Garda driving BMW's & VW's - confirmed!

DirtyDog

Hi All

Not sure if this has been confirmed yet, but I was overtake by a 07 530D unmarked estate and a VW Toureg yesterday! both brand new, tinted windows, alloys, fin antenna at the back (on the bmw) insurance discs everything to make u think its a normal car - except for the blue and red lights in the grill on the bmw and the lights were in the rear view mirror on the toureg - I was shocked, never thought they had anything like that on the road yet!

Sorry about the header typo it was ment to be 5!

Seth Brundle

Do they have one or three aerials?

DeBeere

From what I have heard from others, the new garda aerials are now built in.
So basically it is a lot harder to tell!

mondeoman

DirtyDog wrote:

Hi All

Not sure if this has been confirmed yet, but I was overtake by a 07 530D unmarked estate and a VW Toureg yesterday! both brand new, tinted windows, alloys, fin antenna at the back (on the bmw) insurance discs everything to make u think its a normal car - except for the blue and red lights in the grill on the bmw and the lights were in the rear view mirror on the toureg - I was shocked, never thought they had anything like that on the road yet!

Sorry about the header typo it was ment to be 5!

Yeah,
Black BMW (07) driving in Gorey last wednesday lights behind rad grill & ariel beside boot.

DirtyDog

I only saw the fin ariel at the back, the same one used for sat nav, there was no ariel on the toureg

laddy

They're driving a 05 D passat around the north wicklow area too. Saw 2 uniformed gardai in it driving around the other day.

layke

Someone I know was in Garda HQ watching them get fitted. Lime green Citroen Xara's as well.

Some of which were not brand new.

kbannon wrote:

Do they have one or three aerials?

I know someone said they were in the boot and possibly they are but from what i;v ebene told by my sources that they use a little black nipple thingy that attaches to the BMW fin.

Car Mad

seen a 05 vectra on the main waterford cork road watch out

whippet

I was just passed by a 05-D silver 7 Series on the M7 heading towards Naas with the lights on in the grill !!! just didn't seem right !!!

GTC

There are several large ministerial vehicles with such lights. A lot of Traffic Corps divisions have nice cars, Gorey Traffic Corps recently took delivery of a BMW 540 unmarked. Drool

GTC, Garda Traffic Corps

DeBeere

I hope they haven't got a beautiful car like the 7 series as a patrol car!
There must be a luxury car protection agency or something. :rolleyes:

I presume it is a 'ministerial vehicle'.

Thumper Long

there are at least 2 BMW x5's driven by ERU, tinted windows etc I was overtaken by them on the m50 past sandyford yesterday, they were easily doing a tonne lights flashing etc, didn't see any extra aerials either. Friends brother is eru and confirmed same.

Tipsy Mac

If they had insurance discs they were not at that time garda/ministerial cars, perhaps they were being delivered to a station by someone in the motor trade.

Tipsy Mac

Thumper Long wrote:

there are at least 2 BMW x5's driven by ERU, tinted windows etc I was overtaken by them on the m50 past sandyford yesterday, they were easily doing a tonne lights flashing etc, didn't see any extra aerials either. Friends brother is eru and confirmed same.

From what reviews I have seen on the BMW X5 it's worthless as an offroad vehicle, do the people responsible for purchasing cars for the Gardai not see these reviews or do they just purchase cars based on how much they cost?

Andrewf20

Ive also seen them in an unmarked green Zafira.

Owen

GTC wrote:

There are several large ministerial vehicles with such lights. A lot of Traffic Corps divisions have nice cars, Gorey Traffic Corps recently took delivery of a BMW 540 unmarked. Drool

No they didn't. Gardaí recently bought 6x318iES, 5x525iSE Saloons, and 5x530d SE Tourings - no other vehicles were purchased.

Fey!

Tipsy Mac wrote:

From what reviews I have seen on the BMW X5 it's worthless as an offroad vehicle, do the people responsible for purchasing cars for the Gardai not see these reviews or do they just purchase cars based on how much they cost?

I don't think that the ERU are going to be doing much serious off-roading!! It'll still go over most kerbs, and with the high ground clearance are easier and faster to deploy from then a saloon car.

timmywex

all of these new detective branch cars move from place to place, so, they could be stationed in Wexford for a month before being swapped with a car in Gorey,

Darragh29

Fey! wrote:

I don't think that the ERU are going to be doing much serious off-roading!! It'll still go over most kerbs, and with the high ground clearance are easier and faster to deploy from then a saloon car.

You've obviously never seen them in action in Ballyfermot then!

GTC

ned78 wrote:

No they didn't. Gardaí recently bought 6x318iES, 5x525iSE Saloons, and 5x530d SE Tourings - no other vehicles were purchased.

Source?

Tipsy Mac

Fey! wrote:

I don't think that the ERU are going to be doing much serious off-roading!! It'll still go over most kerbs, and with the high ground clearance are easier and faster to deploy from then a saloon car.

I think Land Cruisers, Patrols or Pajeros would be alot more suitable for the job, X5 isn't upto the job at all. I suppose the one thing the X5 has is it's not the sort of thing one would expect them to have but I suppose you could use the same arguement and have them driving around in Ford Ka's

ciarsd

I witnessed a pursuit out of Lucan village and across Newcastle crossroads not so long back.
It was ERU and they were in Isuzu troopers with stealth lighting and tinted windows.

After the Ireland game versus Wales at Croke Park, I was walking back up Clonliffe road and onto Dorset Street when Mrs McAlese and her convoy where heading back home... to the front a 07 D 5 Series, in the middle herself and her Merc, behind another 07 D 5 Series. Both were black, civilian looking with the exception of the stealth lights behind the front grill - I didn't get much more of a look as they were not hanging about.

Seth Brundle

I didn't know that the ERU did pursuits. Even so how did you know that they were the ERU? Are tey badged like the infamous SWAT vans?

yayamark

Tipsy Mac wrote:

If they had insurance discs they were not at that time garda/ministerial cars, perhaps they were being delivered to a station by someone in the motor trade.

ah come on tipsy mac!:eek:

maybe they just put an insurance disc in the window so it will blend in:cool:

yayamark

kbannon wrote:

I didn't know that the ERU did pursuits. Even so how did you know that they were the ERU? Are tey badged like the infamous SWAT vans?

ya the eru have the isuzu's for a few years now.

Drax

Seen today on the N8 near Cullahill area: Silver BMW 5-series with blue lights integrated into front grille.

Esel

GTC wrote:

Source?

Tut tut! :eek:

ciarsd

kbannon wrote:

I didn't know that the ERU did pursuits. Even so how did you know that they were the ERU? Are tey badged like the infamous SWAT vans?

The Garda walking beside me informed me - I didn't have a clue what was going on. He was based in Lucan and later, Ronanstown.
Normally I've only witnessed them at checkpoints myself - the one and only time to drive through one of these was about 12 weeks back outside St. Josephs hospital in Clonsilla. 2 squad cars, 2 unmarked cars and a jeep with armed Gardai overseeing proceedings. Bit unnerving to say the least, even when totally innocent of anything, law abiding, and all car affairs in order!

rebel.ranter

yayamark wrote:

ah come on tipsy mac!:eek:

maybe they just put an insurance disc in the window so it will blend in:cool:

One of the lads brother's is in the Special Branch (I know it's now called something else, just can't remember), he has a Corolla issued with 3 sets of plates, including matching tax & insurance discs so that he can blend in, apparently there are localised stickers to boot, e.g. local radio staion stickers, GAA ones etc.
So these das you have to be on the look out for more than just a blue "D" reg car with no tax disc, aerials, a few dents & a bunch of unlikely lads inside!!!

afatbollix

rebel.ranter wrote:

One of the lads brother's is in the Special Branch (I know it's now called something else, just can't remember), he has a Corolla issued with 3 sets of plates, including matching tax & insurance discs so that he can blend in, apparently there are localised stickers to boot, e.g. local radio staion stickers, GAA ones etc.
So these das you have to be on the look out for more than just a blue "D" reg car with no tax disc, aerials, a few dents & a bunch of unlikely lads inside!!!

thats the under cover cars.. these are cars that the ERU use and traffic corps use are what they are on about above^^^

Owen

GTC wrote:

Source?

That'd be me buddy

junkyard

Tipsy Mac wrote:

I think Land Cruisers, Patrols or Pajeros would be alot more suitable for the job, X5 isn't upto the job at all. I suppose the one thing the X5 has is it's not the sort of thing one would expect them to have but I suppose you could use the same arguement and have them driving around in Ford Ka's

X5's are well up to the job believe me, just try driving a Pajero or a Landcruiser at speed and you'll know all about it. I drove a Landcruiser the other day and it handled like a Massey Ferguson ffs.... and it was new!:eek: :rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

Ive had great craic on old Masseys! Wouldn't like to do an emergency stop on the road though!

JHMEG

General sales must be slowing for BMW etc. For years that gardaí have been sending Requests For Tenders out to all the manufacturers/distributors. For years several haven't bothered answering, or haven't been competitive.

junkyard

JHMEG wrote:

General sales must be slowing for BMW etc. For years that gardaí have been sending Requests For Tenders out to all the manufacturers/distributors. For years several haven't bothered answering, or haven't been competitive.

It just the Gardai realise what great cars BMW's really are.;)

Owen

JHMEG wrote:

General sales must be slowing for BMW etc. For years that gardaí have been sending Requests For Tenders out to all the manufacturers/distributors. For years several haven't bothered answering, or haven't been competitive.

Unfortunately, not a word of what you've said is true. BMW, and other German manufacturers have great relationships with the Police Forces in other countries, but in Ireland, the person responsible for purchasing, testing, and approving the fleet had no interest in German manufacturers. I remember a Police Equipped 5 Series sitting in Dublin docks for months because the person responsible didn't even have the inclination to go and view it.

For the record, Sales are at a record high this year too.

unkel

ned78 wrote:

in Ireland, the person responsible for purchasing, testing, and approving the fleet had no interest in German manufacturers

So what happened to hat person?

Owen

That Unkel, I don't know. But either the introduction of BMW Motorcycles changed his mind, or he was promoted. They always say the best way to get rid of an a**hole is to promote them

Praetorian

What a waste of money giving beautiful expensive fuel guzzlers to red neck gardai.

miju

DirtyDog wrote:

Hi All

Not sure if this has been confirmed yet, but I was overtake by a 07 530D unmarked estate and a VW Toureg yesterday! both brand new, tinted windows,

if it had tinted windows then it wasn't a garda BMW unless it was an X5

yayamark

Praetorian wrote:

What a waste of money giving beautiful expensive fuel guzzlers to red neck gardai.

ah i was waiting for the garda bashers to arrive. what took u so long?

must have had an encounter with one and come off worse and now hol a grudge.

get a life. this is a thread about gardai's new fleet. the garda bashing thread is somewhere else

patrickc

you'll never guess what unmarked car i saw today???

a mondeo lx hehe:rolleyes:

JHMEG

ned78 wrote:

Unfortunately, not a word of what you've said is true.

Eh, yes it is. At least one national distributor is not willing to tender for garda cars, as it is concerned that the marque's image will be tarnished by tatty white cars driven by co council workers, eh I mean gardaí, wearing flourescent jackets.

BMW have either
a) dropped their price enough to be competitive, or
b) have lowered their standards enough to actually tender

One or the other (or both) is true.

Owen

JHMEG wrote:

Eh, yes it is. At least one national distributor is not willing to tender for garda cars, as it is concerned that the marque's image will be tarnished by tatty white cars driven by co council workers, eh I mean gardaí, wearing flourescent jackets.

I can only presume that BMW have either
a) dropped their price enough to be competitive, or
b) have lowered their standards enough

Eh, no it's not. You're insight into this unfortunately is based on personal opinion, whereby my knowledge of this is actually based on direct information. BMW haven't dropped any prices, or lowered standards. It's quite a feather in the cap to be a supplier to the Gardaí in their eyes.

miju

JHMEG wrote:

Eh, yes it is. At least one national distributor is not willing to tender for garda cars, as it is concerned that the marque's image will be tarnished by tatty white cars driven by co council workers, eh I mean gardaí, wearing flourescent jackets.

BMW have either
a) dropped their price enough to be competitive, or
b) have lowered their standards enough to actually tender

One or the other (or both) is true.

just to back up what ned78 is saying JHMEG is talking a complete and utter load of balls , FACT

JHMEG

ned78 wrote:

You're insight into this unfortunately is based on personal opinion, whereby my knowledge of this is actually based on direct information.

Eh, ned, I personally know the guy from one major distributor that bins the Requests for Tenders from the gardaí!

ned78 wrote:

BMW haven't dropped any prices, or lowered standards. It's quite a feather in the cap to be a supplier to the Gardaí in their eyes.

For BMW maybe, but, ned, it is possible for other marques to have higher standards than BMW.

Owen

JHMEG wrote:

Eh, ned, I personally know the guy from one major distributor that bins the Requests for Tenders from the gardaí!

For BMW maybe, but, ned, it is possible for other marques to have higher standards than BMW.

Wouldn't that all be brilliant if this was a thread about other Marques. It's not though, it's about BMW and VW, and the following comments you posted are all incorrect :

JHMEG wrote:

General sales must be slowing for BMW etc

JHMEG wrote:

BMW have either
a) dropped their price enough to be competitive, or
b) have lowered their standards enough to actually tender
One or the other (or both) is true.

Unfortunately, sweeping statements like that aren't going to reassure anyone your comments about other Marques are entirely accurate either. Nothing personal, and I'm not attacking you, but you can't make statements based on opinion, and brand them as fact.

JHMEG

ned78 wrote:

Wouldn't that all be brilliant if this was a thread about other Marques. It's not though, it's about BMW and VW, and the following comments you posted are all incorrect :

ned, I'm not going to argue with you at every turn. You were saying I was factually wrong, despite that fact that I know the guy that bins the RFTs at one household name. Now that you've dropped that argument, and moved on to BMW, can we agree that I am factually correct?

Why are the gardaí now buying BMWs? Being a public servant myself involved in the tender process for public expenditure, I can tell you it's not 'cos the gardaí fancy BMWs all of a sudden. No, it's because the BMW have either decided to quote, or BMW have lowered prices enough to be competitive.

Edit: I'm not involved with the tender process for the gardaí in any way.

Owen

JHMEG wrote:

ned, I'm not going to argue with you at every turn. You were saying I was factually wrong, despite that fact that I know the guy that bins the RFTs at one household name. Now that you've dropped that argument, and moved on to BMW, can we agree that I am factually correct?

Are you posting in the same thread as me? There was no 'moving onto BMW' - the thread is about BMW's and VW's. You only mentioned your buddy later in the thread. Your posts previous to this in relation to VW and BMW were incorrect and that was highlighted by myself, and other posters.

I've no wish to turn this thread into a Flame war, or ague with you either for the record.

JHMEG wrote:

Why are the gardaí now buying BMWs? Being a public servant myself, I can tell you it's not 'cos the gardaí fancy BMWs all of a sudden. No, it's because the BMW have either decided to quote, or BMW have lowered prices enough to be competitive.

Being a Public Servant has no bearing on the matter. They're being accepted by Dublin Castle because the vehicles have passed a series of tests. There was no discounting, or sudden decision by BMW to start quoting. There was a person staffed by the Gardaí who previously wouldn't enterain German Manufacturers, and either that person has moved on, or has now begun to think differently. BMW have tried in vain to get the Gardaí to buy beforehand. BMW are the defacto Motorway cruiser in Germany, and there are also plenty on the UK police force fleets too.

You're still trying to pass personal opinion off as fact.

yayamark

JHMEG wrote:

ned, I'm not going to argue with you at every turn. You were saying I was factually wrong, despite that fact that I know the guy that bins the RFTs at one household name. Now that you've dropped that argument, and moved on to BMW, can we agree that I am factually correct?

Why are the gardaí now buying BMWs? Being a public servant myself involved in the tender process for public expenditure, I can tell you it's not 'cos the gardaí fancy BMWs all of a sudden. No, it's because the BMW have either decided to quote, or BMW have lowered prices enough to be competitive.

maybe the answer is that extra funding has come along that wasn't there before.
a segment in the sunday world today said something like" over half the garda fleet is been changed."

there are bmw garda bike so the the problem isn't with bmw.

JHMEG

ned78 wrote:

Are you posting in the same thread as me? There was no 'moving onto BMW' - the thread is about BMW's and VW's.

ned, cop on to yourself. The thread is about the gardaí buying BMWs and VWs, not about BMWs and VWs.

ned78 wrote:

You only mentioned your buddy later in the thread. Your posts previous to this in relation to VW and BMW were incorrect and that was highlighted by myself, and other posters.

My apologies, I was away for the weekend and had no access to a PC or the internet or boards. "other posters" meaning miju? Gimme a break. Continuous "you are wrong" statements amount to nothing (is that guy really a mod? Has a lot to learn from mike and unkel...).

ned78 wrote:

Being a Public Servant has no bearing on the matter.

Yes it does, as I know how the system works.

ned78 wrote:

They're being accepted by Dublin Castle because the vehicles have passed a series of tests. There was no discounting, or sudden decision by BMW to start quoting. There was a person staffed by the Gardaí who previously wouldn't enterain German Manufacturers, and either that person has moved on, or has now begun to think differently. BMW have tried in vain to get the Gardaí to buy beforehand.

What has Dublin Castle got to do with it. Garda HQ is in Phoenix Park? Ned, please back that up by fact.

ned78 wrote:

BMW are the defacto Motorway cruiser in Germany.

Like Vauxhall are in the UK. Peugeot are in France. Et cetera

ned78 wrote:

You're still trying to pass personal opinion off as fact.

Eh, pot-kettle-black.