Most luxury vehicle manufacturers have been quietly producing armoured versions of their range for special private customers for years, with Mercedes Benz the most prolific and high profile and the Combat T98, International MXT-MVA and Rhino Runner the most extreme.
Whereas once it was considered gauche to advertise such services, and companies were content to have the most influential people seen in their vehicles, marketing imperatives are now being brought to bear and the world's prestige manufacturers all seem to be adding an armoured model to their range.
Now Range Rover will add a fully-armoured Vogue to the range, designed to resist attack from machine gun or hand grenade while its four-wheel drive chassis and off-road ground clearance allows a quick getaway from attack or ambush.
Including unforgiving urban obstacles like high kerbs or even steep steps. Its broad shouldered strength also allows it to be driven at and through obstacles such as gates or even walls.
In an attack, the Range Rover Vogue's armour and its go anywhere ability can literally mean the difference between life and death. |
Developed by Land Rover Special Vehicles as an integral part of the new Range Rover Vogue programme, the Range Rover Vogue Security Vehicle is the first armoured Land Rover vehicle to be offered as a production model. In future, there will be greater availability of other armoured Land Rover products as well as high security models from other marques in the Premier Automotive Group, all developed to the same exacting standards.
The new high security Range Rover Vogue will be available to four levels of security, the first three offering protection from attack by hand-gun, assault rifle or high velocity rifle.
The ultimate version provides protection against armour piercing to European B6 plus standard, and is capable of withstanding attack from a NATO 7.62 ball round fired from 10 metres at a typical velocity of 830 metres per second. B6 plus standard, favoured by Heads of State and other diplomatic, political and religious 'targets', also protects against attack by weapons including the Kalashnikov AK47 rifle.
Also available will be a Range Rover Vogue Security Vehicle built to B4 standard, which protects against attack from a .44 Magnum handgun using flat nose, full metal jacket, soft core ammunition at a typical velocity of 440 metres per second. |
