Skip to main content

BMW i8 joins the Dubai Police fleet

The Dubai Police motor pool already includes everything from a Chevy Camaro to a Bugatti Veyron, but for its latest acquisition Dubai decided to think a little greener.

The latest car to wear Dubai’s white and green police livery is a BMW i8 pouf-in hybrid, which gets its first once over from officers in this video (via World Car Fans).

With its wing-like doors and futuristic styling, the i8 certainly has the looks to match anything else in the Dubai Police fleet, and its ability to drive on silent electric power will probably come in handy in urban traffic.

The i8 powertrain teams a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with an electric motor to produce a combined 357 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. That lets the i8 glide to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, and reach a top speed of 155 mph.

شرطة دبي تضم سيارة بي ام دبليو اي8 - BMW i8 Joins Dubai Police Force

That’s fairly impressive, but the i8 still isn’t the fastest car in the Dubai Police fleet by a long shot. Not that it matters.

Like the other exotic cars collected by the Dubai Police, the i8 will be used for public relations, promoting both the police force and Dubai itself.

While the fleet is heavy on gas-guzzling supercars, the i8 actually isn’t the first green vehicle to be pressed into police duty.

The Dubai Police also rosters a Renault Twizy, a small electric car that can grab a lot of attention, but probably for different reasons than any of the sportier machinery.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
The all-electric BMW i7 is a home theater on wheels
Front three quarter view of the 2023 BMW i7.

BMW is no stranger to electric vehicles. It launched the quirky i3 hatchback in 2014, and followed it up more recently with the i4 and iX. But now BMW is making its flagship vehicle electric.

The BMW 7 Series is the automaker’s biggest, most opulent sedan, and for the 2023 model year, it gets a redesign that includes a first-ever electric variant. The 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 (to use its full name) will start shipping to U.S. dealerships in November alongside gasoline 7 Series models (a hybrid version will arrive later as well).

Read more
2023 BMW iX M60 is electric, spacious, and surprisingly quick
A 2023 BMW iX M60.

BMW's performance-obsessed M division is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022. It kicked off its birthday celebration by unveiling the 2023 iX M60, an evolution of the electric iX that stands out with stunningly quick acceleration, a usable driving range, and a subtle design.

It takes a well-trained eye to tell the M60 model apart from the standard iX, which was introduced in 2020. Look closely and you'll notice blue brake calipers hidden behind version-specific aerodynamic wheels and a handful of M logos scattered across the exterior. The wings, vents, and generally muscular-looking design cues we're used to seeing on BMW's M models are nowhere to be found, and that's intentional.

Read more
2022 BMW i4 first drive review: The real deal
A 2022 BMW i4 M50 in a driveway.

We've heard a lot about BMW M's long-awaited electric sedan in recent years. We analyzed the hurdles that engineers had to clear to make the model a reality, notably weight, and we outlined the benefits that come with a performance-tuned electric powertrain, like instant torque. Years in the making, the end result is finally here. It's called i4, and it's a hugely significant car that electrifies the very essence of BMW.

Was it worth waiting for? I headed to its home turf to check it out.

Read more