2017 Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard
For certain heads of state, business
leaders and perhaps dictators and wealthy mobsters, Christmas came earlier
this year, as the 3-pointed star unveiled the new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard.
The luxurious ride "is the first
vehicle to be certified with the highest ballistic protection level VR10 for
civilian vehicles", as the manufacturer states, and despite its bodywork
and windows that can withstand hardened steel core bullets fired from an assault
rifle, it still takes "a very keen eye" to distinguish it from the
regular version.
Protective components of special steel
have been integrated into the cavities between the outer skin and body
structure, while there are special aramid and PE components that help ensure
protection and critical points, such as material transitions, to provide
comprehensive ballistic protection. The thick windows are fixed and coated with
polycarbonate on the inside for splinter protection.
Besides ballistic protection, occupants
are safe from explosive devices too, which might be detonated at the side or
beneath the vehicle. A unique feature in the civilian special-protection
segment is the underbody armoring, which entirely covers the underbody of the
occupant compartment. This was tried and tested in the S-Class.
Prospective buyers will still get to
enjoy the same executive seats, which have been repositioned further back, ride
comfort and luxury on-board features as the regular model. The Mercedes-Maybach
S 600 Guard joins the rest of the "Guard" family, which includes G
500 Guard, GLE Guard and S-Class Guard and starts from € 470,000 (US$ 522,970), taxes included.
