Concept 7 Protection expands BMW armoured lineup

Does your commute face 'everyday, situational, and highly unpredictable risks'? Here's the car for it

It’s probably not a great reflection on the world right now that so many armoured cars exist. Earlier this year Mercedes revealed its latest S-Class Guard, the only civilian limo offering VR10 protection - that means it can withstand Dragunov sniper rounds. The engineering is cool, but it’s hard to feel a bit sad that the need is there. Now BMW has this, the Concept 7 Protection; not a production car for the moment, but also not very far from it seemingly. This is a saloon ‘designed for private and corporate customers as well as organisations who are looking for adequate protection for their risk profile without compromising on discretion, comfort, and BMW’s signature driving dynamics.’

So it isn’t (literally) bombproof like those cars with high VR rating (including VR9-certified BMW 7 Series Protection). This feels like a 7 Series first and an armoured car second, rather than those full dictator spec machines that resemble caricatures of the donor cars. To most intents and purposes, this is an M760e xDrive, complete with a 612hp electrified six and a lovely interior of Smoke White BMW Individual Merino Leather and Alcantara trims. The rear even gets a new BMW Individual rear console (table, charging, cool box) that’s coming as an option to the rest of the range next year. It really is only as strange as any other 7 Series.

But, of course, there’s much more to the Concept Protection than meets the eye. The windows and parts of the body (or the ‘transparent and selected opaque sections of the passenger compartment’) are armoured: the glass is bulletproof and the doors reinforced with steel and composites. The pano roof is retained, albeit with another layer of steel and composite there to provide protection. And with a permanently closed blind for the sunroof, in fact, the glass there to ensure ‘the exterior appearance of the production vehicle.’ Which seems like a bit of a drastic measure when there could just be a, y’know, roof, but such are the lengths gone to for armoured cars.

The bulletproof glass looks as thick as a Cuban heel, the bulkhead is beefed up and there’s an intercom that works with exterior loudspeakers to raise the alarm. Or clear mopeds out the way. It all means that the Concept 7 Protection complies with the new BayB standard, designed ‘to address everyday, situational, or highly unpredictable risks.’ So repelling handgun ammunition, like bullets from a .44 Magnum, rather than anything more substantial. Probably you wouldn’t want to leave the house if risks greater than a .44 Magnum were coming the way of your BMW, but then we aren’t international dignitaries.

To cope with the additional demands of BayB protection (they really didn’t think that name through), the 7 Series has been overhauled. BMW suggests that chassis, brakes, drive and assistance systems ‘are calibrated for the additional protection features.’ The aim is to retain a very familiar 7 Series experience, just with the ability to withstand bullets. Driver’s happy, passenger is happy; the only person disappointed with the performance of a Protection is the would-be assassin.

Given BMW has gone to the effort of creating this car and publicising its existence, it would have to be assumed that it’s with the intention of producing the real thing. BMW has been doing this for almost half a century, in fact, so if the demand exists for a BayB level car, they’d know. Officially this concept ‘provides insight into the potential expansion of the BMW Protection portfolio for additional user profiles.’ And if you didn’t know already, bmw-special-sales.com is well worth a visit for an idea of how high profile individuals buy their BMWs. Or there’s a VR6-grade X5 for sale on PH…

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richinlondon

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