Brabus pioneers 'Shelter Cell' in armoured G-Class

It probably won't save you from Coronavirus - but grenades? Yes...

By Sam Sheehan / Thursday, 5 March 2020 / Loading comments

Brabus Automotive has launched an armoured G-Class that uses an internal cell and hot-formed steel plates capable of surviving direct blasts. The so-called Invicto setup, which adds a modest tonne to the SUV’s weight, is assembled from within the structure, with overlapping joints over weld spots to ensure there are no weak points, earning the model an official ‘Explosion Resistant Vehicle’ rating. It does this while maintaining the look of a fairly standard G-Class so as not to draw attention, something that can’t be said about the security staff and smoke machine featured in the press shots…

Its maker – a subsidiary of the German tuner – reckons its internal Shelter Cell is a world first because it’s not welded to the car’s body, but rather stands as a self-contained, self-supporting, bolted-on structural cell. Outside of this, weld seams on the doors and surrounding parts are protected with overlapping plates, while the windscreen frame gets its own protective elements produced via 3D printing. The finished car is accredited by the German ballistics authority, and will survive attacks up to a VR6 Plus grade.

The options list is, of course, very long, with everything from an escape hatch to a winch available. There’s a fresh air system to filter out pollution or smoke, too - although no mention of virus resistance, which would be handy right now. Additionally, there are optional auxiliary roof lights and a night vision pack for when your escape can’t wait until the morning. Or you want to blind the enemy.

The one catch is that weight gain, which with all bits added means an Invicto G-Class surpasses 3.5 tonnes. But Brabus has adapted the car to handle the extra mass with reinforced springs, stabilisers and shock absorbers, and the brakes are beefed-up too, with 402mm/380mm discs and six- and four-piston calipers at the front and rear respectively. The wheels too are capable of higher load and come wrapped in special run-flat tyres developed by Brabus Automotive specifically for this purpose. It looks totally ready for the end of days.

We're not given a price because they will obviously be bespoke to each car - but taking into account the standard of engineering and resulting high-grade protection this sort of G-Class provides, we'd expect Brabus's creation to sit in fairly ludicrous bracket. But you can't put a price on safety, right?