What did I see today? Blue light convoy?

[MKH9130]

Happily motoring along at a decent lick (about 85) and noticed in the RVM two BMW's fast approaching in both lane 1 and lane 2 of a dual carraigeway, both with flashing headlights (strobe) and small blue strobes mounted in the bonnet grille and sirens.

They came past me at a fair rate (circa 100-110mph) and were both black, blacked out windows (inc front passenger glass) new shape BMW 3-Series, debadged but no exhaust so assume diesels but with the large wheels. Nice.

About ~15 seconds later two new style Range Rovers passed at a similar speed, again, both black with blacked out windows... These had blue strobes in the bonnet but no flashing headlights or no siren.

No flags on the bonnet or distinguishing plates! All cars looked a little too 'prestige' and clean to be undercover police vehicles ?

[hendry]

Dignitaries of some sort. Where was it? These are often seen heading out of London towards LHR.

[GKP]

That was me. I'm bloomin' important y'know.

[sparkythecat]

MIB or Torchwood

[Mrs Trackside]

That's strange. I was driving along the A508 in Northamptonshire on Friday and had two dark (could have been black or navy) BMWs coming towards me from the other direction They both had blue strobe lights and sirens, but they (and I) were going too fast to notice any other details.

Just after they went past me, the one at the back started overtaking his mate and a car in front of them on a bend on the wrong side of the road.

[razerwire]

near London? Met SO16?

Edited by razerwire on Sunday 25th March 23:19

[LeoZwalf]

razerwire said:

near London? Met SO16?

Edited by razerwire on Sunday 25th March 23:19

SO19 init?

[MKH9130]

A23 between Brighton and Gatwick Airport.

I couldn't see into the cars properly (even the BMW's) as all the windows were tinted as dark as the car itself. Something I thought was not lawful on the front passenger windows, but it looked like two people in the front of each BMW wearing a darkish colour.

[playerone]

Ive had 2 RR like that cut me off on the M4 into London. The guy in the passenger seat was clearly armed and a blacked out Voyager then belted past on the hard shoulder.

Just assumed it was the CIA kidnapping someone again. Happens all the time round here

[BossCerbera]

I saw three really non descript cars driving like this a few weeks ago near Heathrow - a Saab, a Golf and a Skoda estate. None of them were particularly new. Strobe headlights, blue lights behind the grilles and going like the clappers.

[razerwire]

LeoZwalf said:

razerwire said:

near London? Met SO16?

Edited by razerwire on Sunday 25th March 23:19

SO19 init?

SO16 - Diplomatic Protection Group.

Often drive unmarked black things. hence my assumption.

[oggs]

BossCerbera said:

a Saab, a Golf and a Skoda estate. None of them were particularly new. Strobe headlights, blue lights behind the grilles and going like the clappers.

Maybe they were doing a Tunnel run???

[Mr Miyagi]

Best one I saw was on the M6 a couple of years ago at about 1am on a sunday morning:
3 police cars leading nothing special just Vec's
following them 12 of the yellow CCTV sprinters
2 Black BMW 5 Series (E39's) Smoked glass
1 Black Range Rover Smoked glass
5 more yellow sprinters
A couple of Vec's

All had their fairy lights flashing and were doing about a ton, impressive watching them all drive past as there was nothing else on the road! it was quite intimidating!

[jdelmo]

Drove past the American embassy last night and it had loads of red police cars around it. I assumed that these were diplomatic protection. The idea of blacked out beemers and RRs blasting down the motorways with blue lights flashing all seems a bit Russian like to me. Next we can expect a lane clearly marked out for nouveau riche!

Edited by jdelmo on Monday 26th March 00:23

[madmat]

Mr Miyagi said:

Best one I saw was on the M6 a couple of years ago at about 1am on a sunday morning:
3 police cars leading nothing special just Vec's
following them 12 of the yellow CCTV sprinters
2 Black BMW 5 Series (E39's) Smoked glass
1 Black Range Rover Smoked glass
5 more yellow sprinters
A couple of Vec's

All had their fairy lights flashing and were doing about a ton, impressive watching them all drive past as there was nothing else on the road! it was quite intimidating!

I take it you were a passenger at the time, as I would have needed pen and paper to note down all of those!

[Leftie]

SAS have poice escorts to the ports.

Iran bound?

[olf]

Leftie said:

SAS have poice escorts to the ports.

Iran bound?

Herc straight out of Brize Norton for them, no arsing around in Brighton.

[J500ANT]

Does anyone remember the money runs they used to do? Lots of fast lorries batting down the M4 and into Bristol. I found myself at the drop off point every week for 3 weeks, in the same car, staring at a man with a machine gun. I made a point of avoiding it on the 4th week

[Wigeon Incognito]

I had to pull over in Blackpool when the Labour Party conference was on to let 2 police bikes, 2 black Range Rovers, a black Voyager, a police van, then 2 more police bikes go past.

I think that one was Tony Blair but I wonder how much safer these guys would be in a convoy of differently coloured Focus/Astras/Golfs etc?

[puffpuff]

Bill Clinton flew into to Farnborough and blatted up the M3 to London in a high speed convoy of around 30 vehicles, all flown in from the USA.

I was heading the other way and thought I'd driven into a feature film - unreal.