Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard is insanely well armored

PHOTO BY MERCEDES-BENZ

S600 now has VR10-level armor for protection against rogue nuclear states

   If you're a frequent buyer of armored European sedans (as we're sure many of our readers are), the debut of the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard is like the release of a new iPhone. Armorers and coachbuilders release several new models each year, but Mercedes' own factory-armored luxury yacht has reached a new benchmark in ballistic protection: VR10 level.

   As specified by Directive BRV 2009 Version 2 (Bullet Resistant Vehicles) and Directive ERV 2010, VR10 is certified to protect against hardened steel-core bullets fired from assault rifles at the bodywork and windows. This is the first time the Ballistics Authority in Ulm, Germany, has certified an armored passenger car to this standard -- until now, automakers such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes have only offered a VR9 level of protection in their top offerings.

PHOTO BY MERCEDES-BENZ

   Mercedes' latest armored limo is an evolution of previous Guard models that go all the way back to the S-Class of the 1990s; Stuttgart designed the S-Class frame and body to be easily modified with armor at the bodyshell stage, instead of having to work backwards from a half-finished car. Aramid composite armor elements and anti-splintering polycarbonate layers for the inner windows are just a couple of new technologies and materials that Mercedes used; in the process Mercedes carved out a few extra inches of rear-seat legroom -- passenger comfort here is a bigger priority than trunk space -- and it's a detail that won't go unnoticed by the parastatal tycoons oligarchs shopping for cars like these.


PHOTO BY MERCEDES-BENZ

   Speaking of shopping, how much dough will heads of state need to divert to fund an armored S600? Amazingly, just around half a million dollars, which is a tremendous bargain for this level of armor in such a luxurious wrapper.

  Want to spend more? There is still the Mercedes-Maybach Pullman limousine, which will surely gain VR10-level armor, as well. Expect to budget around a million dollars for that one.