[bmw_lover]

A Bullet-proof car or an armored car is a civilian vehicle with a reinforced structure that is designed to protect its occupants from assaults, bullets and blasts. Armored cars are typically manufactured with a variety of defensive mechanisms and features to aid the individuals inside like bulletproof glass and layers of armor plating. Unlike military armored vehicles, a civilian armored car is designed to be inconspicuous and similar to its factory version. This article will deal only with civilian versions.

Armored cars are used internationally to protect high-profile individuals such as world leaders, political figures, businesspersons and VIPs. They may also be used by governmental law enforcement agencies or for diplomatic missions or private military contractors.

Source

Most civilian armored cars are created by fitting aftermarket upgrades to standard production cars(mostly by specialist armouring companies like Brabus for performance cars), however, several manufacturers themselves produce armored car models from the factory itself, such as the Audi Security Vehicles (A6, A8), Lincoln Town Car BPS, Hyundai Equus, BMW Security series (3, 5, 7 and X5 models), M-Benz Guard vehicles (E, ML, GL, G & S Class). Due to the sizable weight of the added armor that can substantially affect the handling of the armored car, drivers of these vehicles typically have specialized training in tactical driving. This training is provided by bodyguard schools and by police and military units. The engine, brakes and shock absorbers are often upgraded, to compensate for the increased mass of the added armor and protective modifications. The increased mass means that the mechanical parts of an armored car are subjected to higher forces than normal, which can reduce the service life of the car unless these parts are also upgraded.

Some civilian armored cars may be one-off unique vehicles with no standard equivalent (usually Presidential state cars), such as the current Presidential state car of the USA which is built on a medium-duty truck platform styled like a Cadillac dubbed The Beast.


Source

Other Uses of Bullet Proof Vehicles

Apart from civilian and military uses, these armoured cars are also used for other purposes such as:

1. Internal security forces: Several sovereign states employ a standing internal security force, separate from the official army. As such, these official forces are often equipped with the same armored cars, although often fitted with less lethal armaments, such as water cannons. (like in India CRPF or RAF, in US SWAT teams, National Gendarmerie in France) E.g.

Ordanance Factory Board's Mine Protected Vehicle


Armoured Rescue Vehicle used by the Nashville's SWAT Team


2. Rebel forces: In times of civil war or rebellion, factions or opposition groups without sufficient access to military armour, may convert civilian vehicles into fighting vehicles, adding improvised vehicle armor. (In the Vietnam War, U.S. gun trucks were armored with sandbags and locally fabricated steel armor plate).

3. Construction equipment: Bulldozers, excavators, and other equipment is sometimes armored to protect operators from debris.

4. Fire engines: Fire engines used in HAZMAT and airport fire fighting are sometimes armored to protect fire fighters from explosions.

5. Emergency services: In Israel, the Emergency medical services also have armoured ambulances for the protection of patients and crew.
Armoured Mobile Intensive Care Unit in Israel


6. Prisoner transport: Lightly armoured vans and buses may also be used as Prisoner transport vehicles, as protection against attempts to break the prisoners out of custody.
British prisoner transport vehicle


7. Valuables: Armoured cars often find use in transporting valuable commodities, usually currency (also by diamond merchants), in order to provide a defence against robbery.
G4S security van in UK


8. Tornado chasing: In the field of tornado study, a vehicle has been specially modified to be able to drive into the heart of tornados to take measurements while protecting the occupants from debris.
Tornado Intercept Vehicle


Source

HISTORY
The idea of an armored vehicle predates the invention of the internal combustion engine. Even the famous Leonarda da Vinci had drawings of various transportation units that used armor plating in 1485.

It consisted of a circular platform on four wheels with light cannons arranged facing out. These were covered with a cone-shaped shell of panels with a turret at the top for a lookout. Underneath were the cranks and gears to make the wheels turn and propel this proto-tank forward. However, it wasn’t until World War I that many countries started equipping their vehicles with armor plating to fight against the onslaught of new ammunition and high powered rifles. Rolls-Royce Ghosts were armored by the company for use in World War I, with the first heavy-duty Ghosts seeing service in August 1914. They were used by the Royal Naval Air Service in Great Britain, and came equipped with gun turrets. Not long after, Colonel T.E. Lawrence -- Lawrence of Arabia, put a fleet of nine armored Rolls-Royces to use in his campaigns in the Middle East. He went so far as to call them "more valuable than rubies" for fighting in harsh desert climates. Henceforth these vehicles started becoming choice of the bigshots.

Source

[bmw_lover]

Defensive features Used in B-Proof cars

Common upgrades featured include replacing of the windows with bulletproof glass and inserting layers of armor plate under the outer skin of the car. Materials often used are

1. Aramid: these fibers are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. A higher proportion of the chemical bond contributes more to fiber strength than in many other synthetic fibers. They have a very high melting point (>500 °C).

2. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene: a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. It has extremely long chains. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the polymer backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions. This results in a very tough material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made.

3. Composites: a material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties that, when combined, produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components. Like concrete or glass reinforced plastic.

4. Ballistic stainless steel plates: Ballistic steel is a term that comprises many of the world’s hardest metals. These are weapons-grade alloys that find uses in industries as diverse as defense, aerospace and even certain civilian security applications.

# It is not just the quality or standards of these materials rather how these materials are designed and integrated in the vehicle for the overall protection of the passengers that is the most important factor.

The exterior of the car is often left indistinguishable from the original design. Besides the armor, other protective modifications include:

5. Automatic fire extinguishers
6. Run-flat tyres
7. Explosion-resistant fuel tank
8. Electric door handles
9. Smoke screens
10. Road tack dispensing systems
11. Remote starting of the car
12. CCTV Vehicle Camera Systems
13. GPS link
14. Pressure and temperature control of tyres
15. Siren or alarm
16. Intercom between the exterior and interior of the car
17. PA system: so that bodyguards or protection officers inside the car can communicate via a megaphone to individuals outside the car.
18. Sealed and pressurized vehicle interiors
19. Dedicated oxygen supply to protect against biological attacks

#This list of available features is by no means an exhaustive list. Several other features can be added or even invented to suit threat perception of the customer like oil slick, bomb suppression blanket etc. Some might even be equipped with weapons. As the saying goes...Attack is the best form of Defense.

Source

#I am attaching some pics which describe another sets of available highly customised safety features in these types of cars.







PROTECTION LEVELS

B6, BR7, VPAM, VR9, BRV1999, PM2007, ERV2010, VSAG, APR2006, NIJ, Stanag. The world of ballistic certification can be very confusing with a variety of standards which are difficult to understand. The biggest difference between all of the armouring standards available is whether they apply to the materials used during the armouring process or to the entire vehicle. When the whole vehicle is certified you can ensure that the support structure for the armouring materials, quality of welds etc… is of the same standard and meets the same requirements. To get this rating a vehicle is provided as a sample by the armouring company for testing to certify it to the level required, as opposed to the raw materials (steel and glass).

There are currently 3 majorly accepted or followed armouring standards for vehicles.

1. VPAM: The German standard developed somewhere around 1999. It is a ballistic vehicle resistance standard developed for armored vehicle testing against various caliber ammunition. The highest spec is i think VR9 (Vehicle Resistance). VPAM has a number of standards that relate to non-military armored vehicles, they are:

APR 2006 - general test guidelines for armored products.
PM 2007 - This covers the materials used.
BRV 1999 and 2009 - This certification indicates that the whole vehicle has been tested instead of just the materials used.
ERV 2010 - Blast protection certification.

2. VASG - Vehicle Security Advisory Group. A UK based organisation which has set out various standards approved by the BSI (British Standards Institution) for the design, manufacture, development and testing of armoured cars and vehicles. The current highest level in their standards is VSAG-15, the details of which are kept confidential.

3. NIJ - The American National Institute of Justice certification, covers body armor as well as vehicles and covers 5 levels.

4. Stanag: This is millitary spec developed by NATO. So we won't go in details.

Ballistics Rating (BR): This is a European standard which certifies the materials used both transparent (BR - DIN EN 1063) and opaque (FB - DIN EN 1522/23), general guidelines on vehicle construction and covers 3 levels from 2 to 7 . This is usually grouped under a single definition of B, e.g. B6.

# So now when the Maybach says that S600 Pullman Guard has a VR9/ERV 2010 rating it means that the level of bullet resistance for the glass and body is VR9. This means the sedan can shrug off rounds from an assault rifle according to the VPAM's (German) ballistic rating chart. And that the model also has a Directive ERV 2010 blast rating that means 33 pounds of TNT can safely explode within 6.5 feet of this beast (again according to VPAM's chart). For the charts i have inserted a link above.

Source

[bmw_lover]

Armouring a Vehicle - How bullet proof cars are made

First, you have to have a suitable vehicle to armor. Though most armored cars are built to customer specifications, so technically any car can be armoured but it's best to stick to a proven model which the armouring company advises or even better chose the model which the company has been regularly armouring like Land Cruiser, Fortuner, X5 or Land Rover. Also only cars with heavy duty engines like 3.0L turbo charged diesel or higher are advised or you will also need to upgrade the entire engine as only the bullet proof glass can add upto 400 aditional KG's in weight.

Once the car has been brought to the armouring company, the vehicle then will be brought to the shop floor and stripped of absolutely everything -- seats, carpet, headliner, door panels -- everything. Then the process begins. Capturing of measurements is done which includes floor, ceiling, doors and firewalls to construct the ballistic parts required to cover and protect each area. All this required material required is designed using a 3D software. After that the design project is submitted for precision laser cutting. The armor, which in most cases is high-hardness ballistic steel, is applied like a jigsaw puzzle all over the car, including underneath. There's a small overlap with each piece, as gaps are not good in any armored car. These overlap systems are designed specifically for panel gaps too. "Think of it as a cocoon," says Ron Leffler, project manager at Alpine Armoring. "If you were to shoot the car from any angle, it would not get through." That includes the firewall, the tailgate and even the battery, ECM and Fuse box too being armored.


The factory glass is replaced with custom glass anywhere from 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) thick. Look below to see how it works.


Reinforcement of pillar posts and hinge mounts is done to ensure that the hinges will transfer the excess door loads to the interior structure of the vehicle. Then brakes, shocks, and sometimes even the engine have to be modified to haul all that weight around as all that armor adds several thousand of pounds. Also, things like rear side curtain airbags have to be removed to install the armor. That means the car's computer has to be reprogrammed to forget that it ever had rear side curtain airbags; otherwise, that annoying little light will keep popping up on the dashboard. When all the materials are overlapped, then the interior goes back in and the panels go back on. The idea is to keep the vehicle as original-looking and inconspicuous as possible. Fuel tank is then removed and shielded with ballistic nylon and water resistant coating.

The tyres play a very important role in securing and driving in the event of any mishap. Security vehicles possess special kind of bullet proof tyres. In fact, they are not bullet proof but bullet resistant. These have bullet resisting capability which is obtained by fitting a metal ring (run flat inserts) on the rim inside the tire. These metal rings bear the weight of vehicle and help the driver to take the vehicle to a safe place. We know that the tyres are made of rubber and rubber cannot resist a moving bullet.

In case of such a situation, the tyre actually bursts most of the time due to high pressure impact. So using of sealants inside a tubeless tyre won’t help in keeping the air inside.

The increased load of the added armour and other modifications are assembled with more powerful brakes and with stronger shock absorbers. Though heavy duty components are used but still there is need for regular service at specific intervals which are usually shorter than usual. Batteries die, fuel pumps go bad, and starters need to be replaced. Once the vehicle is fully re-assembled, it undergoes a strict quality control process. All vehicles are inspected by a trained team responsible for ensuring that the vehicle meets all armoring standards as well as performance and craftsmanship levels. After all this is done all the other modification systems are added like strobe lights, siren, tear gas system, oil slick etc.

The process is quick to describe, and painstaking to complete. Robert Pazderka, owner of The Armored Group LLC, says it can take a few weeks to convert a vehicle with a lower level of armoring. The more heavily armored vehicles can take several months to complete.

A saying goes in the armouring world: "First goal is to be the only armored vehicle in a row of cars, but you're unable to tell. Second goal is that if an attack occurred, you'd survive the attack. And third goal is to be able to get out of the area and back to safety."

#The costing of armouring cars depends on several variables from the type of vehicle, the level of protection that you desire to the cost of materials used. Though obviously a person requiring an armoured car does not need to worry about the cost angle at all but still it can easily range from $40,000 to $1,50,000 over and above the cost of the vehicle. The cars of state dignitaries like PMs, Presidents, Monarchs, Oil oligarchs and captains of the industry obviously cost much more ie upwards of half a million dollars.

Source

[bmw_lover]

Top Armouring Companies

1. Trasco-Bremen: One of the world's leading commercial armoured vehicle providers, which has a rich history spanning over 35 years and is specialized in OEM supplying projects, armoured limousines, sedans and SUVs for governmental and commercial clients. The brand is synonymous with the most advanced armored vehicles made in Germany.


Apart from regular garage of Land cruisers, Nissan Patrols, stretched limos on S-class and 7-series sedans, the company also boasts of a real star. The Aston Martin DB11, armoured of course, has been upgraded to incorporate the new TRASCO Q Line as A-KIP®(Anti-Kidnap) lightweight armouring concept. The additional weight of armouring is less than 150kg – the gross vehicle weight remains unchanged. Therefore there is no compromise of the vehicle’s performance or comfort characteristics.


Notice the thick double layered ballistic window glass.

Website

2. Inkas Armoured: a leading Canadian-based company that specializes in the design and production of a wide range of armored vehicles, including SUVs, luxury sedans and special purpose vehicles. Of course the same company from where we procure our service rifles. The co. also boasts of an inventory of armoured vehicles. It has the the most diverse range of products for civilian use such as G-class, Escalade, Range-Rover, GMC Sierra Denali, Hilux, Lx 570, Tundra, MB Sprinter, Grand Cherokee, QX 80, GL-Class and hold your breath... world's first armoured Bentayga

Link 1

Website

3. Centigon Security Group: The big daddy is a proud member of UNGC. Has 5 factories across the globe including Bogota(Columbia), Caracas(Venezuela) and San Pedro(Mexico). They churn out up to 1000 armoured vehicles per year easily making them the biggest company. Stars in their bespoke line up includes Mulsanne, Panamera, various stretch versions of S-class like Palais Royale, Tuileries and Concorde
Palais Royale

Tuileries


Website

4. International Armouring Corporation: Utah based company is the Alpha of the armouring world and even has a base in India (and Pakistan) too. Armormax India specializes in the armoring of luxury vehicles to level B4 or a level B6. They have been featured on Top Gear as well. It's star offering apart from Tesla Model 3 is a bulletproof Dodge Charger Hellcat. The Hellcat's 6.2-liter engine puts out more than 700hp, so it can handle the extra stress.



Website

5. SCHUTZCARR: Darling of the Middle-east and based in Africa has centres across the globe and has served almost all the war torn countries. Their facilities in COMESA and SADQ countries of Africa have an advantage of using the TAX and import subsidies when importing vehicles to other countries.

Website

Of course their are a lot more companies worth mentioning like Alpine Armouring (Website) and Sandcat-Stormer but the list will be too long. These many are enough to get a fair idea. Apart from specialized armouring companies, regular auto manufacturers too provide armouring services like M-Benz, Land Rover, BMW, Volvo, RR, Bentley.

These companies will ship your ordered vehicle anywhere in the world be it Ocean shipping or Air shipping. Of course they will first have to check with their respective government if you or your country doesn't feature in their list of:

• Restricted country (Non Proliferation or sanctioned)
• Denied List
• Debarred List (not allowed to order Defense Articles)
• Specially Designated Nationals

Special Mention

6. Mahindra: M&M Ltd. entered into a joint venture with BAE systems which resulted in Defence Land Systems India Limited (DLSI) in 2010. It designs and produces light armoured vehicles, specialist military vehicles, mine protected vehicles. The company has production facilities in Prithla, Haryana. The company now offers bullet proof kits for its Scorpio SUV in 3 different trims - Executive, Premium and VVIP. Priced at Rs 12.67 lakh, Rs 16.07 lakh and Rs 18.33 lakh, respectively. All kits can be ordered at a booking amount of Rs 75,000. VVIP kit includes bulletproof glass, body panels, fire-proof fuel tank, a real time vehicle tracking device, run flat tyres, powered windows and a blast proof carpet to protect against threats like grenades. I suppose one of these Scorpio's was offered to PM Modi once he was sworn back in 2014 which was vetoed by the SPG. They also make armoured XUV 500s and Xylos.

Source

7. JCBL:In India, JCBL is the best company by far for customised armouring solutions for your personal car. They specialise in engineering, design, prototype and manufacturing of armoured cars and vehicles. They are also TUV & ISO 9001: 2008 approved manufacturing facility with an extensive experience of developing & designing Bulletproof Military Vehicles, Troop Carriers, Security Vehicles for Government officials/Ministers, Election Campaign Vehicle for VIPs & Bulletproof SUVs.

8. TATA:Though Tata also has its feet in the world of armouring through its Safari model, but most of its other offerings are restricted to Millitary requirements so we won't go in further details.

Website

#All of these companies also provide armoured vehicles on contract basis for rental purposes as they maintain an inventory of armoured cars. Though i wonder what is the second hand market for these cars like these as obviously no one would want to mess around in a second hand bullet proof car.

[bmw_lover]

Famous Bullet Proof Vehicles- Street legal and available for civilian use

1. Knight XV: Conquest Vehicle's flagship vehicle - Knight XV. Unlike many civilian armored vehicles, it's not an armored version of a normal car.

Almost 12 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 8 feet high. It tips the scale at approx. 6 tons and has a 6.8L V10 Ford flex fuel engine. The chassis is based on the Ford F550 Super Duty. The Knight XV has several exterior options to increase it's utility and security. There is a siren with two way P/A and intercom system and hidden front strobes for VIP, security, or law enforcement purposes. An auxiliary fuel tank adds to the 63-gallon capacity of the main tank and remote starting have the vehicle ready to go as soon as the driver is. Surveillance cameras and external microphones prevent nasty surprises when exiting. To aid locating the vehicle and discovering what happened if it is missing A GPS transmitter and black box help locate the vehicle and tell what happened, if needed. For high-risk buyers there is a system to detect devices magnetically attached under the vehicle and wire mesh tailpipe protection.

The options for the interior are extensive. The seating can be upgraded from boardroom to first class aircraft sleeper seats. A partition with two-way intercom between the driver and passengers provides privacy. Entertainment upgrades include a large flat screen TV, Satellite TV, an upgraded media system and an entertainment bar. A cooler box and cigar humidor add creature comforts to the package. Optional curtains for the rear passenger and rear windows provide additional privacy. Extremely popular among rappers of the developed world.

2. Marauder: The Marauder is a mine protected 4×4 armored vehicle. Manufactured by the South Africa's Paramount Group. Launched in 2007, it offers excellent crew protection, survivability and outstanding payload capacity. It is designed to be a highly agile multi role mine protected armored vehicle. Perfect for people working in private security or as military contractors.

It has a double skin hull monocoque structure. This private security vehicle is manufactured with large bullet proof windows providing the occupants excellent all around visibility. It is powered by a diesel engine that is protected up front. It is also designed with a deep and narrow V shaped hull providing an all round protection against mines and IEDs.
Review by Richard Hamond

Marauder

Paramount Group also designed this vehicle with ease of maintenance in mind. This allows for cost effective repair and production of the vehicle.
It offers STANAG 4569 level four mine protection under the hull. It also has a double anti tank mine under any wheel. The vehicle also has ballistic protection against 50 caliber ammunition and 7.62 x 54 mm API 32. equipped with a powerful six cylinder diesel turbo engine. This engine is coupled with a semi automatic transmission. It delivers a total of 801 Nm torque and 165 kW of power.

3. The Beast: US President's armored vehicle is known as The Beast, and it was manufactured by Cadillac. The vehicle that carries the ruler of the free world is like a bunker on wheels, and it as well equipped as one could possibly imagine. Though most of it's features and capablities are kept confidential but still... The armor protecting the exterior of the vehicle is so thick that the weight of one door is comparable to that of a Boeing 747 door. In addition to the exterior protection, the interior is sealed to protect him from a possible gas attack, and it also contains a supply of the president’s own blood.

4. Rezvani Tank: Built by Rezvani Motors, at its core sits a powerful 6.4-liter 500-horsepower V8 engine capable of propelling the TANK™ (Link) over any terrain. Unique off-road packages provide high ground clearance, top of the line FOX off-road suspension, and equally capable tires allowing for unstoppable capabilities. Standard are GRID off-road wheel package with option for T6061 Air craft FORGED aluminum custom design wheels. Massive 16 inch, and powerful 8 piston brake calipers provide consistent and powerful braking power to meet any needs. Electro-Magnetic Pulses are radiated after a nuclear explosion and render electronic devices inoperable. EMP weapons are also used to disable electrical systems prior to a broader attack. Thermal night vision system from FLIR displays heat signatures as well as standard night vision.

Word on the street is that Jammie Foxx has one. Those tyres alone are 37 inches.

Source

5. Dartz Prombron: Dartz Motors produces this vehicle in several iterations namely Monako 100, Red Diamond, Iron Diamond (Ladies only edition), Aladdin, White Horse, Iron.Xtal, Black.Russian and Gold.Russian (China only edition). The model became infamous for using whale-penis leather for its interiors which the company subsequently dropped after the controversy was publicized. The Prombron is equipped with an AMG V8 or V12 Engine. (Link)


This Aladeen version was used in the movie The Dictator

The features included white gold-ruby encrusted embedded badges as well as gold-plated, bullet-proof windows, an exhaust system made out of tungsten, diamond-ruby encrusted gauges, a Kevlar exterior coating. It also comes with three bottles of the world's most expensive vodka, RussoBaltique. With an expected price of €1,000,000, it became the world's most expensive SUV.

6. Popemobile: A popemobile is a specially designed motor vehicle used by the Pope of the Catholic Church during public appearances to allow the Pope to be more visible when greeting large crowds. The first one used was a modified Lincoln Continental to greet crowds in New York City in 1965. Since then several manufacturrs have made various models. Some were open air while others have bulletproof glass walls to enclose the pope (deemed necessary after the 1981 Pope John Paul II assassination attempt).
Though Pope owns a generous fleet of cars currently. He is most often seen in a Jeep wrangler based modification.


Source

[bmw_lover]

Famous armoured vehicles by auto - manufacturers

1. Mercedes Benz: MB armours its:

• E class(320CDI, 350, 500 Guard vehicles all armoured upto B4 level)
• S class (420 CDI, S600, S600 Pullman Guard vehicless armoured upto B6 or B7 level)
• G class (500 Guard vehicle armoured upto B6 or B7 level)

Source

2. BMW: BMW offers its security package on 2 models. 5 series (in Security and Security Plus editions) and 7 series (High Security Package).




3. Audi: Mainly offers its flagship sedan in the armoured version. The new A8 L Security debuted as Audi's most secure car ever. It leaps two levels beyond its predecessor and packs enough reinforcements to survive armor-piercing assault rifle fire and hand grenade explosions. This real-life James Bond car can also extinguish its own flames, blow its doors hinges apart for emergency exit and communicate clearly with the world immediately outside. Audi has built the unitary occupant safety cell up from lightweight but high-strength materials including Aramide fabric, special aluminum alloys and hot-formed armor steel. That gives it full VR9-level protection, which in layman's terms, means it can withstand fire from an assault rifle loaded with NATO armor piercing ammunition.

The A8 L Security also offers explosive resistance, giving it the ability to roll through a hand grenade attack. This comes courtesy of reinforced aluminum side sills and a special-alloy armor-plated floor. The A8 L Security comes with the buyer's choice of a 429-hp 4.0 biturbo TFSI V8 or a naturally aspirated 594-hp 6.3-liter W12 FSI. The car's top speed is 130.5 mph (210 km/h). The A8 L Security hits 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.1 seconds when equipped with the W12 option.

4. Volvo: Offers XC90 in the bulletproof avatar developed in collaboration with Trasco Bremen GmbH. It weighs in at nearly 4.5 tonnes. It provides unrivalled comfort and safety, while offering the highest level of personal protection via VPAM VR8 ballistic and explosive certification. Though lighly armoured versions of XC 60 and XC90 for use by security services and police forces in their tactical operations are also to be manufactured from first half of 2020.

Notice the thickness of the glass window


Source

5. Skoda: Skoda already has something of a reputation for producing vehicles that are strong, safe and reliable, but that's now been taken to another level with a bullet and blast-resistant armored version of the Superb Estate that's just been added to the range which has been developed after 3 years of planning, development and testing in conjunction with a UK converter.


6. Bentley: The Bentley State Limousine is an official state car created by Bentley for Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Only two were built and both are in the Royal Mews. The vehicle's twin-turbocharged, 6.75-litre V8 engine has been modified from Bentley's Arnage R version to produce 400 hp and 835 Nm of torque. It is equipped with broad coach doors that open to the rear almost 90 degrees. Opaque panels over the backlight of the car can be installed for either added privacy or removed for added visibility of its passengers. For protection of its occupants, the bodywork and glass are armoured, the cabin can be sealed air-tight in case of gas attack and is also blast-resistant, and the tyres are kevlar-reinforced.



7. Range Rover: Range rover through its SVO division offers its Sentinel. European Standard VPAM BRV 2009/VR8/ERV 2010 and PAS 300, is used throughout the Range Rover Sentinel. It boasts of a secured and armoured escape panel. Located in the rear luggage compartment, it allows for escapes even if the doors are unusable. Its equipped with a Supercharged V8 Petrol engine.




The cost of armouring these cars which are factory fitted should also impact the registration cost of these vehicles.


all the information has been curated from various web sites: google search, how stuff works, wikipedia, top gear, auto.ndtv, autocar, respective company websites.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[BANDHAV]

There are numerous players here in India who offer the option of Bulletproofing cars like Safari, Scorpio, Fortuner etc. The cost varies based upon the level of threat protection opted for.

The steel armouring option is realtively inexpensive but the increase in the body weight is substantial and performance of vehicle is affected drastically. Composite armouring on the other hand is expenisve but due to being light has only margingal adverse effect on performance.

I have seen few Armoured Cars like Fortuner, Merc GLS 63 AMG. The quality of work done is not directly proportional to money spent.

[bharatbits]

Excellent thread. Well written with great detail. Got to know many finer aspects of B proofing and about an industry which the common man would probably never know in his lifetime.

Rating 5 stars. Rating a thread 5 stars for the first time in my 12 years of association with TeamBhp.

[Sran]

Best bullet proof cars can not take more than 5 bullets per 2×1.5 sq.inch. They are not designed for repeated shots into the same spot. None of them are. Protection is predicated upon rapidly exiting the Area of Operation of the vehicle.That's why attacks on armored vehicles involve disabling the vehicle first. Then the people inside are scorched. All you need is the right bullet.

Bhadohi in uttar pradesh famous for its beautiful carpets is also somewhat a hub for car bullet proofing. Most after market job is for bullets including Ak's and not bomb proof, these includes adding additional thick ballistic steels, bullet proof glasses, kevlars and run flat tyres. Most of the bullets used in India are Full metal jackets, magnums are not readily available but there are specific armour piercing rounds also available around the world. Attaching pic of different types of bullets.

As is the norm that USA leads the world in quite a few things they also have bullet proof back packs. Due to severerity of school and mass shootings majority of us schools have metal detector doors in school. https://www.leatherbackgear.com/#backpack

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/comp...kRedirect=true

Mexico, brazil, pakistan and african continet are the biggest market for bullet proof vehicles. Mexico figure is small relative to the 15,145 cars armored in 2017 in Brazil, which expects to see a 25 percent jump this year.

Demand in Mexico has grown so strong that more global automakers have started bulletproofing cars on their own Mexican production lines as opposed to the usual practice of after-market armoring.

Audi began making an armored version of its Q5 light sport utility vehicle exclusively in the central state of Puebla in mid-2017 for local sale and export to Brazil and Argentina. The company declined to give recent sales figures.

[s4ch]

Originally Posted by bharatbits

Excellent thread. Well written with great detail. Got to know many finer aspects of B proofing and about an industry which the common man would probably never know in his lifetime.

Rating 5 stars. Rating a thread 5 stars for the first time in my 12 years of association with TeamBhp.

Agree the information is very good in this thread. But unfortunately a lot of the information is almost an identical copy paste from Wikipedia, Quora and other websites, and not original content. Would appreciate if the author at least accredited these sources properly.

Else a very interesting subject nonetheless.

[V.Narayan]

Most interesting. Enjoyed reading it. It is a pity that countries like Brazil, Mexico & Pakistan are the biggest markets for such armoured passenger cars as it reflects the law and order and endemic violence in those countries. Would any one know which Indian businessmen use armoured cars.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Most interesting. Enjoyed reading it. It is a pity that countries like Brazil, Mexico & Pakistan are the biggest markets for such armoured passenger cars as it reflects the law and order and endemic violence in those countries. Would any one know which Indian businessmen use armoured cars.

Mukesh Ambani, Amir Khan are known to have purchased bulletproof Mercedes S600

[pinin]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Most interesting. Enjoyed reading it. It is a pity that countries like Brazil, Mexico & Pakistan are the biggest markets for such armoured passenger cars as it reflects the law and order and endemic violence in those countries. Would any one know which Indian businessmen use armoured cars.

I was fortunate to spend some time in a royal garage of one of the countries in the Middle East. They had around 600 Mercedes (a Mercedes fan boy wet dream - I must add) and quite a few of them were bullet proof. The sheer weight of the door is felt to be believed. The window glass is about 1.5 to 2 inch thick. Needless to say that the doors were motorized for ease of use.

- They implemented SAP to manage the garage of 600 cars and off-course employed an ex-Mercedes staffer as the head of the garage .

Regards,
Pinin