NSW Police reveal BMW i8

2016 BMW i8 with NSW police livery. Image credit: Richard Berry.

The NSW Police Force has a new recruit – a BMW i8 hybrid supercar capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds. The keys to the $300,000 petrol-electric plug-in hybrid decked-out in police livery were handed over to Rose Bay Local Area Command in a ceremony today held at BMW Sydney dealership in Rushcutters Bay. BMW Sydney Dealer Principal Simon Macedone said the i8 was ready for duty. “We’re very excited to partner with Rose Bay police command by delivering this exciting vehicle to them,” he said. “It’s the perfect new member of their team.”

The BMW i8 is powered by three-cylinder turbo petrol engine and an electric motor – together they produce a combined 266kW of power and 570Nm of torque.

It definitely won’t be used in a pursuit. There will be fully operational police in the car and if there is a foot chase the police will park it and run after the offenders.

With an aluminium chassis, carbon fibre body and a scissor doors the i8 has dramatic, futuristic looks to match its breathtaking performance. But police won’t be using it to chase bad guys any time soon, with Superintendent Brad Hodder saying the i8 will be used purely for community engagement over the next six months. “My crime management unit will use the car to go along to open days and events,” he said. “It provides a tool to break down barriers between police and the community. It enables the community to come up and start talking about the car. That conversation then leads to them opening up and they find out that we’re not such bad people after all. “It definitely won’t be used in a pursuit. There will be fully operational police in the car and if there is a foot chase the police will park it and run after the offenders.” Asked if he’d like to see the i8 out there hunting criminals, Hodder said he would but that it’s better suited as a talking point. “Personally yeah, it would be lovely, but practically, it’s a good community car.” While it’s unlikely a car as impractical as an i8 could be used for crime fighting duties, the search is on for a new national police car to replace the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon which will both be retired from service by 2020 following the end of local production. Under consideration is the Subaru WRX, Chrysler 300 SRT and the Infiniti Q50 among several others. The Ford Mustang is also back on the radar as a highway patrol vehicle following extensive testing to fix an overheating issue with the car’s gearbox.