'Death trap' fake BMW: Cars in Birmingham 'botched' together
- Published
Police said an estate version of the BMW M3 had never been made
A flashy-looking BMW was a "death trap" fake "botched" together from at least four different cars, say police who have had it crushed.
Traffic officers from West Midlands Police stopped what appeared to be a BMW M3 estate on Dartmouth Middleway, Birmingham, on 15 November.
Despite looking the part in a high-sheen green, the car was seized amid suspicions about its origins.
Police said it turned out an estate version of the M3 had never been made.
But not letting the limits of the manufacturer's inventory stop them, criminals fashioned their own vehicle from scratch.
Two estates were used to create the main body and the panoramic roof, said police.
Parts were traced to one BMW M3 stolen on 30 September 2019 from a car showroom in All Saints, Wolverhampton, and another M3 stolen on 20 March 2018 in Sutton Coldfield.
Police described the phoney motor as a "death-trap botched together from at least four cars".
The vehicle was crushed and then shredded
PC Mark Wheaver said: "This BMW looked great on the outside, you can't fault the paint job, but scratch beneath the veneer and it was just tag-welded and structurally unsafe.
"A coat of paint won't save your life in a collision.
"Whoever had bodged this car together had gone to significant lengths to try and hide its true identity. Numbers had been ground off and stickers removed but we have expert vehicle examiners who use techniques to overcome these obstacles."
The illegal vehicle was shredded, external at a specialist scrapyard, added the force, urging buyers to be vigilant for cloned cars on the market.
Specialist vehicle examiner Boyd Howells said: "These buyers don't get their money back."
The illegal car had been "botched" together using at least four others
Mr Howells said: "We seize the vehicle as it's illegal and unsafe - and I'm pretty sure criminal gangs selling such vehicles don't offer compensation.
He said: "One of the most important messages to still remember is 'if it looks too good to be true, it probably is'. Ask yourself 'why is such a good-looking car such an attractive price'?"
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