Police crush BMW M3 Estate made from FOUR stolen vehicles

Award-winning BMW M3 Estate is crushed by police after they discovered it was ‘cut and shut’ car made from FOUR stolen vehicles

• Award-winning BMW M3 Estate made from stolen parts is crushed by police 
• Officers seized the green car for inspection in Birmingham on November 15 
• Traffic police became suspicious when they realised BMW haven’t made long M3
• Car was also registered as a two-litre diesel but it had a three-litre petrol engine and was fitted with four exhaust pipes 

An award-winning BMW M3 Estate has been crushed after police discovered it was a ‘cut and shut’ car made from at least four stolen motors.

Officers stopped the bright green M3 Estate as it travelled on Dartmouth Middleway in Birmingham on November 15 last year, just months after it took part in a car show in Germany as seen on YouTube. 

Eagle-eyed traffic police first became suspicious when they realised that BMW have never made an elongated M3.

The car was also registered as a two-litre diesel but it had a three-litre petrol engine and was fitted with four exhaust pipes.

It was seized for inspection and police were stunned to discover the distinctive car was a death-trap botched together from at least four cars.

An award-winning BMW M3 Estate has been crushed by police after they discovered it was a ‘cut and shut’ car made from at least four stolen motors

Officers stopped the striking bright green M3 Estate as it travelled on Dartmouth Middleway in Birmingham on November 15 last year, just months after it took part in a car show in Germany

Two estate vehicles had been used to create the main body and the panoramic roof

Parts were traced to one BMW M3 stolen on September 30, 2019, from a car showroom in All Saints, Wolverhampton, plus another M3 stolen on March 20, 2018 in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

Two estate vehicles had been used to create the main body and the panoramic roof.

Police have crushed the car into a 3ft wide cube and say the owner is not suspected of being involved in the thefts of the other motors.

PC Mark Wheaver, from the Central Motorway Police Group, said: ‘This should act as a striking reminder that cars may not be what they seem.

‘You might think you’re buying a bargain but it could be a death-trap that cost your life as well as thousands of pounds.

Parts were traced to one BMW M3 stolen on September 30, 2019, from a car showroom in All Saints, Wolverhampton, plus another M3 stolen on March 20, 2018 in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

Eagle-eyed traffic police first became suspicious when it emerged BMW never made an estate version of the M3

Police have crushed the car into a 3ft wide cube and say the owner is not suspected of being involved in the thefts of the other motors

‘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.

‘Our Central Motorway Police Group is training increasing numbers of officers to examine cars we stop to identify if they are cloned or feature stolen parts.

‘They are patrolling the region, stopping and checking any modified vehicles for insurance and stolen parts, and any we find will face the same fate as this M3 show car.’

The car was also registered as a two-litre diesel but it had a three-litre petrol engine and was fitted with four exhaust pipes

Specialist vehicle examiner Boyd Howells says the force has had to seize ‘countless cars’ from people who thought they’d bagged a bargain after unwittingly buying ‘cut-and-shut’ motors

Specialist vehicle examiner Boyd Howells says the force has had to seize ‘countless cars’ from people who thought they’d bagged a bargain after unwittingly buying ‘cut-and-shut’ motors.

He said: ‘These buyers don’t get their money back. We seize the vehicle as it’s illegal and unsafe – and I’m pretty sure criminal gangs selling such vehicles don’t offer compensation.

‘That’s why it’s really important car buyers are switched on to the signs a car could be dodgy.

‘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? I recommend buying cars from main dealers or approved used car stockists.

‘But if you are buying from an independent dealer pay a deposit or minimum of £100 on a credit card as it offers protection.

‘If they refuse credit cards that should be a red flag. Always inspect the car first – and if you’re not great with cars take along a friend who is, perhaps your regular mechanic.

‘You could also pay for an HPI check against the vehicle but these should only ever be used as a guide and are not advertised as 100 per cent accurate.’

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