In these days of austerity, downsizing and budget cuts, it's crucial for those at the top to be seen tightening their belts like the rest of us. These important people, some of them even of the 'very' variety, still have places to go and people to see, though, so what to do?
The usual armoured limousine suspects tend to be based on luxury brands like Mercedes, Range Rover et al which rules them out, and a lot of the other options are a little, well, OTT. You could take a second hand punt on the armoured Peugeot 205 GTI, specially created for France's richest man, Bernard Arnault - although it isn't the most practical of solutions.
The answer, somewhat unexpectedly, comes from Skoda. Which, following three years of work with an unidentified UK-based convertor has unveiled this beautifully bland armoured Superb. Based on a standard 2.0 TDI 190PS Superb Estate, its key appeal - taking a page from the Porsche marketing book - is that it's "virtually indistinguishable" from the standard car. It ought to offer a fair amount more protection, though, with a combination of bullet-resistant glass, high strength steel and composite materials keeping its occupants safe.
Although Skoda says the exact details of the conversion must be kept a secret, they have let on that the car meets the PAS 300 requirements for ballistic and blast protection - a certification which involves "firing different types of ammunition at the vehicle and exposing it to blast and fragmentation threats." Where do we apply for that job?
Of course simply slapping a bunch of armour onto the standard car wouldn't make for the most agile or responsive of vehicles, two traits we'd imagine are rather important in an ambush. Both the suspension and braking systems have therefore been upgraded to accommodate the car's additional heft, while special run-flat tyres have been fitted. as have a set of traffic-parting blue lights behind the grille. Skoda proudly declares that despite all of the adjustments beneath its surface its armoured Superb, "retains its spacious five-seater layout cabin, large boot and acclaimed build quality."
As for the cost of all this subtle safety, it's £118,688. Not so budget after all, then, but still considerably cheaper than many of the alternatives, and it comes with a three-year warranty as standard...
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