Normally the most dangerous thing you’ll encounter on your daily commute is other vehicles or a particularly suicidal form of wildlife. But what if your expected hazards included being attacked by crazed assailants utilizing machine guns, hand grenades or even toxic gases? Well then, you’d need a very secure limousine, wouldn’t you?
Enter Audi’s most exclusive and terrifyingly secure version of its A8 L flagship limousine. Every additional component specific to this awesomely armored yet stylish limo is handcrafted to ensure that it is up to the task of stopping, well… pretty much anything! While this results in a 450 hour fitting time completed by highly skilled experts, the results speak for themselves.
The A8 L Security has been officially certified by the German Ballistics Testing Centre as compliant with the requirements of the class VR 7 ballistic protection standard in accordance with the BRV (Bullet Resistant Vehicles) 2009 guideline. In more real terms, this means that an assailant had better bring a rocket propelled grenade launcher if they hope to even make a dent.
The passenger section has protection that wouldn’t look out of place in a bank vault as heat-formed armored steel, aramide fabric, a special aluminum alloy and multi-laminated glass wrap the occupants up in a protective cocoon. The aluminum side sills offer additional protection against explosive weaponry, as does the armour-plated floor. Audi claim that a military hand grenade could be rolled underneath the vehicle and the resultant explosion would not penetrate the interior. Even explosive charges “would not pose a lethal threat to passengers” according to the designers.
The windows and windscreens make use of specially treated glass with a splinter-inhibiting polycarbonate layer on the inside. This means that attackers will simply watch in dismay as their bullets ping harmlessly off the armored glass.
The security features aren’t excluded to the exterior either. There’s an intercom system that allows the occupants to communicate with the outside world via loudspeakers while keeping the doors securely locked.
Fire isn’t a viable weapon against the A8 L Security either as its elaborate fire-suppression system allows chemical fire retardants to be supplied through pipes along the underbody of the car where they can be sprayed into the engine compartment and wheel arches.
As previously mentioned, toxic gas attack is another option ruled out from our would-be attackers list. At the touch of a button an emergency fresh air system supplies breathable air to the protected zone via secure vents. This air supply should last long enough to keep the passengers safe until they are clear of the area affected by the gas.
There’s all manner of extra bells and whistles attached to the A8 as well. There are flashing lights, sirens, a built-in emergency phone, a rear-view camera and much more. Altogether, this amounts to a limo that has more in common with an armored personnel carrier than a car!
Click here for further information on a whole host of unique cars that are often more affordable than this beast, even if they can’t stop military-grade assault equipment.
We can’t wait to see what Audi pulls out of their magic hat for their next iteration of secure limousines. Perhaps a limo that can turn into a submersible or one that has a force field! Anything seems possible with Audi’s engineers on the case.
