According to the blog Mercedes-Benz Passion, the German carmaker has commenced production of the S-Class Guard, a version of its flagship luxury car for people who have to dodge bullets on their morning commute.
Manufactured in Sindelfingen, Germany, alongside other armored Mercedes models, the S-Class Guard can reportedly withstand direct hits from military-grade firearms, as well as shrapnel from hand grenades.
To provide that kind of protection, the Guard gets a windshield that’s 3.9 inches thick, and the passenger cell is surrounded in 1.9-inch thick steel plate.
All of that protection adds a lot of weight, so it’s probably good that Mercedes only offers the Guard in S600 form, with a 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 under the hood.
Mercedes didn’t specify any upgrades, so the world’s dictators will have to make do with 523 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque. The stock vehicle’s 0 to 62 mph time of 4.6 seconds may be blunted a bit by the added weight.
Official pricing hasn’t been released, but the S-Class Guard could reportedly cost up to $435,000, compared to around $166,900 for a stock S600.
While a heavily-armored Mercedes S-Class may seem like an unusual car, it won’t be alone in catering to heads of state and rich doomsday preppers.
There’s also the 2015 Audi A8 L Security and, for those looking to stand out, an armored Mercedes G63 AMG stretch limo offered by Canadian company INKAS.
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