The police are definitely making their presence felt at the 2010 Essen Motor Show, although it’s not for reasons you might think.
A while ago, we showed you an Essen-bound Fiat 500 that was dressed in Italian police livery by tuning house Blistein. Turns out, the 500 wasn’t the only law enforcement vehicle expected to show up at Europe’s largest aftermarket auto tuning event.
German tuning house, AC Schnitzer, was also in attendance at Essen and they’ve brought with them the German counterpart to the 500 Polizia by Bilstein.
The Aachen-based aftermarket specialists developed their own version of the Mini E Polizei car as part of their ’Tune It! Safe!’ campaign, which is a part of bigger safety campaign sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development.
Among the notable modifications AC Schnitzer gave the Mini E includes a new racing suspension system that complements the car’s 204 electric 204 horsepower. There’s also a newly-designed bonnet, new front and rear skirts, and a set of 18" alloy wheels on Hankook tires. Keeping to the theme of a police vehicle, AC Schnitzer also gave it a blue paint finish with unique stickers courtesy of Foliatec. AC Schnitzer also added a Hella signaling system, as well as an interior that has been decorated with a pedal set, a foot rest, and handbrake handle made of aluminum.
This German Police MINI E has indeed been dressed up in full ’Polizei’ regalia to show that while MINI may be a brand that’s as eccentric as any automaker in the world, it’s still capable of tapping into it’s serious, law-enforcing side.
AC Schintzer is a name that is usually associated with tuned up BMWs, but they seem to be joining the accessory circus with their third installment of the Chronograph, a watch signed by the famous tuner. The new Chronograph 3 will be built as a limited edition and is ideal as an exclusive gift.
This timepiece is strapped around the user’s wrist by an ultrasoft black leather strap with white quilting seams. The body of the watch is made of brushed aluminum with a screwed on base that makes it water resistant up to 100 meters. The outer ring of the watch has a tachometer that includes four "extra instruments" for counting seconds, minutes, and hours.
The feature of the timepiece that is the most attractive is the indices made of superluminova. With this material, the watch’s appliques and roman numerals can be seen no matter what time it is.
As is the norm with AC Schnitzer, better performance and aesthetics are developed with the highest quality and precision for any BMW. The new F11 5 Series Touring is no exception, and today we introduce to you the latest offerings from Aachen, Germany scheduled to be unleashed at the Essen Motorshow. The 5 Touring is built and designed for practicality and ease of use. Now, thanks to AC Schnitzer, practicality has a pretty face and the show to match the go.
In their usual fashion, the German tuners have developed a tasty list of aftermarket options for the otherwise mundane 5 station wagon. Packages are currently only available for the 5 series diesel derivatives – petrol upgrades are currently being developed. At the center of the new options are the AC Schnitzer performance upgrades that include a stainless exhaust, modified ECU, and stiffer lowering springs. After the conversion, the BMW 530d develops an impressive 286 HP and the uprated 535d now produces an impressive 360 HP, whilst the 520d and 525d develop a powerful 218 HP and 245 HP respectively.
Full story and press release after the jump. Full story
The number of iPhone users worldwide is growing at an incredible rate, and Aachen-based tuning concern, AC Schnitzer, have recognized this trend and plan on embracing it by the introduction of a car configurator app for your iPhone. This app brings consumers closer to showrooms by allowing them to choose a model from BMW or Mini and customize it using available AC Schnitzer parts.
Users can either use an existing image from their gallery, or take an image of their car via the app, and start customizing right away. The app depicts the car in a montage of generated renderings in a tasteful presentation that will no doubt have you ordering parts in no time. Other features include a product showcase, where you can view images and videos of project cars to help you get acquainted to the world of aftermarket Schintzer madness. The app is available as a free download in the iTunes store.
When it comes to the business of aftermarket BMW bits, AC Schnitzer are the people you speak to. Not only because their quality and fitment is superb, but also because they’re the only BMW approved tuning company – meaning your bulletproof BMW Motorplan remains intact. They offer a host of aesthetic and performance parts for almost every BMW, amongst the favorites being their performance exhaust systems. Not only do they sound much sportier than the factory items, but they also help free up a few horses and Newton-meters to your chosen ride. In this feature you can listen to not only the tuned versions, but also their factory counterparts for an all-round aural experience. Be prepared to fork out some cash though – one of these babies doesn’t come cheap! Cars include: BMW 550i (F10), BMW Z4 sDrive35is, different versions of the 650 BHP BMW X6M Falcon by AC Schnitzer, BMW 135i and 335i, and the BMW E92 M3.
Check out the videos after the jump and don’t forget to turn up the volume!
