Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: German armor company blows the crap out of a Rolls-Royce]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/20/video-german-armor-company-blows-the-crap-out-of-a-rolls-royce/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/20/video-german-armor-company-blows-the-crap-out-of-a-rolls-royce/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/20/video-german-armor-company-blows-the-crap-out-of-a-rolls-royce/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Click above to view the video after the jump

Why on earth would you deliberately shoot a Rolls-Royce and try your darnedest to blow it off the road? Well, because it looks like fun, that's why. But at a third of a million dollars, you should have a better reason than an appetite for destruction and a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket like so many rounds from an assault rifle.

Fortunately, Mutec has such a reason. The German firm armors up luxury sedans and vehicles of all kinds for customers around the world. In this case, they've worked an undisclosed amount of bulletproofing and bomb-resistant armor into an extended-wheelbase Phantom, and then went to work on it with more fire power than Donald Trump commanding a marine batallion. And since we're not likely to do the same in this lifetime, we might as well enjoy the video after the jump, with our thanks to Patrick and Julio for sending in the tip.

[Source: Bentley Spotting via YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: German armor company blows the crap out of a Rolls-Royce

VIDEO: German armor company blows the crap out of a Rolls-Royce originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmored rolls-royceArmoredRolls-roycearmourmutecphantomrollsrolls-royceRolls-Royce PhantomRolls-Royce Phantom Armouredrolls-royce phantom ewbrolls-royce phantom lwbRolls-roycePhantomRolls-roycePhantomArmouredRolls-roycePhantomEwbRolls-roycePhantomLwbTue, 20 Oct 2009 19:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Range Rover, Range Rover, help drug lords take cover]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/29/range-rover-range-rover-help-drug-lords-take-cover/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/29/range-rover-range-rover-help-drug-lords-take-cover/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/29/range-rover-range-rover-help-drug-lords-take-cover/#commentsFiled under: ,

We enjoy reporting on even the most removed niche vehicles on the market, but here's something that will only be of interest to drug lords living in the hillside jungles of South America, because few others would have use for an armored, stretched Range Rover (with the possible exception of the British royals).

This Range Rover has been stretched by 25 centimeters (about ten inches), primarily to the benefit of its rear seat occupants. The body panels and floor have been lined and plated in Kevlar, the same stuff police use in their bulletproof vests. Reinforced windows have been fitted that can even withstand volleys from automatic machine guns and sniper rifles. Match all that with an Explosafe rupture- and fire-proof fuel tank and the requisite run-flat tires, and you've got yourself a very swanky armored personnel carrier.

Since such a vehicle is likely to spend most of its life helping occupants evade capture by US drug enforcement agents, it's only fitting that it has been outfitted with all that gear by First Defense, an American personal security firm.

[Source: Sybarites]

Range Rover, Range Rover, help drug lords take cover originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmourblastbombbulletkevlarlandproofpuncturerangeroverThu, 29 Mar 2007 10:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Sovereign Saloon: Jaguar XJ-Armored]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/20/sovereign-saloon-jaguar-xj-armored/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/20/sovereign-saloon-jaguar-xj-armored/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/20/sovereign-saloon-jaguar-xj-armored/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Click on image for enlarged diagram

What's a moneyed Anglophile to do when his life has come in danger? The Mercedes S600 Guard offers a nice package, but a Benz is just so very cliché. Enter the Armoured Jaguar XJ Long Wheelbase, a bespoke motor of sublime elegance and protection for those who demand both in equal measure.

The pouncing cat has teamed up with independent security firm Centigon to build an armored luxury saloon that meets Jaguar standards of driving dynamics and luxury. The result is a Jaguar virtually indistinguishable from a stock XJ, but packing a host of anti-assassination goodies. The car comes complete with Kevlar body panel inserts, a titanium roof, even underbody armor plating. It's certified with a B6 level of ballistic protection, and capable of withstanding grenade blasts. The self-sealing fuel tank has an over-ride should the chauffer decide you need to move, fast. The car rides on Pirelli PZeros with the Roadguard run-flat system and a beefier suspension to handle the added weight. There's also a list of options including an independent oxygen supply, tamper-proof exhaust and alarm sirens.

The stock 4.2-liter V8 should be sufficient to remove the motor-carriage and its occupants from harms way in a hurry. Just what the doctor ordered for an afternoon drive through Belfast.

[Source: Jaguar]

Sovereign Saloon: Jaguar XJ-Armored originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Nov 2006 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmourblastbulletgrenadejaguarproofsafetysedanxjMon, 20 Nov 2006 09:23:00 EST<![CDATA[VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/30/video-mercedes-benz-s600-guard/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/30/video-mercedes-benz-s600-guard/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/30/video-mercedes-benz-s600-guard/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The S600 Guard is the ultimate armored limousine, the choice of third-world dictators and dealers of all kinds of stuff. Because Mercedes builds their Guard series (E, G and S-Class models) on separate assembly lines from their conventional counterparts, the passive and active security measures are built in right from the start - though you wouldn't know from looking at one. The S600 Guard will defend its occupants against machine-gun fire, grenades and other explosives; it'll run on flat tires; it's got its own air supply in case of a gas attack; and in case of a fire, it's got its own fire-extinguishing system and self-sealing fuel tank.

Aston Martin may have the product placement agreement for the 007 movies, but no car on the road lives up to the standard like the S600 Guard. Don't take our word for it, watch the video for yourself. (Just don't mind the techno-trance.)

[Source: Motor Authority]

VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Oct 2006 08:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmourbenzbulletproofguardmercedess-classs600videoMon, 30 Oct 2006 08:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Mercedes beefs up S-Class with S600 Guard]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/17/mercedes-beefs-up-s-class-with-s600-guard/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/17/mercedes-beefs-up-s-class-with-s600-guard/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/10/17/mercedes-beefs-up-s-class-with-s600-guard/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click to enlarge

UPDATE: Additional photos added after the jump

Celebrities, dignitaries, and the obsessively paranoid now have a new cocoon in which to wrap themselves as they travel from place to place. For them, the Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard melds V12 power and Mercedes' luxurious, quiet accommodations with the sense of security only an armored vehicle can provide.

Like the other Guard models (E and G-Class rides are also available) the S-Guard is built on its own assembly line, which lets Mercedes armor up the car as part of the original production process. As a result, they're able to build in the protective features better than any aftermarket program and still tune the car so that it doesn't lose much (if anything) in terms of handling and comfort. The 517-horsepower V12 underhood is more than capable of providing adequate thrust.

If the vehicle comes under threat, it's B6/B7 armor level is enough to stop standard military-grade small-arms fire (such as 7.62mm and 5.56mm rounds), protect against grenade shrapnel and offer protection against other explosive devices. Run-flat tires, a self-sealing fuel-tank, and an integrated fire-extinguishing system round out the Guard package. Despite all the reinforcements, the S600 Guard is visually indistinguishable from the garden-variety V12 S-Class.

(Photos, press release after the jump)

[Source: DaimlerChrysler]

Continue reading Mercedes beefs up S-Class with S600 Guard

Mercedes beefs up S-Class with S600 Guard originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmored s-classarmored s600ArmoredS-classArmoredS600guards-class armorS-classArmors-guards600 guardS600GuardTue, 17 Oct 2006 12:46:00 EST<![CDATA[Clinton receives first presidential hybrid]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/07/clinton-receives-first-presidential-hybrid/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/07/clinton-receives-first-presidential-hybrid/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/07/clinton-receives-first-presidential-hybrid/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



President Clinton will be the first U.S. president ever to use a hybrid outfitted for presidential service thanks to Ford, who will be presenting our 42nd president with a Mercury Mariner Hybrid "Presidential Edition" at the Clinton Global Initiative conference later this month in New York City. The Mariner Hybrid has been modified to include LED interior lighting, a 110-volt outlet and a writing table. Everything else on the vehicle, including the hybrid powertrain that delivers 32 mpg in the city, is supposedly stock.

We say supposedly because most presidential vehicles are heavily modified with armor and other technologies to thwart assassination attempts. The LED interior lighting installed in Clinton's Mariner Hybrid suggests the window glass is either heavily tinted for privacy or has been replaced with a transparent armor similar to the kind used on President Bush's armored Cadillac DTS limo that's so thick it blocks natural sunlight.

Speaking of presidential vehicles, did you know that the presidential motorcade is typically 35 cars long? A lot of gas could be saved by switching that fleet over to a next generation powertrain. Follow the jump to see what vehicles follow the president when he's out on the town and in what order.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Clinton receives first presidential hybrid

Clinton receives first presidential hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmored limoarmored vehicleArmoredLimoArmoredVehicleclintonhybridmariner hybridMarinerHybridpresidentpresidentialsecret serviceSecretServiceThu, 07 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST