Mercedes-Benz has launched their most expensive car ever in the Indian market -the S600 Guard. Priced at Rs 8.9 crore (ex-showroom Delhi), this armoured vehicle is a made-to-order car and is being targeted at politicians, diplomats and businessmen.
The S600 Guard offers VR9 level safety stands, which is basically the highest safety rating from ballistic protection. Basically, this car is protected from military grade rifles and grenades. The German manufacturer claims that the S600 Guard is the only vehicle luxury car to get such high level of protection. The vehicle gets PAX runflat tyres which basically means the car can be driven for another few kms before taking a stop. It also gets hydraulic power windows, emergency door opening and even its own firefighting system. The S600 gets a reinforced damping system, in order to take on all kinds of roads. Because of the kerb weight of almost 4.5 tonnes, the S600 Guard gets steel brakes which are larger than the aluminium ones found on the regular S-Class .
The humungous S600 Guard is powered by a six-litre V12 engine that churns out 530bhp of maximum power and 830Nm of torque. It is mated to the 7G-TRONIC automatic gearbox. For weight reasons the top speed is electronically limited to 210 kmph. The company claims a fuel-efficiency of 12.9 litres per 100kms but the target buyer will only care about safety and not about how much he is spending for fuel each month. Mercedes-Benz will fly two drivers to Germany for a two-day training and this cost has been included in the price.