Olympic punch buggy - the cars to look out for during London 2012
If you're planning to visit London for the 2012 Olympic Games this summer, there's a good chance that you'll see plenty of Beemers whizzing around the streets of the British capital.
This week, BMW and the London 2012 Organizing Committee revealed the full details of the car fleet that will be supporting the games when they get underway on July 27.
It's a huge fleet, about 4,000 vehicles, which isn't all that surprising when you consider what needs to be done during the event -- everything from holding cameramen to towing a horse ambulance or shuttling medal winners to various destinations will be handled by the branded cars.
It's also incredibly diverse, which is not that surprising, given the range of requirements.
By far the most common vehicle used will be the BMW 3 Series, with a whopping 1,550 being put on the roads to help out with everything from escorting the Olympic Torch to carrying doctors for the cycling race.
The next best represented model is the larger BMW 5-Series, with 700 being used for shuttles, and the Mini Cooper Countryman, of which there will be 700.
Notably though, most of the vehicles are 'clean' models, either drawn from BMW's Efficient Dynamics range or -- in the case of 200 BMW 1 Series and Mini E models -- totally electric.
According to BMW, the fleet will clock in at an average mileage of just 64.5mpg (3.64 l/100km), considerably better than what the Games organizers wanted and ahead of tough European standards on emissions due to come into effect in 2014.
That presents an obvious challenge for Nissan, which is the automotive sponsor of the next Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero in 2016 and will likely be looking to outperform BMW both in terms of efficiency and exposure.
For now though, BMW will be focused on ensuring it maximizes the appearances of its huge Olympic fleet during the event -- and hoping, of course, that none of them break down.
Olympic Car Checklist
The models to look out for during London 2012
BMW 1 Series ActiveE (EV)
MINI E (Electric Vehicle)
MINI Countryman Cooper D
BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics
BMW 520d Efficient Dynamics
BMW 5 Series Active Hybrid
BMW X3 xDrive 20d
BMW X5 xDrive 30d
R1200 RT Motorcycle.
BMW Streetcruiser Bicycles
