Unfortunately, tuning in Portugal is still lacking, whether due to legislation or prejudice, which the bad professionals and the dubious taste that certain owners end up giving to certain machines.
But in Germany the case is very different and the freedom to make changes to our machines is another world apart, where there are real experts in the field.
Based on the growing popularity and on the market of millions that the tuning world moves in Germany, the (VDAT) German Association of Modified Vehicles, decided to prepare an awareness campaign with very important partnerships like the German Government, through the Federal Ministry of Transport , Road Construction and Planning in association with the police. To "make the party" and enter the raw material, BMW AG and AC Schnitzer entered the scene.
All together in a campaign called “Tune It! Safe!”, whose mission is to alert all fans of the tuning world to always do it with awareness and with parts duly approved, whether by official brands, specialized tuning companies or in the case of aftermarket brands, that they always have TUV certificate.
But the world is full of associations and enthusiasts like to see something real, so and as a result of this joint collaboration, AC Schnitzer presents us its latest creation to reinforce this campaign, through the BMW ACS428i for the German police forces .
But let's get to the facts: after all, what is this BMW ACS428i made of and what makes it special to represent the campaign?
Despite the acronyms 28i, don't be fooled, this is a 2.0l engine displacement block and not 2.8, as previously used by BMW to refer to the model's displacement. Originally the BMW 428i comes with 245 horsepower and 350Nm of torque and although it is an interesting value, to really gain a little more appeal, AC Schnitzer using all its wisdom managed to raise the power level to 294 horsepower and 420Nm of maximum torque.
In practical terms we speak of an increase of 49 horsepower and 70Nm of torque, with results in performance: the acceleration from 0 to 100km/h takes only 5.7s and the top speed is limited to 250km/h electronically limited, but they arrive now much more quickly. Only the usual reprogramming of the ECU and the EVO Racing sports exhaust from AC Schnitzer contributed to the values achieved on the BMW ACS428i.
When it comes to “wearing” the BMW ACS428i, it deserved something special, as hunting offenders at high speed requires top material, so AC Schnitzer made no savings and the BMW ACS428i comes with ultra-light forged wheels 21-inch Type VIII, specially designed for high-performance vehicles. One of the peculiarities of its construction is that it is 100kg more resistant to radial forces, that is, to the forces applied in rolling over the rim, which affect its structural rigidity. But for the BMW ACS428i to curve in complete safety, Hankook's 245/30ZR21 91Y, Ventus S1 EVO tires provide all the traction needed.
AC Schnitzer's sport suspension allows the BMW ACS428i to deal with the unevenness of the floor and make the best possible use of the F32 platform. In the aero package we have a complete set with lower front and rear diffusers, together with the more subtle but effective rear spoiler on the roof and trunk lid.
Inside, this BMW ACS428i, received the Black Line package from AC Schnitzer, meaning law enforcement officials benefit from aluminum pedals, velvet upholstery and foil along with graphics, courtesy of Foliatec. The specific lighting was in charge of Hella, with the special "strobes" RTK 7.
Thumbs Up! for a proposal that is not bold, it shows how little can be done but well done, when we resort to professionals. We hope that one day our government will also look at tuning in a different way and that quickly the legislation that already prevails in most European countries, will also become a reality in Portugal. Until then, always use reliable material, it is not worth trusting your life in uncertified parts.
