The world can be a dangerous place, especially if
you’re a wealthy business person or a head of state. Thankfully, there’s no
shortage of companies who specialize in creating armored vehicles. While many of these are third
party firms, Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations has been offering the
armored Range Rover Sentinel for awhile. Now they’ve unveiled a new version
ahead of its debut at the Home Office Security and Policing show on March 5th.
The updated Sentinel
has a new supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 375 hp. That’s a modest figure, but it’s a 39 hp improvement over
the old 3.0-liter V6. Thanks to the extra oomph, the Sentinel can
accelerate from 0-96 km/h in 9.8 seconds before hitting a top speed
of 193 km/h. That doesn’t sound too remarkable, but Land Rover noted
the car is “carrying more than one tone of armor plate and glass.”
That’s a sizable weight game, so each Sentinel comes
with upgraded “chassis, suspension, braking and electronic stability systems.”
Land Rover says these modifications enable the Sentinel to retain the Range
Rover’s on-road dynamics as well as its “unparalleled off-road ability.”
The V8 engine isn’t the only new addition as the
cabin now offers “superior seating,” improved space and better headroom. The
model also gains Land Rover’s Touch Pro Duo infotainment system which features
two 10-inch displays in this application.
Of course, the whole entire point of the Sentinel is
protection and the model meets VPAM BRV 2009 VR8 and PAS 300 standards. This
means the vehicle can resist a number of different pistol and rifle rounds as
certain improvised explosive devices.
Other special touches include a public address
system and special 20-inch wheels with an integrated run-flat system. The latter enables the Sentinel to be driven
for up to 50 km at speeds of 80 km/h even when the tires
are damaged.
