Car Throttle

There has been some interesting cars used for duty by police fleets the world over, like a Lexus IS-F in the United Kingdom and a special Gallardo donated to Italian police by Lamborghini.

Here in the United States, the Crown Victoria is the most prevalent model, with a smattering of Dodge Chargers thrown in for good measure.

Chevrolet has taken aim at the market with a police-only Chevrolet Caprice model. In Germany, high-performance models have to be used, especially when patrolling high-speed corridors like the Autobahn.

The Essen Motor Show in Germany displays a specially-outfitted police car model each year, as part of the “TUNE IT! SAFE!” initiative. This years model used is a BMW 123d donated by BMW and modified by AC Schnitzer.

This car has a lot of performance-oriented changes that include boosting power from the standard car’s 204 horsepower by output to 241 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. The 123d has also been lowered by 30 millimeters, and there is a raft of other, more visible changes, like a front splitter, rear spoiler, and a bigger wheel and tire package.

When you’re chasing the bad guys, you’ve got to be firmly in your seat, right? AC also fitted the car with two racing seats and included changes like carbon fiber trim, along with a new iDrive controller knob that matches the wheel design.

The AC Schnitzer 123d is just a concept (where’s the area to throw criminals at in cars like this?) and is the fifth concept car under the Association of German Car Tuners (VDAT) ”TUNE IT! SAFE!” initiative.