Christopher Davis, who owns a bulletproof Audi Q7 in Colombia, said that in Bogota, if they don’t exactly quality as status symbols, armored vehicles do constitute a certain display of power in a region that sustained gruesome violence in a not-distant past.
“It’s really a defensive measure, because people are really still scarred and terrified of the violence that’s now 20 or so years in the past,” he says. “Bottom line is, people don’t have them for no reason. In Colombia, it’s strange to see a nice SUV that’s not armored.”
Many of the “irritating” laws in Bogota—for example pico y placa, or the traffic mitigation strategy of limiting traffic over certain hours and days in urban centers—virtually don’t apply to bulletproof cars, Davis says.
“Plus, the police cannot pull you over, since technically they can’t enter your car without an order from the court,” he says. “And some bulletproof cars have the government status to basically act like police cars, in terms of traffic laws, as long as the emergency lights are on. Usually, you will see security guards following these types of vehicles on a motorcycle.”
Carrying That Weight
Regardless of how flashy—or mundane—the vehicle is on the outside, the primary challenge for those who build them is weight. The lightest touch of armor on a small sedan will add 500 pounds. The world’s fastest bulletproof vehicle may be the Audi RS7 Sportback, which the company claims can hit 200 mph. (That’ll cost $205,000, if you’re interested.) At the other end of the spectrum, the most advanced level of protection will add 2,500 pounds or more, as it did to that Sentinel.
It’s a tricky balance. Heavier materials are stronger against attack—but then, they’re slower, too. And the force of their weight often requires mechanical reinforcements such as bolstered suspensions and frequent repairs to transmissions and engines. Sometimes, a third hinge will be added onto doors to help carry the bank-vault weight they assume when they’re bulletproofed.
Many of the outfits that armor vehicles advertise their own patented technologies as the lightest-weight and strongest of the lot. They also talk about design.
From offices in downtown Los Angeles and a headquarters in Canada, plus a manufacturing facility in United Arab Emirates, Isotrex makes a Phantom armored personnel carrier with a V-shaped hull designed to disperse any blasts that happen directly underneath its cage. In addition to it thick hull, the unique shape and material composition provide the source of its security.
“It’s about dispersing energy in clever ways that make it even better than just a bombproof car,” says Nadjafov. “These vehicles need to hit certain speeds; it’s about making sure that people get back to their families. That is the main focus behind our design philosophy.”
The weight savings are considerably over the double-your-heft standard of previous generations. But you’ll still be able to feel it from behind the steering wheel. Some armoring companies offer training in conjunction with the vehicles they sell, so that customers will know how to get the best out of their ride—and have a plan for safety, in case of emergency.