A normal-looking 2015 Dodge Charger found a new owner earlier this week, who paid a cool $16,500 for it. That’s about twice as much as you’d expect for a used muscle car like that, but it was no civilian car.
Instead, the U.S. Air Force had used it to guide Lockheed U-2 spy planes as they took off and touched back down on an airdrome strip. A car like this is apparently required to ensure safe landing of the planes. It wasn’t used much outside of the airfield, so it ended up with less than 17,000 km (10,600 miles) on the odometer.
To keep up with the planes, the Charger was specced with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 sending 375 PS (370 hp / 276 kW) to the rear wheels through a five-speed automatic transmission. The engine received an upgraded cooling system and a performance exhaust to ensure smooth running at the top speed. To make the driver comfortable, a new power-adjustable seat was installed and a thicker windshield was used to minimize noise and vibrations. Finally, the suspension was overhauled to stay stiff during periods of rapid acceleration and braking.
A floodlight was also mounted on the left a-pillar and a LED bar was put on the roof. The interior was given a normal vinyl/cloth trim.