Most Pointless Car of All Time?

Most Pointless Car of All Time?

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Discussion

Thomas Foreman

Original Poster:

25 posts

72 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
https://www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/armoured...

So, Skoda are releasing an armoured estate for around £118k. It's bomb-proof, has bullet proof glass, and is "packed in emergency lights and sirens".

While I'm aware that it mentions in the article that this is primarily going to benefit undercover police, who else is this really going to benefit? Had a right laugh reading this. WHO other than organisations such as the police force is really going to need a blast proof car? Hilarious really, it's like something you'd see in a Fast and Furious film.

Absolutely no need for civilians to have this kind of car.


RizzoTheRat

25,135 posts

192 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
BMW do armoured versions of the X5 and 7 series, JLR do an armoured Range Rover and XJ, and VAG already do an armoured Phaeton and one of the bigger Audis, so clearly there's a market for them.
Most of the official cars you see cabinet members or royals driven around in will be armoured, but I don't think the normal UK armed response teams use them. I suspect there's quite a few Russian or Arabic millionaires being driven around the UK in them too, but I can't see them going for a Skoda over a more premium badge.

Thomas Foreman

Original Poster:

25 posts

72 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
My point exactly. Why go for an armoured Skoda when you can get an armoured BMW or Audi? If you're going to splash out on a blast-proof, bullet-proof vehicle then why on earth would you buy a Skoda? I mean no disrespect to the manufacturer by any means, I just think it's strange that they'd venture into this market...

I can understand that a Skoda would add more of an element of disguise for undercover police officers, but for anyone else? Can't see these becoming hugely popular.

Doofus

25,783 posts

173 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
To be discreet. If you're concerned about personal safety, then you don;t drive around in a flash car.

Bernard Arnault, president of LVMH had an armoured Peugeot 205GTi, so he could drive around anonymously, and without a chauffeur. It's actually for sale at the moment.

Richard-390a0

2,249 posts

91 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
Because you don't always want such an obvious bling car!?.

The 205 GTi -

https://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-spottedyky...

Edited by Richard-390a0 on Tuesday 29th May 14:26

Thomas Foreman

Original Poster:

25 posts

72 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
Richard-390a0 said:
Because you don't always want such an obvious bling car!?.

The 205 GTi -

https://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-spottedyky...

Edited by Richard-390a0 on Tuesday 29th May 14:26
Now that is a hilarious little motor! biggrin However I can perfectly understand why someone like the CEO of LVMH would want to choose a low-key sort of car to modify and make bullet proof. I guess when I saw this initial article about Skoda producing blast-proof cars I was questioning more why the Skoda demographic would want such a vehicle and not why people such as Arnault would want one.

Even so, you'd expect members of the Cabinet to be driving around in flashy BMWs...

eldar

21,711 posts

196 months

Tuesday 29th May 2018
quotequote all
Thomas Foreman said:
Even so, you'd expect members of the Cabinet to be driving around in flashy BMWs...
Which is the point of a boring and inconspicuous Skoda.

Thomas Foreman

Original Poster:

25 posts

72 months

Wednesday 30th May 2018
quotequote all
eldar said:
Which is the point of a boring and inconspicuous Skoda.
I guess you're right.

serotonin

41 posts

71 months

Wednesday 30th May 2018
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If I was going to get an armoured vehicle I personally wouldn't buy a Skoda!

Yeah okay it'd be more inconspicuous compared to a BMW or an Audi but it's not like either of those cars are rare breeds you only ever see once in a blue moon. I'm sure if you had an armoured BMW you'd blend in just fine among the ocean of other BMWs that you see hundreds of, every day.

Yeah okay they're by no means a low tier class of car and they're expensive and in some cases high-tech, but if you're so concerned about your personal safety that you have to drive a bomb proof Skoda, should you even be leaving your house? confused


anonymous-user

54 months

Saturday 2nd June 2018
quotequote all
eldar said:
Thomas Foreman said:
Even so, you'd expect members of the Cabinet to be driving around in flashy BMWs...
Which is the point of a boring and inconspicuous Skoda.
Well, it won't be now.

Think about it; next time you see a new Skoda Superb you'll think "Oh, I remember there was a £118k armoured version...I wonder if that's one?"

The very fact we're discussing it right now goes against the whole 'less obvious' thing that it's going for in the first place! Ok, the average car enthusiast isn't going to be a terrorist - although going by how many angry posters there are on here, maybe they are...

eldar

21,711 posts

196 months

Saturday 2nd June 2018
quotequote all
Kierkegaard said:
Well, it won't be now.

Think about it; next time you see a new Skoda Superb you'll think "Oh, I remember there was a £118k armoured version...I wonder if that's one?"

The very fact we're discussing it right now goes against the whole 'less obvious' thing that it's going for in the first place! Ok, the average car enthusiast isn't going to be a terrorist - although going by how many angry posters there are on here, maybe they are...
We aren't discussing the even more anonymous Toyota Camry...

https://inkasarmored.com/armored-toyota-camry/

BricktopST205

896 posts

134 months

Monday 4th June 2018
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eldar said:
We aren't discussing the even more anonymous Toyota Camry...

https://inkasarmored.com/armored-toyota-camry/
Toyota are in a different league to Skoda though. Having a Skoda makes perfect sense as it is after all an Audi underneath which is the most important part to the constabulary not what the soft touch plastics and infotainment are like.

cptsideways

13,544 posts

252 months

Monday 4th June 2018
quotequote all
Have seen the build process, it's quite impressive! I love the stealthyness of them but the really big brakes & big thick windows kind of give the game away.

There were some new old stock armoured BMW's for sale recently, always fancied one no idea why, they were quite cheap too.

I've driven a few heavyweight armoured cars, Range Rovers, 7 series and a Phantom. Just avoid parking the Phantom on a side slope or you'll never close the doors hehe

Wildcat45

8,072 posts

189 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
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OK so it was 40 years ago, but this chap was killed in his Cavalier.

Not everyone wants to roll a Benz et al. If you want protection but dont want to look flash a Skoda seems sensible.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/m...

Embassy vehicles, politicians who aren't senior enough for a Sentinel or even naughty boys. Big time crime bosses don't all drive round in black windowed Range Rovers. For many - who could end up on the business end of a gun - a low profile car along with a modest house are the way to go.

rowley birkin

485 posts

100 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
quotequote all
I don't see the point of this:-


Plug Life

978 posts

91 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
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An armoured Dacia Duster would be even better.

hyphen

26,262 posts

90 months

Wednesday 6th June 2018
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X6, Q8...

Chronchard86

5 posts

70 months

Friday 8th June 2018
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Plug Life said:
An armoured Dacia Duster would be even better.
I'd love to see that!

ElectricPics

761 posts

81 months

Friday 8th June 2018
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RizzoTheRat said:
Most of the official cars you see cabinet members or royals driven around in will be armoured, but I don't think the normal UK armed response teams use them.
Armed response vehicles often have ballistic windscreen and front door glass (no opening windows) and kevlar door inserts, but no blast protection. Anything more would make them overweight with all the other gear they have on board.

Francis85

176 posts

68 months

Friday 14th September 2018
quotequote all
Well, a Vauxhall Mokka never made sense to me.