BMW M2 gets the police treatment from AC Schnitzer
Wild cop car is the latest addition to Germany’s ‘Tune it! Safe!’ campaign
Achtung! BMW’s hot M2 is the basis for one of the craziest-looking police cars yet, thanks to German tuning firm AC Schnitzer.
Snappily called the Police BMW M2 by AC Schnitzer, the vehicle is designed to bring attention to the ‘Tune it! Safe!’ initiative which aims to promote responsible but exciting tuning that complies with all necessary regulations.
It’s the eighth time a car has been created for the German campaign, which is under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport and the German Police.
Previous iterations from AC Schnitzer have included a BMW i8 and 8 Series, while other contributions have come from Techart, which created the Polizei [Porsche] 911 in 2006 and Brabus, which managed to fashion a German police car out of the Smart ForTwo in 2008.
AC Schnitzer’s latest creation features a whole host of exterior changes, including the firm’s aerodynamic package consisting of a front splitter (which adds 60kg of downforce by itself), a new grille, side skirts, a rear roof spoiler and a motorsport-inspired wing. The reshaped rear diffuser embeds a new AC Schnitzer exhaust, which has valve control with improved gas flow.
The six-cylinder turbocharged 3.0-litre engine under the bonnet has been tweaked as well. While the regular car would keep up with most cars on the autobahn thanks to its 473bhp, AC Schnitzer has upped the output to 552bhp, with torque at 650Nm. The engine also receives a bespoke AC Schnitzer-branded cover.
Performance figures haven’t been revealed, but we suspect a decent improvement on the standard M2’s four-second 0-62mph time will be achievable. However, bearing in mind the extra emphasis on downforce and that big roof light, we’re not sure if it’ll better the M2’s 177mph top speed (which is unlocked with BMW’s M Driver’s Package).
AC Schnitzer says it has tested the Polizei M2 around the Nürburgring, and it even gets a new adjustable suspension kit which lowers the car by 25 to 35mm. The staggered 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels are wrapped in Hankook performance tyres, but the brakes look unchanged – although the standard set-up should comfortably provide enough stopping power.
According to the tuner, the interior remains “stylish and functional”. Here you’ll find bespoke AC Schnitzer bucket seats, new aluminium shift paddles, foot pedals and an aluminium cover for the rotary iDrive controller.
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