No need to wait for a press conference or auto show to see the next-generation Dodge Charger.
The police car version, called Charger Pursuit, was in plain sight sans camouflage earlier this month during several days of testing by the Michigan State Police. Several photos of the 2011 Charger, some with police car trim, are posted on the jalopnik.com Web site.
The Charger has been re-engineered and restyled for the 2011 model year. Up to now, only heavily disguised spy photos of the car have been available.
All of the sheet metal is new. What can be seen is that the Charger picks up a few styling cues from the late 1960s Chargers, specifically the rear roof line as it flows to the trunk lid, the rear taillight treatment and the side sculpturing on the front doors.
The Charger and two new police car entries were evaluated by the Michigan State Police. The others were the 2011 Chevrolet Caprice and the 2012 Ford Interceptor, essentially a heavy-duty, front-drive Taurus. Ford will phase out the rear-drive Crown Victoria-based police car next year. The police version of the Chevrolet Impala also will be discontinued.
The Caprice is a rear-wheel drive sedan that will be assembled by General Motors Co.'s Holden subsidiary in Australia.
The testing was conducted at Chrysler's proving grounds in Chelsea, Mich.
The results of the evaluations are expected to be released in December.
The 2011 Charger goes on sale next year.
