Watch out NJ/NY drivers - possible highway patrol use of 5 series - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

mjlandy · 13th February 2003, 14:41

Seen on I287 east - by the Garden State Parkway exit - travelling in the left lane. Around 5:00 pm Wednesday Feb 12.

A black 540 rebadged as a 528 (can't make that exhaust look different)

With blue reflectors on the rear bumper - police type third brake lights inside the rear deck - several antenna, and most notable of all - a silver search light mounted through the driver's A pillar.

Windows heavily tinted so - I could not get a look at the driver.

Don't know what it was all about - but the notion that highway patrol may actually be riding in a black 5 series was enough to jolt me.

If it wasn't - then - it was the most abused looking 5 series I ever saw - wish I had my camera.

Teutonaddict · 13th February 2003, 15:01

I ran across an E39 5er in service with the South Carolina HP. Of course, that make sense since BMW is a huge employer in that state. It still caught me quite off guard, however!

Read about it here:
http://www.bmwm5.com/vbulletin/showt...highway+patrol

young-nyc · 13th February 2003, 15:37

Quote:

Originally posted by mjlandy

A black 540 rebadged as a 528 (can't make that exhaust look different)

how could you tell it was a 540?
the only way to tell the difference is the wheels the 540 has...the exhaust or lack there of is the same as the 528.

Aviator · 13th February 2003, 15:55

That's one happy cop.

kwalls · 14th February 2003, 15:18

Even harder to tell difference here since that's the game in Germany. Most times if the badge is still on the car it's wrong, more often than not there is no badge. Many 525's are ordered to look like a 540 (big tires / wheels and all). I use to think the exhaust was different but I found that isn't true and once they pass you it becomes harder. Depending on the model year the 540 grill has more chrome than the 520/525/528/530 series.

JEM · 14th February 2003, 23:14

Up thru 1999? 2000? the 528i and 540i exhausts were the same - two drum-shaped chambers, only one of which actually has an outlet.

From 2000? 2001? the 6-cylinder cars get a single oval muffler with an exit in the center, while the 540i retains the two-drum setup. I think this may be a US-market-car-only change, but I'm not sure.