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“Police Interceptor” Dodge Charger Takes to the Autobahn, Tiny VW Up! Is Unfazed

We have seen quite a few oddities submitted to the ultimate European top speed performance test, the Autobahn run. And some of them even had just as much good old American flair as this not so actual 2021 Dodge Charger R/T. But what makes this car special isn’t just the 375-horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8 hiding under the hood.
2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany 18 photos
Photo: TopSpeedGermany/YouTube
2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany2012 Dodge Charger R/T Police Interceptor Hemi V8 on Autobahn by TopSpeedGermany
Some vehicles that have taken to Germany’s incredible no-speed limit sections of the Autobahn have been quite old; others have been quite fast for their family-hauling abilities. Then there are those that seemed entirely out of place because you really don’t get to see a Ram 1500 very often almost hitting the fabled 124 mph (200 kph) threshold.

But it’s even more astonishing to see an almost decade-old Dodge Charger cross it instead of imagining how it feels on board something as little as an Abarth 595 Competizione when it channels the inner demons for a quick run-up to an even higher 144-mph (231 kph) top speed.

And it’s not because we didn’t expect the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 to perform above and beyond the call of duty, but due to the fact that we’re dealing with a Dodge Charger R/T that’s fully dressed up in a “Police Interceptor” livery! Assuming that it’s even legal, it sure is a sight to behold for European drivers.

Though not for all, as this recent video (embedded below) from the TopSpeedGermany channel on YouTube will soon prove. Everything starts as usual, with a little walkaround of the 2012 Charger R/T to make sure we catch all the details of this particular uniform, and from the 2:05 mark, we’re already treated to a fast zero to 121 mph (195 kph) sprint that’s only interrupted by the heavy traffic.

Most of the cars encountered by the Dodge are quick to get out of the way, but the same cannot be said for the little red Volkswagen (as far as we can tell it’s an Up!) that pops up from the 3:19 mark and seems totally unfazed by the fake police car waiting behind. It even passes a truck, then a much larger Volkswagen before yielding the right to pass.

As for the actual top speed run (also performed in the opposite direction from 5:25 in a bid to escape the heavy traffic), we’ve seen attempts that were a lot more impressive—the Charger wasn’t able to go faster than 130 mph (around 209 kph).

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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