Many celebrities around the world are convinced of the need to own an armored car. Because we live in an insecure world and the danger of armed attacks is possible everywhere, more and more famous people and influential people such as politicians and businessmen buy armored cars. These vehicles are not just a luxury but a necessity.
Investing in such a vehicle is definitely worthwhile, because we guarantee ourselves maximum personal safety and security in every situation.It is important to choose the right level of ballistic protection according to our needs.
Different levels of ballistic protection are offered in armored vehicles.The choice of ballistic protection depends on the social status of the owner, as well as of his reputation. The factors that determine the purchase of armored vehile, besides our public position, are the place that we live in, our workplace, and the environment in which we use our car.
In the production of armored cars are used highly resistance materials whose price is not low, as this is the main reason for the high end price of armored vehicles.
The security systems of the armored vehiclesare constantly undergoing improvements and new and more innovative solutions are being sought with regard to car armor. Newer constructor developments are created to increase theresistance of all parts of the bumper, as the attackers of famous people with money and power are inventing newer attack weapons.
We will see in the future the development of technologies in the production of armored vehicles.
For armored cars,the highest level of protection is VR10. The higher the ballistic class, the more expensive the bumper of the respective car is.
Almost every car can be armored. Armored vehicles can be used for various purposes:
- Importantevents such as family holidays
- weddings
- prom
- business trips with partners
- transfer of important secret items and valuables
- company events
Different types of vehicles can be armored, for example:
- sporty and elegant sedans
- limousines
- helicopters
- Yachts and motor boats
- Retro cars
Ballistic protection systems are constantly being improved and there is a lot of competition among the manufacturers of automotive bumper. Traditionally the competitors are „Mercedes“, „Аudi“and BMW, and a number of other companies.
The protections of an armored car are not limited only to the strength of the window glass, the hull and tires of the car, but also with regard to ability to withstand attack and invasion, as they must comply with many other standards and requirements.
Armored vehicles undergo strict testsfor ballistic protection, and thereafter they receive a special certificate for obtained level of protection against explosions.
The main role of armored vehicles is to provide us with high resistance to lethal attacks with sniper rifles, firing with guns of the „Kalashnikov“type, shells that have been fired from various angles, special explosives, grenades, shrapnel, and powerful chemical attacks. They also have to be able to withstand attacks with high-speed explosive rockets, mines, military weapons with malleable bullets and other types of weapons.
What materials are used for each element of the car? Why?
Some parts of the armored cars are placed manually, which further increases their cost.They most often develop a speed of180km/h. With regard to the standard luxury cars with a bumper, intended for celebrities,the manufacturers strive to achievea balance between protection and elegant style,unlike armored cars that are used for military missions.
In the first case, the result is a car that is easy to drive with as much as possible light weight, reaching a high speed(from 100 km within 4-6 seconds to 250 km)and it is able to withstand strong armed attacks.
An interesting fact about the armored cars is that they are twice as heavy as the standard unarmed cars. In the manufacture of armored vehicles, the weight and the need for greater wear and tear resistance are taken into account when placing all automotive elements such asconstruction of the engine, suspension arrangement, braking system,tight chassis.
Despite the fact that armored cars are equipped with various protection systems and reinforced constructions, their interior doesn’t lack luxury and comfort. We almost cannot tell at first glance if a particular car is armored or not. Usually, we can determine if a car is armored by the thickness of its walls and door, as their thickness vary depoending on the level of ballistic protection of the car.
Bumper
The non-transparent bumper of the armored cars is made of alloyed alumimium, hardened steel and Kevlar component.
Suspension arrangement
Due to the increased weight of the car, the entire suspension system is reinforced. Both heavyweight and lightweight hardened materialsare used in the production of armored cars to achieve a perfect balance between maximum ballistic protection and light weight and agility.
Window glass
The main purpose of the armored vehicle glass is to keep 100% of the bullets without letting them pass through it. The glasses of the armored cars aremulti-layer and therefore they are thicker than the standard ones, and also are additionally reinforced. They aremade of glass and polycarbonate to protect the vehicle from attacks upon low weight. In case of firing, this type of glasses don’t break into pieces.
They are equipped with bulletproof systems that can be transparent or non-transparent,also with greater tire and interior reinforcement of parts such as engine and reservoir, as well as better sealing-off of the passenger compartment.
They contain high-tensile steels and preformed details of polyethylene and aramid. Their main role is to provide protection for the most vulnerable parts of the vehicle’s structure. For their production are used high quality materials such as hardened ballistic steel with high durability and strength, organic polymers, titanium alloys that are actually twice as thick as aluminum, wrought iron, alloyed aluminum, plastic parts, ballistic fiber glass, Kevlar panels with increased strength and flexibility, enriched uranium, ballistic nylon and others.
They have a lightweight Spectra Shield bumper. Ceramics are also used inthe structure of the armored cars, as their heat resistance is used to reduce the temperature and as protection from overweight in case of explosions.
Tires
This allows the car to move with 4 flat tires for a certain amount of time, as this provides time to escape the attackers.
Interior
The interior of the armored vehicles is entirely made of natural wood and leather materials, as most of the interior elements and technological details are custom–made. Despite its reinforced construction, the armored car rides very smoothly and it can develop speed of180-250 km/h.
They are made of additionally hardened materials, which are subsequently tested for resistance to various types of attacks.
The interior is made of custom-made wood, brass, chrome, leather upholstery and often containshand-made elements. It is intended to create comfort and coziness for the passengers, regardless of the fact that the vehicle has ballistic protection.
The advantage of the armored cars is that they are light enough to allow the good maneuverability on the roadand the quick acceleration in case of a race. In other words, the car must be both agile and with good reactions, as well as it must provide a high level of ballistic protection.
The good thing about armored cars is that additional protection systems can be added to them for extra safety and comfort. In order to fully comply with the operating rules for armored cars, extras are added such as:
- Embrasuresfor firing
- Panic alarms
- Intelligentair conditioning installations
- Signal or loudspeaker systems
- Sealing-off of the doors
- Safes
- Air ozonizing
- Differentcommunication systems and others.
In addition, armored cars have fire-fighting systems, as they are provided with hardended constructive parts in particular areas of the vehicle, for example,the area wherethe driver and passengers are, or the area where the important cargo is being carried.