We showed you Hyundai’s new cars for the UK Police Dept sometime ago. Looks like the Hyundais weren’t up to the mark (pun intended) meaning the UK Police Department has announced a contract with BMW to acquire its cars for all the country’s police forces. The models are a god mix from the all new BME F10 530d sedan as well as the X1, X3 xDrive 20d, X5 xDrive30d and 40d. To top it all off, the 330d will act as the High Performance Pursuit Vehicle which is also called as a rapid response vehicle meaning it could be doing duty on the highways. To top it off, BMW’s R1200 RF-P police bikes will ply on crowded routes.
Hit the jump for more images and press release.
Also Read :
Hyundai preferred brand for UK Police dept Sep 2010
BMW X1 coming in early 2011 Sep 2010
Production of new BMW X3 begins in Spartanburg Sep 2010
BMW launches F10 5-Series sedan; 8-Speed automatic standard across range Apr 2010
Press Release
BMW has been approved as a key supplier for all 52 Police forces around the country by the National Policing Improvement Agency. The announcement means some of BMW’s class-leading products will become standard issue to the UK’s Policemen and women as part of the four-year deal.
The news will see cars such as the BMW 330d Saloon and Touring, 530d Saloon and Touring, all variants of X1, X3 xDrive20d, X5 xDrive30d and xDrive40d, and the R1200 RF-P Police bike all take a high profile role in the fight against crime. Some of the vehicles will also be unmarked and perform less visible policing roles.
While the latest 5 Series will be an all-new addition to most Police fleets it is the BMW 330d Saloon Interceptor model that is sure to cause the most interest. Billed as a High Performance Pursuit Vehicle, the modified BMW is capable of a rapid response role while also fulfilling the environmental and running cost demands all forces have to think of too. Full technical details of the car can not be specified for security reasons.
Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK, said: “This is excellent news for BMW and shows the breadth of appeal of the products we sell. We have a very strong commitment to the ‘Authorities market’ throughout the world and have a very close relationship with the UK’s Police forces. Orders for BMW Police vehicles started as long ago as the mid 1970′s in the UK. This latest news reaffirms our commitment to 21st Century policing.”
Of the 52 UK Police forces, virtually all operate BMW Authorities products of one form or another, while two thirds operate high-levels and nearly half of those operate with a near BMW High Performance only fleet. When the above models are added to the rest of the BMW Authorities range of specialist vehicles, such as medical and fire tenders, considerable savings through economies of scale can be made in training, tooling and parts.
BMW is unique in offering production line installed special equipment packages for Emergency Warning equipment which importantly can be supported by BMW Service Centres throughout the UK with a three-year BMW warranty. Ordinarily vehicles are built by manufacturers only to be disassembled for the retrospective installation of such equipment. The RESPoNSe (Responder EMERGENCY SERVICE Package official eNabled Systeme) package provides vehicles with a high-level of emergency service role-equipment pre installed allowing for a near ‘Plug & Play’ car, thus significantly reducing the time into service and the need for third-parties to start cutting into the vehicle’s wiring harness.
BMW operates a dedicated department with a team of specialists based at the BMW Group International – Special Sales Competence Centre. This specialist department is responsible for all BMW Authorities specification vehicles sold and operating as Emergency Service vehicles including cars, motorcycles, MINI and ballistically protected BMW Security and High Security cars.
Ends
Note: The NIPA is a procurement body that oversees the purchase of the 5,600 Police vehicle that are bought every year by forces across the UK with a total spend in the region of £83 million.
The BMW Group
The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 24 production facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
The BMW Group achieved a global sales volume of approximately 1.29 million automobiles and over 87,000 motorcycles for the 2009 financial year. Revenues totalled euro 50.68 billion. At 31 December 2009, the company employed a global workforce of approximately 96,000 associates.
The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last six years.
For further information please contact:
Krystyna Kozlowska
Tel: 01344 480707
BMW Media Relations Assistant
Email: Krystyna.Kozlowska@bmw.co.uk
Gavin Ward
Tel: 01344 480829
BMW Media Relations Manager
Email: Gavin.Ward@bmw.co.uk
Wieland Bruch
Tel: 01344 480113
Corporate Communications Manager
Email: Wieland.Bruch@bmw.co.uk
Graham Biggs
Tel: 01344 480109
Corporate Communications Director
Email: Graham.Biggs@bmw.co.uk
Main office number:
Media website:
Customer website:
01344 480320
www.press.bmwgroup.co.uk
www.bmw.co.uk
62114/261010
God help the police. I ordered a 525d SE. When it arrived it did not perform as per the handbook. The local dealer advised that the handbook bore very little likeness to the car. Simple switch gear defaulted to off when book tells me it should be on. Spoke to BMW UK Ltd who advised that the GPS scale was the same on the business and the professional GPS systems. They then retracted their statement when they found out I was going to return the car. Problem is I recorded the conversation. Ho hum.
Posted by Neil Munro | January 20, 2011, 3:57 pm