SThey have bullet resistance against military rifles such as the Russian Kalashnikov, the American AR-15 and M16 assault rifles and the NATO G3. The roof and floor assembly are also protected against detonation by hand grenades. Shatterproof windows, an explosion-proof tank and splinter trap channels at the entry openings are also part of the equipment. Armored automobiles have to endure a lot. Explosive attacks with fatal results for the occupants prove that there are attacks that even special protection vehicles, as they are called in official parlance, have been proven many years ago. The business, however, is as secretive as it is cost-intensive, and nobody really wants to be looked at. Mercedes-Benz has been manufacturing specially protected vehicles since 1928 and continuing to develop them relentlessly. Deutsche Bank CEO Alfred Herrhausen was unfortunately unable to save the S-Class from the explosion at the time. The automobile manufacturer’s specialists never let this go. They are constantly learning new things. And so the new Federal Chancellor, who will probably be called Olaf Scholz, should get what is currently the safest car in the world. Only the American President’s Cadillac known as “The Beast” has an even harder shell, but is no longer even a car in shape. Not to mention the technology under the XXL body.
Just in time for the change of government, Mercedes-Benz is bringing the S-Class back as a special Guard model. The competition is few and far between. Audi has its top model A8 as a security version in its range, and it was often seen with Chancellor Angela Merkel. BMW currently has no adequate offer. Mercedes naturally strives for a leading role with the highest safety category. Willy-Brandt-Straße 1 in Berlin is already programmed into the navigation system as the home address.
A guard must meet bullet class VR10 as well as the ERV seal, which stands for Explosive Resistant Vehicle. Herrhausen’s car was around VR6. The common hand grenade or a commercially available Kalashnikov now play a subordinate role. Dragunow is the name of the youngest feared opponent, a sniper rifle whose hard-coat projectiles can penetrate a tree trunk over a distance of almost three kilometers. “The Kalashnikov, on the other hand, is a water pistol,” says a weapons expert. The attempts in which we were able to watch, but are not allowed to write and show everything we experienced, left a strong impression. Also on the body of the steadfastly defending Mercedes. After 300 shots at him and the use of 12.5 kilograms of plastic explosives during the test by the state fire department in Ulm, the exterior is well perforated, but the occupants – represented by a realistically simulated dummy with skin and bones – on the back seat would not have one Get scratched. And these 300 balls were by no means randomly scattered. The fire was fired at neuralgic points at the interfaces of the body.
Remaining able to act: As long as the Guard is gliding, it feels like a normal S-Class. Mercedes-Benz compensated for the 4.2 tonne weight with the use of a 6 liter V12 engine. If in doubt, the attacked person must be quickly brought out of the line of fire.
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Image: Mercedes
Although the Guard can handle all of this, for Chancellor or King it is an S-Class like any other. Nearly. They have to do without amenities such as the sunroof or the refrigerator in the trunk. Side windows that can be opened are only available on special request and at an additional cost. Nobody wants to offer additional attack surface. In the rear, space is needed both for the automatic fire extinguishing system and for a fresh air supply, which generates excess pressure in the car in the event of a gas attack, so that no poison can penetrate the cabin.
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