First Drive Review
Even casual viewers of the long-running television program Cops can agree on the two universal truths of the show: Remaining shirtless during questioning is a tacit admission of guilt, and the designation “tattoo artist” is highly subjective. But to dedicated viewers, an unintentional subtext has begun to present itself. The standard four-door police cruiser is increasingly at odds with the cunning and evolving tactics of the modern scofflaw. Hampered by a low ride height and limited evidence-hauling capacity, the standard cruiser is virtually useless when the pursuit of justice exits the pavement and heads off-road. Enter the Ram 1500 Special Service, one of the last hurrahs for the current truck before it’s updated for 2013.
Close to Stock, Closer to Bad-Ass
Built on the sturdy base of the civilian-issue 1500, the Special Service truck—available only with four-wheel drive and in a crew-cab configuration—didn’t have far to go to become ready for abuse at the hands of public servants. The tried-and-true ladder frame, the old-school part-time four-wheel-drive transfer case, and the solid rear axle are hard to break, and their bag-o’-hammers simplicity makes for comparatively easy repairs back at the garage. Likewise, durable, inexpensive 17-inch steel wheels wrapped with 265/70 Goodyear rubber are mounted at the corners. For an agency maintaining a fleet of vehicles, these elements, plus the fact it sports essentially the same 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine as does the Dodge Charger Pursuit, can contribute to streamlined service procedures and reduced parts inventory. The Hemi in the Ram Special Service has only one major modification—the addition of an oil cooler—and makes the same 390 hp as it does in the regular Ram 1500. It is the only engine option.
The Charger Pursuit can be purchased from the factory fully outfitted for police duty, but the Special Service 1500 is instead “preconfigured” for installation of a variety of crime-fighting equipment, including lighting, computers, and radar. The bits are then fitted by an independent supplier. A special wiring-harness and power-distribution center outfitted with two separate 100-amp main fuses keeps the juice flowing and provides a layer of protection for pricey law-enforcement electronics. Ram says it works directly with vehicle upfitters to ensure easy installation of items like spotlights and wire passenger-compartment dividers (a nice way of referring to the rear-seat cage for dirty, rotten criminals).
The front doors are beefed up with extra welds to handle the additional weight of ballistic materials, should an agency choose to fit them. They open like those on a stock Ram, which is to say as wide as barn doors, a boon to officers with beltlines ballooned by hearty meals or the tools of the trade. (Or both.) The center console is removed and the shifter moved to the column to make space for a command center that can be as simple as a few rows of buttons for the lights and siren or as complex as a PC, radar, and shotgun-holder setup. A red-hued dome light provides enough interior illumination to work by while on stakeouts without drawing undue attention from outside the vehicle. Cloth-upholstered, 10-way power-adjustable seats offer Barcalounger-like comfort up front; the perp lounge in back gets a durable vinyl covering for easy containment and eradication of errantly dispensed bodily fluids. The Ram 1500 crew cab offers 125 cubic feet of precious interior space, more than offered in the Charger Pursuit. Try spending an eight-hour shift behind the wheel while entirely surrounded by piles of equipment, and you’ll quickly realize how important each cubic inch of interior space is.
