NICKED: BMW X5 a thief favourite
Thieves remain huge fans of the BMW X5 after the vehicle was named the most frequently stolen and recovered for the second year running.
Figures from stolen vehicle recovery expert Tracker revealed the X5 beat off competition from the Land Rover and BMW M3 to land top spot.
In 2011, Land Rover was in seventh position, while the M3 was in sixth; BMW occupied the top three spots with the 1 Series and 3 Series.
Last year, however, the 3 Series was in equal fourth with the Audi RS4, while the 1 Series slipped out of the top ten completely.
Mercedes cars were a key target for thieves in 2012, with the SLK and ML in fifth and sixth place, followed by the CLS and E Class in joint seventh.
Stuart Chapman, Police Liaison for Tracker, said: “It’s clear from our latest figures that thieves continue to target prestige models with the most expensive car recovered being worth £70,000.
“The average value of the cars we recovered in 2012 was just £25,500 and a number were below £5,000, confirming that you don’t have to own a luxury car to be at risk from thieves looking to make a fast profit.”
Tracker’s Mesh Network also contributed to the recovery of more £4.5million worth of stolen vehicles, to add to Tracker’s overall £12.5million haul.
The Mesh Network uses other vehicles already fitted with Tracker SVR units to identify stolen vehicles also fitted with Tracker.
This brings drivers together to create a nationwide network of ‘listening vehicles’, similar to a social network, but designed to snare thieves.
Tracker stolen vehicle recovery systems work like an electronic homing device, with a covert transmitter hidden in one of several dozen places around the vehicle.
