President Ram Nath Kovind upgraded to a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Pullman Maybach Guard earlier this year – PM Modi has followed suit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received a new set of wheels in the form of an armoured Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Guard. Having earlier used either a Range Rover Vogue and Toyota Land Cruiser over past few years, the PM was recently seen in the new Maybach S 650 which offers VR10 protection level that is the highest ever protection in a production vehicle
PM Modi Gets New Car
PM Modi was seen in this new vehicle at Hyderabad House in Delhi when he arrived to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Guard gets VR10 protection level which means that it receives windows and a body shell that is not only able to resist bullets, but can also protect its occupants from assault from an AK 47 rifle.
Proclaimed as an Explosive Resistant Vehicle (ERV) 2010 rating, the S 650 Guard also protects from an assault against 5 kgs of TNT from a distance of 2 meters. It offers the highest level of armoured protection available on a production car.
The S 650 Guard can withstand bullet attack thanks to its upgraded windows and body shell and can take an assault from AK-47 rifles. The windows are 10 centimeters (nearly four inches) thick and get polycarbonate coating on the inside, while its under-body gets heavily armoured to protect occupants from a direct explosion.
The cabin also gets a built in oxygen tank in case of a gas attack. The tank is made of similar material used by Boeing for its AH-64 Apache tank attack helicopters and receives a special coating to instantly seal holes following a bullet hit.
The armoured limousine rides on Michelin PAX run-flat tires allowing the vehicle to make a quick escape despite being punctured. It can be used for a distance up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) after going flat. The cabin is fitted with a host of luxuries among which is a seat massager and rear seats are positioned further back allowing for added leg room and a separate communication system.
Maybach S 650 Guard measures 5,45mm in length, 1,899mm in width and 1,498mm in height with a wheelbase of 3,365mm. It was specially requested for the enhanced security of the PM security by the SPG – Special Protection Group, and 2 such vehicles were ordered, with the second as a decoy, each priced at around Rs 12 crores.
Engine Specs
Mercedes Maybach S 650 Guard is powered by a 6.0 liter, twin turbo V12 engine that makes 516 hp power and 900 Nm torque. Top speed is at 160 km/h. Top speed is a lot lower than the standard Mercedes Maybach without the Guard. This is because the Guard variant weighs a lot more. Mercedes has not revealed the weight, nor are the features list available – due to security reasons.
Along with a new set of wheels for PM Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind had also received a new Mercedes-Benz S-class Pullman Maybach Guard earlier this year. Compared to his earlier W221 S-Guard that offered VR7 protection, the S 600 Pullman Guard is capable of VR9-level protection. Like the S650 Guard, the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman is also a made-to order vehicle. These two upgraded vehicles were supposed to arrive in 2020 but were delayed as a cost cutting feature in view of the ongoing pandemic.
