Audi has launched the safest Audi car available in Russia, the ‘Audi A8 L Security’. To the naked eye, the Audi A8 L Security appears just like the standard A8 L but the passenger compartment features an armoured bulletproof skin with the protection quotient of VR9 / VR10 Class laminated armoured glass, high-strength steel, aramid fibres and a special aluminium alloy.
The Audi A8 L is specially made by the brand, behind closed doors at its Neckarsulm production facility in Germany and its chassis, body, suspension, electronics as well as its design, other components and mechanisms were developed from scratch and adapted for the extra weight and special operating conditions that the armoured car needs to perform.
The vehicle features a special laminated glass that offers VR9 protection in the opaque areas and VR10 protection in the clear areas with a polycarbonate layer on the inside to trap broken pieces of glass caused due to firearms. The multiple layers of glass absorb and disperse the ballistic energy while an electromechanical system also allows the glass to be lowered to offer the highest levels of comfort. All the individual body elements, as well as the glazing areas, undergo bombardment testing from various small arms fire before the car is assembled which also has to undergo stringent scrutiny. The Armoured car features overlapping armoured materials at joints and articulation areas that claim to guarantee the protection of its occupants.
The exteriors of the Audi A8 L Security are made of anti-magnetic materials and the underbelly has Explosive Resistant Vehicle standards that comply with ERV2010 ratings. The car is also equipped with two compressed air cylinders that create a positive pressure inside the passenger compartment and allows the occupants to leave before the compartment is filled with smoke or gas. The door hinges are also equipped with miniature explosive devices called ‘Squibs’, in all four doors, that provides unhindered opening and allows the passengers to escape the car. The Audi A8 L Security also comes with PAX emergency running tyres that allow the car to operate at speeds of up to 80 kmph for a distance of 80 km even on completely flat wheels.
On the inside, the Audi A8 L Security provides all the comfort and convenience features similar to the standard A8 L and comes with contoured seats with perforated seat upholstery, electrically opening and closing decorative shutters on the air vents, two Audi Tablets and rear seat remote as part of the Audi Rear Seat Entertainment package, secondary display on the central tunnel is used to control the air-con etc.
The Audi A8 L Security is powered by a 4.0-litre V-8 Cylinder turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine with mild-hybrid drive (MHEV) technology that produces 571 Hp of power and 800 Nm of torque matched t0 an 8-Speed Tiptronic transmission and Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The Audi A8 L Security can accelerate from a standstill to 100 kmph in 6.3 seconds and achieve a top speed of 210 kmph all while lugging around 3,950 – 4,215 kg of weight due to the armour plating.
The Audi A8 L Security takes an extra 400 man-hours to be produced and is priced equivalent to USD 750,000 (estimated) in Russia which is INR 5.66 Crores.
*US Dollar to Indian Rupee Conversion at live mid-market rates, for informational purposes only.
Source: Audi