What do you get the discerning billionaire who just has everything? The latest in bulletproof cars, obviously.
Exhibitors from some of the largest luxury car firms have unveiled their wares at Moscow International Automobile Salon, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Daimler and Volkswagen all presenting armoured vehicles appealing to the luxury set.
Moscow has the second highest number of billionaires in the world, and Europe’s highest murder rate leading it to be an easy choice for why the model would be launched there. The European armoured vehicles market is estimated to lead the world in terms of demand in the next 10 years and the region will account for approximately a third of the global requirement.
BMW’s armoured version of its X5 sport-utility vehicle model was launched amid claims the vehicle could withstand AK-47 gunfire.
The cars, which can cost as much as four times the amount of their standard-issue counterparts, cost between £110,000 and upto £140,000. However, Jaguar Land Rover’s Sentinel could prove to be the big hit in this growing and highly profitable market.
In the UK, the XJ Sentinel model is used as the official car of the Prime Minister, which comes equipped with an independent, self-contained oxygen supply to protect passengers against chemical or biological attack. The XJ is also B7 level armoured, and is understood to be capable of withstanding the blast of 15 kg equivalent TNT and sustained attack by a variety of other armour-piercing weapons.
