Police Raid BMW’s Korea Headquarters Following Vehicle Engine Fires

This comes after 20,000 BMWs were banned from Korea’s streets.

Last month we learned that South Korean had banned approximately 20,000 BMW vehicles from its streets due to suspected engine fires. BMW quickly issued an apology and recalled 106,000 diesel-powered vehicles, a total of 42 models including the 520d. Several BMW owners in Korea also filed a class action suit against the German automaker. Now, according to CarScoops via the Yonhap news agency, 30 investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency have raided BMW’s local headquarters in order to search for evidence indicating the automaker purposely hid information regarding engine defects that led to the fires. What will Korean authorities find? Who knows?

Nothing has been announced just yet, but the fact that a raid was authorized in the first place is a possible indicator this could become a serious issue. Also earlier this month, a criminal investigation was being sought following a complaint regarding the engine fires. What’s clear is that the South Korean government is messing around here and wants affected owners to take this issue with the utmost caution. As we previously reported, Korean government authorities prefer for affected owners not to drive their cars at all until answers are found.

“I am asking owners of the BMW cars subject to the recall to actively cooperate to prevent bigger accidents, despite your inconvenience,” said Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee. It appears the cause of the fires may have already been traced to a defect in the exhaust gas recirculation system, but nothing has been made official just yet. In the meantime, Korean police will begin sorting through whatever materials they confiscated following the raid as they search for any evidence of a cover-up.

We Would Happily Pull Over For This BMW i8 Police Car

AC Schnitzer has modified the hybrid sports car to make it the perfect pursuit vehicle.

After previewing its performance modifications for the BMW 8 Series Coupe, German tuner AC Schnitzer has created a custom cop car for the Tune it! Safe! Campaign, which aims to “combat illegal and unsafe tuning with a nationwide campaign.” Every year, a German aftermarket tuner is selected to create a police-themed vehicle for the campaign.

This year, AC Schnitzer chose to convert the BMW i8 sports car into a police car we would happily pull over for. Currently on display at the Essen Motor Show, the hybrid police cruiser will be shown at events, trade fairs and tuning events for the next year.

The BMW i8 police car has received a host of modifications. To start with, AC Schnitzer has lowered the car by 20 mm on the front and rear axles, bringing it much closer to the ground than the production vehicle to increase the cornering stability. This makes it perfectly equipped for chasing criminals in high-speed police pursuits, so it’s a shame it won’t be used as a real police car.

21-inch lightweight forged wheels and an aerodynamic carbon body kit, which includes front spoiler elements, a front spoiler, a hood top, and front side wings, also make the car lighter. There’s also carbon side skirts and a three-part carbon rear diffuser providing extra downforce.

Rounding off the exterior changes are carbon door handles and mirror covers, along with flashing police lights and a German police livery. Inside, the BMW i8 cop car features aluminium shift paddles and pedals, as well as an aluminium cover for the iDrive System Controller.

There’s no word on any performance upgrades, but the stock BMW i8 is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that delivers 228 hp, and a 141-hp electric motor, producing a combined output of 369 hp. That’s enough to propel it from 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 155 mph.

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