By Jacob Oliva, Motor1.com
To tell you the truth, this isn't the first time that I've written about a bad*** police car. One town in Japan had a Nissan GT-R donated to its police force, while a sheriff in Georgia was in hot waters after purchasing a Dodge Charger Hellcat as his personal cruiser. I've also seen a report about a Ferrari 458 Spider that has been repurposed as a police vehicle.
I'm actually close to feeling indifferent about cool police cars until this – the Police BMW i8 TUNE IT! SAFE! by AC Schnitzer.
You might be wondering what's with the quirky monicker but apparently, this tuned BMW i8 is part of the TUNE IT! SAFE! campaign of the Association of German Automobile Tuners e.V. (VDAT). This has been an on-going tradition since 2005 wherein a special police concept vehicle is being presented every year at the Essen Motor Show.
Now, we all know what AC Schnitzer can do to BMWs, and this i8 police car is the result of the German tuners impregnable creativity when it comes to recreating Bimmers.
Who says police cars can't be bad***?
Underneath the rather bright blue and yellow livery, AC Schnitzer has applied its magic to the BMW i8 to make it more aerodynamic and readier to enforce the law. First, the car is lowered by 20mm for better handling and more stable cornering. The wheels are also replaced with an AC1 lightweight set, saving up to 4.4 kilograms (9.7 pounds) per rim.
As for aerodynamics, the BMW i8 police car is given carbon fiber kits, which include the front spoiler, center front spoiler, front side wings, and bonnet top. The shower of carbon fiber extends to the side skirts, "racing" rear wing, and the three-part rear diffuser, as well as in the handle shells and mirror covers.
Here's a short video that shows the AC Schnitzer Police BMW i8 TUNE IT! SAFE! in action:
