Try to look really shocked when you read this…
For some time, we’ve been sounding the alarm that criminals are attracted to Dodge muscle cars like moths to a flame or a feline to catnip. It’s like they just can’t quit the allure of Mopars, what with their flashy looks, loads of power, and their seemingly easily-defeated security. One of the places hard hit by criminals using Dodge Challengers and Chargers to street race, steal other rides, do street takeovers, and even kill innocent people is the Detroit area. This fact has been highlighted recently in a Deadline Detroit article by Nancy Derringer.
Refresh yourself on the Dodge security update confusion here.
As she aptly points out, many criminals use these muscle cars as getaway vehicles. If the cops give chase, they drop the hammer and leave the fuzz in the dust, often pushing well beyond 130 mph on a stretch of highway. Some departments just call off the chase at that point. And since the car is likely stolen, it will be later ditched, often with most if not all the components stripped off, but probably after it’s used to commit a few more crimes.
We subscribe to the philosophy that when there’s a problem, the best thing you can do is shine a light on it for all to see, instead of sweeping it under the rug and pretending it doesn’t exist. That’s why we appreciate Derringer’s effort. To be clear, we’re not saying everyone who owns or drives a Dodge Charger or Challenger is a criminal. There are plenty of law-abiding citizens who love these modern Mopars. Full disclosure: we are some of them. Sometimes we get accused of being Mopar haters for pointing this fact out, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Stellantis has released a confusing lineup of security updates for the higher-end Dodge Chargers and Challengers to hopefully keep them from being stolen. However, the rollout of these technologies is odd and we’re not sure if they’ll really stop the thieves or not. For now, we don’t really notice a decrease in stories about Dodge thefts and crimes committed using them, but we hope that day is coming before all the Hellcats and Scat Packs have been completely trashed, leaving us with no cool toys.
Check out the Deadline Detroit article here.
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