The Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman has been given the bulletproof treatment, and is now known as the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard, made for heads of state and other individuals at particular risk, according to its maker.
Advertisement
Four heads of state or oligarchs can sit face-to-face behind a glass partition in the back half of the auto, with complete VR9-class protection and Directive ERV blast resistance. To keep occupants alive, the S600 is fitted with a special type of steel sandwiched between the body structure and the sheet metal, underbody armor plates, and panels that overlap for comprehensive ballistic protection. The rear window hasn’t been armored but instead, a steel bulkhead has been positioned behind the rear seats to protection passengers. The glass is coated with polycarbonate on the inside for splinter protection. To achieve the aforementioned VR9 level protection, Maybach had to reinforce the doors and add heavy armour plating within the cavity, making the door so heavy that it alone requires electric motors to assist people operating them. From the outside, the special protection equipment is barely discernible, like on all S-Class Guard models. The German list price of the Pullman Guard is just under 1.4 million euro (prices include Value-Added Tax at 19% in each case). This approach also means that although the vehicle is considerably heavier than a “stock” Pullman (the S 600 Pullman is Mercedes’ current absolute flagship), it should still behave like auto, not a tank, on the open road.
The S600 Pullman receives sirens, two-way radios and an emergency starter battery pack along with sirens and external loud speaker. That means it is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 engine delivering 530 hp and 830 Nm of torque from just 1,600 rpm. So we’re not surprised that the Pullman Guard is limited to a top speed of 99 miles per hour.
When the first deliveries of this 6.5 metre long, 5.6-tonne limousine begin in earnest in the second half of 2017, clients will get a vehicle that challenges any Rolls-Royce or Bentley in terms of interior space and creature comforts.
Advertisement
And when the conversation is over, the two seats in the third row recline, just like on a business class flight, complete with adjustable calf rest so that passengers can take a nap.
