have stuck to their guns as straight-line behemoths with little intention of competing with the others in corner carving. People still dig the old-school-cool of cars like the Challenger, as sales actually went up while Mustang and Camaro sales took a hit in 2018. That said, new FCA boss Mike Manley said things will be changing in an electric way for the next generation, in a report by The Detroit News. "The reality is those platforms and that technology we used does need to move on. They can't exist as you get into the middle-2020s. New technology is going to drive a load of weight out, so we can think of the powertrains in a different way. And we can use electrification to really supplement those vehicles." News of electrified muscle cars is nothing new at this point. Ford says it's going to reveal a Mustang Hybrid in 2020. And with Al Oppenheiser (former chief engineer for the Camaro) moving to GM's electric division, you better believe Chevrolet is working on an electrified version of the Camaro. This, however, is the first solid evidence we have that FCA and Dodge are making such a move. What Manley said next is something we all know to be true, but a bit heartbreaking nonetheless. "I think that electrification will certainly be part of the formula that says what is American muscle in the future. What it isn't going to be is a V8, supercharged, 700-horsepower engine," Manley says. Even if it's a bit silly, we all love the Hellcat for its 707 horsepower V8. Clearly, plenty of other people do, too, because Dodge keeps cranking out more insane versions of the car with the Redeye and Demon. As for how much electrification Dodge's muscle car will receive, Manley wouldn't go into detail. Though he does say that electrification "can't be the dominant part." This should provide some solace to all those worried the gasoline engine could disappear from the American muscle car. Just as Dodge is reluctant to stray from the original intent of the muscle car, it's not hard to imagine the Challenger/Charger being the last to go full-electric. Gas engines supplemented by 48-volt systems or plug-in hybrids will most likely be the end result when we first see electrified Challengers.