Law enforcement vehicles in the U.S. are usually powerful and rugged, with authoritative looks. If a vehicle’s appearance alone can deter someone from racing away or resisting an officer, so much the better. Given that performance, durability, and a badass aura are important, does that make Armormax’s Bulletproof Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat the ultimate cop car?
The 700-plus horsepower armored police car has a different top priority from most such heavily protected vehicles. Utah-based Armormax adds armor packages to customer vehicles worldwide. The company modifies a wide range of vehicles including luxury sedans and limousines, SUVs, and sports cars. Clients who commission armored vehicles usually prioritize occupant protection above all other factors seconded by performance for evasion or escape.
The Bulletproof Dodge Charger Hellcat police car, however, emphasizes pursuit and protection. Adding armor to a vehicle adds weight which can overly burden most cars and trucks unless the customer adds performance features at the same time. The 707-hp Charger SRT Hellcat, however, has fierce pulling-power with its standard 650 pound-feet of torque, so no extra speed modifications are necessary.
The standard Armormax police package for the Hellcat includes lights, ballistic armored glass, bulletproof paneling, a push bar, run-flat tires, and carbon fiber decals. Getting into the spirit of the product, the company states, “This Dodge Hellcat with Armormax is ready to hit the mean streets of your imagination.”
Armormax told Motor Authority it also could configure the armored police car with AWD. Putting down the Hellcat’s horsepower and torque with all four wheels will enhance the car’s pursuit capability, but because the car has normal ground clearance, the AWD option won’t enable off-road chases.
The standard package armors the entire passenger compartment with light synthetic fiber laminates and air-hardened, heat-treated ballistic alloys, including the doors, roof, floor, and pillars. Buyers can specify B4, B5, B6, or B7 bulletproof protection levels. The original glass is replaced with layered glass, acrylic, and polycarbonate laminates. The standard side window glass is fixed, but operable windows are optional.
To keep the car running the armor setup includes a reinforced suspension, and separate armored protection for the battery, radiator, electronics control module (ECM), and the fuel tank.
Additional options for protection, pursuit, and surveillance include bomb blankets, electric door handles, an external listening device, and, if all else fails, a smoke screen system.
So to answer the original question, if the Armormax AWD Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat isn’t the ultimate police car, it surely will do till the real thing comes along.
