BMW has created a one-off M5 Touring styled as a German police car, giving the high-performance wagon a blue, white, and fluorescent yellow livery along with a roof-mounted light bar. Despite its convincing appearance, the vehicle is currently a show car and is not equipped for police service.

The project was developed under the supervision of Sascha Eifel, BMW M’s Head of Development Authority and Special Vehicle / Functional Safety, alongside former development chief Dirk Häcker. Its initial focus was adapting the M5 Touring’s appearance to resemble an operational police vehicle.

A modified police livery

BMW already produces 5 Series Touring models for Germany’s Federal Police, providing an existing livery as a starting point. However, the M5 Touring’s wider body required changes to the design so the graphics could cover its larger fenders and more aggressively shaped bumpers.

Once applied, the wrap gives the wagon the appearance of a legitimate police cruiser. BMW’s own logo is placed on the rear doors instead of the Bavarian state flag used by police vehicles. The car also lacks the equipment needed for real police duties, beyond the police-style graphics and flashing light bar.

BMW has cautioned that the vehicle is not ready to pursue offenders. It remains a single example, and the company has not announced plans to put an M5 Touring police car into service.

Plug-in hybrid V8 power

The show car is based on the M5 Touring’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, combining a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with an electric system. The setup produces 717 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, equivalent to 1,000 Nm.

The M5 Touring also offers an all-electric driving range of up to 40 miles, or 65 kilometers. That capability could allow quiet, emissions-free operation in urban areas, while the car’s performance would suit patrol work on Germany’s high-speed motorways.

Eifel appears hopeful that police departments could show interest in an M5 Touring, but for now the dramatic wagon remains a one-off display vehicle rather than an operational police car.