The armored Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard comes as an upgrade from the Range Rover Vogue and Toyota Land Cruiser that served as prime wheels over the years.
see photosPM Narendra Modi was recently seen riding the Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Guard
Prime Minister Narendra Modi certainly knows how to make a power statement and over the years his cars testify to that. And now making a bold statement is the leader’s latest car, the Mercedes-Maybach 650 Guard. The Prime Minister’s latest armored vehicle was recently seen at Hyderabad House in Delhi when he arrived to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Armored Maybach comes as an upgrade from the Range Rover Vogue and Toyota Land Cruiser that served as the prime wheelset over the years. However, the Maybach 650 Guard comes with VR10-level protection.
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PM Narendra Modi arrives at Hyderabad House in Delhi in a Mercedes-Maybach S 650 guard during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin
The Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard provides the highest level of armored protection available on a production car. The saloon can withstand bullets and attack with an AK-47 rifle thanks to the advanced windows and body shell. The car has received an Explosive Resistant Vehicle (ERV) 2010 rating due to its ability to protect the occupants from an explosion of 15 kg of TNT from a distance of just two metres. The windows have a polycarbonate coating on the inside, while the under-body is heavily armored to protect the occupants from direct explosions. The cabin also gets a separate air supply in case of a gas attack.
Power comes from a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 engine that develops 516 bhp and around 900 Nm of peak torque. The top speed is limited to 160 kmph. The car also gets special run-flat tires that will continue to function in case they get damaged or punctured to ensure a quick escape. Other creature comforts are carried over from the standard Maybach S-Class which includes plush interior with seat massager, while the seats themselves have been repositioned for increased legroom.
The Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guard comes with VR10-level protection, which is the highest available on a production vehicle
Requests for a new car are usually made by the Special Protection Group or SPG, which is responsible for protecting the country’s heads of state. The SPG identifies the safety requirements and then decides whether the head of state needs a vehicle upgrade. Note, SPG used a decoy for two identical cars with another vehicle. The cost of each vehicle is around Rs 12 crore.
Over the years Prime Minister Modi upgraded a few cars. Starting with the humble yet bulletproof Mahindra Scorpio, which was his daily driver as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he later moved to the BMW 7 Series high-security variant as he took the Prime Minister’s seat in 2014. Later Modi did business. Land Rover Range Rover Vogue and Toyota Land Cruiser which have been seen frequently in his convoy.
Read also: Cars used by Prime Ministers and Presidents of India
President Ram Nath Kovind upgraded the Mercedes-Benz S-Class to Pullman Maybach Guard earlier this year
It is also interesting to note that President Ram Nath Kovid earlier this year upgraded from his W221 Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard to the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Pullman Maybach Guard. Compared to the W221 S-Guard that offers VR7 protection, the new S 600 Pullman Guard offers VR9-level protection for its passengers. The new car upgrade was due in 2020 but was delayed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic as a cost-cutting measure. The car was inducted into the Presidential fleet earlier this year. Both the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman and S 650 Guard vehicles are built to order. The automaker conducts a thorough background check before accepting orders.
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