BMW is developing the first M3 estate ever, leaving enthusiasts to build their own converted super saloon. It’s not expected to debut until sometime next year, so any long-roofed M3’s out there are aftermarket creations. This is something UK’s West Midlands Police Department knew, zeroing in on a bright green M3 estate at a car event that warranted further investigating. Officers discovered that the build contained stolen parts.

Police stopped the car last November and seized it for inspection. They discovered that the M3’s running gear came from two stolen M3 saloons – one was taken from a car showroom in 2019 while the other was stolen back in 2018. Two other BMW estates were used to create the M3 estate body and its panoramic roof, resulting in an unsafe, though stunning, vehicle. Good looks only go so far. 

Gallery: BMW M3 Touring Spy Shots

According to West Midlands Police, the M3 was an “award-winning show car,” but that wasn’t enough to save it from the crusher. The police ordered the fake M3 destroyed, which was caught on film and posted to the department’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. It’s painful to watch the car get turned over and tossed into the shredder because the build looked stellar. It had all the design hallmarks you’d expect to find on an M3 estate.

The car’s crushing is a friendly reminder to be certain of what you’re buying. Countless aftermarket builders and tuners do exceptional work every day, but the few that take advantage of excited enthusiasts can quickly spoil the fun. There’s a good chance the M3’s owner didn’t know his car contained stolen parts, but that doesn’t stop police in the UK or elsewhere from seeing and destroying these vehicles. Stolen is stolen, and the end result is yet another innocent person taken advantage of by criminals.