BMW’s latest M5 Touring has stepped into a very different uniform.
The high-performance estate has been dressed in German police colours, complete with roof lights and a blue, white and fluorescent yellow livery that makes it look ready for high-speed autobahn work.
For now, though, this is more fantasy fleet car than working patrol vehicle.
At a glance
- BMW has created a one-off police-style version of the latest M5 Touring.
- The estate keeps its plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain with 717 hp and up to 65 km of electric driving.
- Despite the livery and lights, it doesn’t have the equipment needed for active police service.
A police look tailored to the widest M wagon
The project was led by Sascha Eifel, BMW M’s Head of Development Authority and Special Vehicle / Functional Safety, working with former development chief Dirk Häcker.
BMW didn’t simply apply a standard police wrap and call it finished.
The familiar German police treatment had to be adapted around the M5 Touring’s broad stance, swollen fenders and assertive bumper design.
That matters, because the current M5 Touring is not a subtle estate even before the emergency lighting and reflective colours enter the picture.
The police livery uses the expected blue, white and fluorescent yellow palette, but BMW’s own logo replaces the Bavarian state flag on the rear doors.
It’s a small detail, though one that makes clear this car is a BMW M exercise rather than a newly issued police vehicle.
The catch behind the lights
The roof-mounted lights and official-looking graphics give the car real road-authority presence, but it isn’t ready for duty.
BMW’s M5 Touring police car doesn’t carry the equipment required for genuine police work, which keeps it firmly in show-car territory.
That distinction is important, because high-performance police cars often blur the line between public-relations theatre and operational fleet hardware.
Here, the intent is clear enough.
The car demonstrates how neatly BMW’s most powerful estate can wear a law-enforcement identity, without suggesting it’s about to join regular patrol rotations.
Hybrid V8 muscle with an urban quiet side
Under the bonnet, the police-themed M5 Touring retains the serious hardware of the production performance wagon.
Its twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 works with a plug-in hybrid system to produce 717 hp and 738 lb ft of torque.
That gives the concept plenty of credibility as an autobahn pursuit fantasy, but its electric range is just as interesting in this context.
BMW quotes up to 65 km, or 40 miles, of electric driving, which would theoretically suit quieter movement through city streets or controlled areas.
In practice, that remains a hypothetical advantage until a properly equipped police version exists.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | BMW |
|---|---|
| Model | M5 Touring police show car |
| Body style | High-performance estate |
| Powertrain | Twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 plug-in hybrid |
| Power | 717 hp |
| Torque | 738 lb ft |
| Electric range | Up to 65 km / 40 miles |
| Special features | German police-style livery and roof lights |
| Status | One-off show car |
As a design study, the police-liveried M5 Touring works because it leans into what the car already is.
It’s broad, fast, technically complex and just practical enough to make the idea feel plausible, even if this particular example won’t be chasing anyone down the autobahn anytime soon.
