Introduction

Herpa has released this BMW 5er Limousine Victorian Highway Police in a basic black base finish.  At the time of this review Herpa catalogues 450 BMWs,  88 of the 5er series, and 305 police vehicles.  There are also several BMW 5 in the Minikits range but I did not find a 5er kit.  This model is item 096089.

Luxury coupes and sedans have evolved into touring cars, and touring cars are evolving into luxury showcars. Into this class BMW includes their 5 Series, and "The 5" has been adopted by police departments.  Herpa makes

The BMW 5 Series is a mid-size / executive car manufactured by BMW since 1972. The car, now in its sixth generation, is sold in sedan and touring body styles. It is BMW's second best selling model after the 3 Series. The 5 Series is powered by a number of engines including the single-turbo diesel I6 producing 245 PS, by a single-turbo I6 producing 306 PS and a twin-turbo V8 producing 408 PS; the latter will give the car a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds. This is the first BMW to receive the new ZF 8-speed automatic transmission, along with a new Brake Energy Regeneration system.*   If you can read or translate German, you can learn all about the 5er from the BMW link, below.    Herpa tells us:

...with black body color, the current 5 Series BMW is used by the Australian police as a Highway Patrol vehicle. In terms of design, this vehicle differs from the white vehicle.

Herpa's BMW 5er Police Cruiser

Herpa's  BMW 5er is factory assembled. It’s securely packed in a form-fitted tray held inside a clear plastic carton with end opening flaps.  A holographic licensing label confirms this is a legitimate reproduction.

Protective Cradle

The model is skillfully molded and assembled with any blemishes or flaws. Doors, hoods and panels lines are defined with fine recessed lines; the grille intentions are much deeper. The door handles are slightly raised. Underneath the car is a single piece chassis with very basic molded detail.  Soft plastic-rubber hybrid tires, with no tread detail, are pressed upon hubs to support the model.

Detail & Finish

Detail and Trim

Your model features headlights of clear lenses. The tail lights are red-tinted clear lenses. Detail inside the passenger compartment includes a dashboard, steering wheel, gear shift, and bucket seats.  Herpa even attached a thin rear view mirror to the windshield. This detail is easiest to see through the front and rear windshields, and can be seen through the side windows. Those windows are crystal-clear and without distortion.  Interestingly, on my sample the rear windows are blocked with a privacy tinting but that is not shown on Herpa's webpage.

The underside is a token low-relief representation.

This automobile is trimmed with black chrome around the windows. The black grille also sports chrome detailing. Wipers are molded into the windshield chrome. The model features separately applied side view mirrors. Two exhaust ports gape from underneath the rear bumper.

Finish

The finish of this model is excellent.  It is painted black with a smooth finish and  Victoria Highway Patrol's checkered white/blue/yellow markings are sharply printed.  The BMW emblems are painted on the nose and rear;  Herpa does not use decals.  Despite the photos, they are completely legible!

Conclusion

Herpa's 1:87/HO BMW 5er Limousine is a marvelous model of a modern police car.  It features sharp molding and finish, and separately applied side mirrors and emergency lights. The nice interior can be seen through the clear windows.

Each Herpa BMW 5er you add to your display shelf or diorama will enhance it. Recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on Automodeling.

______

Source

* BMW. BMW 5 Series Sedan. [http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/5series/sedan/2010/showroom/technical_data/index.html] 2019.

Wikipedia