This might just entice some people to have some run-ins with the law. Police forces over in the United Kingdom have enlisted the help of BMW, adding BMW’s customized X3, X5, 3-Series and 5-Series to their police fleet. Motorcycle cops get to hang out on BMW’s R1200 RF-P motorcycles. All of the vehicles are actually built to police specs at the assembly line process, rather than modifying a stock vehicle off the showroom floor.

Obviously details on the car’s setups aren’t mentioned, but for the 5-Series they do use a 530d platform while the 3-Series is a 330d (nice!). The X3 sports an xDrive20d tag while the X5 comes in both Drive30d and xDrive40d models.

We guess the more entertaining aspect to all this is that breaking the law could give you a free ride on a luxurious BMW 5-Series sedan. Imagine if American cops were sporting E90 335s around town, lights blaring, turbos spooling.

GALLERY: BMW UK Police Fleet

Citroen is going to enter the large luxury car market with a production version of the Metropolis concept car. The Metropolis will likely be badged as a DS9, and be positioned as a flagship to the company’s DS range, which currently markets a line of premium hatchbacks in Europe.

The Metropolis is unique in that its design and packaging will likely be dictated by the Chinese market and its unique demands. While the Metropolis show car was powered by a hybrid drivetrain, the Chinese market may not get this due to intellectual property issues. Citroen’s previous luxury car efforts have floundered against offerings from German car makers, but Citroen is hoping that their new styling direction and “made in China” design process will attract customers will make it a success.

[Source: Automotive News]

Hip-hop has picked up where Rock & Roll left off as America’s favorite music genre, and the automobile has assumed its rightful place within the culture, in the same way that it did during the heyday of The Beach Boys and other acts of the 1960′s.

If you think about it, rap music’s influence on the automobile is even more profound than rock. Where would Cadillac be today if it weren’t for the Escalade’s appearance in every single rap video? Rappers are taste makers, and while they certainly know what they like (how else do you explain donks), the newest single from Rick Ross and Drake, titled Aston Martin Music, seems a bit more contrived than the average overwrought music video.

The video shows Rick Ross smoking marijuana, letting his girlfriend take the rap for serious drug charges and relaxing in the beach with R&B singer Drake, a couple Aston Martins, and some female companions. We’re not sure if Aston Martin sanctioned the use of their cars or not, but Bugatti promised that no rappers would ever get their hands on a Veyron, and one of the worst MC’s in the game managed to get a brand new example.

[Source: Youtube]

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Despite pioneering the technology behind hydrogen fuel cells, Honda is lagging far behind arch-rival Toyota in the hybrid and electric vehicle segment.

With the Toyota commanding over 70% of hybrid market share, and Honda’s Civic, Accord and Insight hybrid models all falling flat, the big H must do something quickly to avoid losing the segment for good. At the Los Angeles Auto Show, the company hopes to regain their foothold by introducing both a plug-in hybrid and an electric vehicle concept.

No further details have been announced, but with Honda’s CR-Z meeting or exceeding sales targets (against the predictions of many), the future looks bright for Honda.

AutoGuide’s coverage of the 2010 LA Auto Show starts November 17th. Until then, see our complete LA Auto Show Preview here.

[Source: Honda]

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Heide Performance Products, a Michigan company that helps convert Chevrolet Camaros to modern day Pontiac Firebirds, has unveiled their latest creation, a replica of the 1969 Trans-Am based on the current Chevrolet Camaro.

The HPP Firebird will probably perform just like the Camaro – fast in a straight line, but at it’s best while standing still. Check out our gallery for now, and stay tuned for the car’s official unveiling at SEMA starting November 2nd.

Gallery: HPP Firebird

[Source: HPP]

Chevrolet will debut their first television commercial for their Volt electric car during Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday. The ad will tout the Volt’s ability to go farther than other electric vehicles by using its gasoline-engine range extender.

The range issue is a major concern for many potential EV customers, and Chevrolet is hoping to position the Volt as one that can be more than just urban transportation. Shots of freeways, suburban neighborhoods and rural two-lane roads feature prominently throughout the ad, ostensibly to highlight the Volt’s ability to drive extended distances.

Don’t want to wait for the World Series to start? Check out the commercial after the jump:

[Source: Chevrolet Volt]

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German automaker BMW is currently under investigation by Swiss government authorities over allegations it prevented Swiss citizens living in other parts of Europe from buying its vehicles. According to the Swiss Competition Commission, it has information that BMW distributors in the 27 European Union countries are preventing Swiss citizens from purchasing BMW or MINI vehicles outside of Switzerland (which is not a part of the EU).

The plan, it would seem, would be to force Swiss citizens living outside of their native country to purchase vehicles back home in Switzerland, where a strong franc is making products (especially pricey German automobiles) more expensive.

If found guilty, BMW could face heavy fines, with the maximum penalty set at 10 percent of revenue generated by the company’s Swiss division over the past three years.

BMW has yet to comment on the allegations.

[Source: Bloomberg]

The latest Consumer Reports reliability study is certainly packed full of more info than you can summarize in one article. That being said, we thought a followup to yesterday’s overview was in order with some added focus on some of the best and worst vehicles and automakers in the industry.

Topping out the list of most reliable automakers isn’t Lexus or Porsche (even if Porsche is second), but Toyota youth-brand Scion. And among Scions, the most reliable model is the rather dull xD, while the least reliable (the worst of the best) is the xB.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s (unfortunately for them) no surprise, with Chrysler slummin’ it with some rather surprising company. Of the 27 automakers ranked, Chrysler was the worst, with the 300C the most reliable of its product offerings, while the Town & Country minivan gets the nod as the worst of the worst.

Joining Chrysler at the bottom is sister-company Dodge in 24th, while the rest of the bottom five consists of none other than BMW, Audi and MINI. Some of the least reliable models listed include the Audi A6 3.0T, BMW 135i, Mercedes E-Class Coupe and Volkswagen Routan.

Some of the more reliable models listed by the automakers include some high-performance machinery including the BMW M3 and Chevy Corvette.

With Scion leading the pack in terms of brand reliability, the top five consists of Porsche, Acura, Honda and then Infiniti.

The Consumer Reports reliability survey aims to predict the reliability of 2011 model year cars based on data collected o the reliability of vehicles from the past 10 years. Date from 1.3 million vehicles was used to produce the latest survey numbers.

With reports indicating that BMW will move to using 3-cylinder engines in the next-generation MINI Cooper range (and possibly the 1 Series range as well), it still comes as a shock to hear execs at the German automaker talking about 2-cylinder power.

In a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, BMW’s product development boss, Dr. Klaus Draeger, hinted that 2-cylinder engines may wind up under the hood of some BMW and MINI models in the future. According to Draeger, the company would look at 500cc engines with a target of roughly 50 to 80-hp.

BMW wouldn’t be the first automaker to explore 2-cylinder engines either with Fiat recently unveiling the 500 TwinAir a the Paris Auto Show, sporting a 900cc displacement and a turbocharger to make 85-hp.

The reason for the engines isn’t just overall fuel economy, but the fact that gasoline engines are some of the cheapest to produce, whereas both diesel and hybrid engines cost considerably more – and for low cost urban runabouts, even small increases in the manufacturing and parts price can make a huge difference in overall cost.

Even if BMW does move ahead with plans to unveil a new line of 2-cylinder engines they’re likely still several years off. As for what products they could appear in, we’d look to the upcoming front-drive 1 Series hatches for Europe as well as the next-generation MINI Cooper, near the end of their life cycle. MINI is also rumored to be working on a new MINI Minor that would slot in underneath the Cooper – a vehicle that would likely be the perfect platform to debut 2-cylinder technology.

[Source: AMuS via MotoringFile]

Not only will we get our first look at the Chrysler 200 sedan at the LA Auto Show, but we’ll also be “treated” to the 200 Convertible. The staple of rental car fleets from Orlando to San Francisco, the old Sebring convertible made its sedan counterpart look good – a testament to just how awful it was.

That being said, the 200 Convertible is almost certain to be a massive step forward for the brand – if for no other reason than the fact that it can’t possibly get worse.

Power will likely come from the choice of two engines, with Chrysler announcing a new 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and 3.6-liter “Pentastar” V6 for the sedan. Plus, it will get a six-speed automatic transmission.

There, it’s 50 percent better already, and we haven’t even seen the car.