The Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard provides protection for the dictator in a large luxury limousine.
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the armored version, the Guard, of the Maybach S600 Pullman at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The bullet-resistant beast will be made public at the Paris Motor Show in the middle of the month. But, the heads of state, royalty and dictators will not be able take delivery until the second half 2017. Because the vault on wheels in Germany will cost approximately 1.4 million euros ($1.56million), they’ll likely need this time to raise the funds. A Pullman without armor will set you back 500,000 euros ($558,000).
Maybach S600 Pullman Guard provides complete VR9 bullet resistance to the body and glass. The sedan can withstand rounds fired from an assault rifle. A Directive ERV 2010 blast rating is also available for the model. This means that 33 pounds (15 kgs) of TNT can be safely exploded within 6.5 feet (2 metres) of it.
As you might imagine, armor is heavy. The Pullman Guard weighs in at 11,200 pounds (5.1 tons). Maybach has added electric motors to help people operate the doors because there is so much protection. Steel panels are added between the outer and body metal. To protect against blasts, the company reinforces the floor.
These upgrades make the S600 Pullman Guard capable of driving through war zones, but it still looks almost the same as the non-armored version. Interior dimensions are not affected by the additional protection. The biturbo 6.0 liter V12 still produces 523 horsepower (390 Kilowatts) e 612 pound-feet (830 Newton meters).
A paranoid Mercedes customer might choose to go for the smaller, but still very large standard Maybach SL600 Guard. It was introduced earlier this year and is the only passenger car to offer VR10 ballistic defense. This gives the sedan extra capability to take harderened-steel rounds from an assail rival. It also offers the same level explosion protection as the Pullman Guardian. Maybach S600 Guard in Germany starts at 470,000 Euros ($524,000).