Like most people, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about emergency response vehicles. These types of machines may not be coveted by billionaire oil Sheiks, but if your life ever hangs in the balance, your odds will rise dramatically if one of these ERV's arrives on the scene. Not only are they nothing like most people imagine, but are actually some of the coolest vehicles on the road.

While the HUMMER lives on in the American imagination ever since GM's regretful decision to close it down, a pair of HUMMER H2s and H3s are keeping the legend alive in China. If you can recall Ratchet - the HUMMER H2 turned movie prop from 'Transformers' - similarly equipped vehicles in China may in the future be put to use as real-life emergency vehicles. If you ever find yourself in an emergency in China, it just might turn out to be your lucky day if you get picked up by one of these monsters.

BMW has an impressive array of state-of-the-art emergency vehicles designed for first responders and local government officials. One prime example is the 5 Series Touring complete with lights and sirens controlled directly from the iDrive system. There is also a highly modified X3 crossover with LED lighting for increased visibility and other menacing enhancements. These vehicles are built for maximum safety and innovation while factoring in the need of cost-efficiency.

If you see this vehicle at the site of your next road accident, then you know the future has indeed arrived. This Multifunction Emergency Vehicle is the creation of Sincere Tone Design. It has been engineered specifically for handling emergencies on the crowded streets of future cities and other crowded venues such as stadiums, residential areas and community centers. It promises to be the answer for just about everything relating to an emergency, from breaking ice or cleaning snow, distribution of resources, security and even firefighting.

If you find yourself in an emergency situation, start praying that the Volkswagen Sharan and Passat Variant are in the vicinity. These emergency and rescue vehicles are the product of the Wolfsburg-based automaker and are equipped with all-new features for this line of specialty cars. Most notable are headlight flashers, which improve visibility and a standard horn speaker that makes the emergency vehicle impossible to miss in traffic.