The US President-designate Barack Obama will have at his disposal as of January 20, an ultra-armoured presidential plane ‘Air Force One’. Although this car is designed around the chassis and mechanical elements of a Cadillac DTS, the presidential limousine is the work of engineers from the firm O’Gara, Hess & Eisenhart.

And the other crowned heads

The vast majority of heads of state around the world travel in a Mercedes-Benz brand car, in particular limousine called ‘DTS Presidential Limousine’. For friends, the ‘Cadillac One’ in reference to the the S-Class model. Note that most of them do not really need of an armored car. However, you may not have known it, but the German industrial group Daimler AG, of which the star manufacturer is a member, has a very special division where we assemble armored vehicles, ultra-safe and entirely assembled in the hand…

This year, the brand is celebrating its 80th anniversary as a manufacturer of armored vehicles and took the opportunity to present at the Paris Motor Show its latest achievement, the Mercedes-Benz S 600 Pullman Guard, by far the most successful of its kind. all his armored limos.

The limo of limos

As its name suggests, this new version was developed on the basis of the extended wheelbase S-Class sedan.

Aesthetically, we know that we are dealing with a Mercedes-Benz, but whose dimensions have been very stretched, both in length and in height. This impressive limousine measures 6,356 mm, which allows it to offer very large spaces to its passengers.

Like the vast majority of limousines, armored or not, there are two distinct sections inside. There is obviously the space reserved for the driver, generally closed and completely separated from the rest of the car. At the back, the section reserved exclusively for ‘VIP’; should we say, can accommodate four passengers seated comfortably in individual, reclining seats, placed face to face so that they can talk to each other in the whites of their eyes. They benefit from an array of electronic gadgets, all at the cutting edge of technology. They are welcomed in a phantasmagoric type setting.

More armored than that, you die

You will understand that the details of the shielding systems used by the engineers of the German group, remain ‘Top Secret’. However, we know that the technology used can and must protect the occupants of the car against all sorts of armed attacks coming from outside. Whether from projectiles of repeating weapons, grenades or explosive materials.

Such protection must cover all parts of the vehicle, in particular the windows which have been given special attention. It can even run flat. The fuel tank is of a self-sealing design so that the fuel cannot come into contact with the fire, which could cause a fatal explosion for the occupants. The driver’s section and that of the passengers have an automatic extinguishing system, in case of fire. Its B6/B7 type protection level meets the strictest standards in this more than secret industry.

Reliable mechanics

The very special Mercedes-Benz S 600 Pullman Guard is powered by a powerful 5.5-liter V12 engine with twin turbos, developing a modest 517 horsepower and an insane torque of 612 lb-ft (830 Nm).