BMW has revealed a bulletproof ‘Protection’ version of its electric i7 flagship, which can repel attacks from both firearms and explosives.
It’s designed for high profile, ‘at-risk individuals’, whether that’s heads of states, politicians, or just incredibly famous celebs who might find themselves made a target for terrorism.
Or if you simply fancy a road trip through a war zone, the BMW i7 is the car for you.
Here at Select Car Leasing we recently reviewed the glorious i7, with a little help from TV sports presenter Manish Bhasin. You can watch the full vid on our YouTube channel.
But the heavily armoured Protection model is a different beast entirely.
BMW says it’s the ‘world’s first ever protection saloon with an all-electric drive system’, and like the regular i7 you can enjoy emissions-free silent running.
The i7 Protection, however, conforms to something called ‘VR9’ protection compliance. It’s a system devised by Germany’s ‘Association of Test Laboratories for Attack-Resistant Materials and Constructions’, VPAM, for short.
And what that VR9 label means is that the i7 Protection can withstand assaults from armour-piercing rounds and from guns like the AK-47 rifle.
The glass for the two models even meets the criteria for ‘VPAM 10’ classification, which represents the ‘highest level of protection for civilian protection vehicles’, says BMW.
A spokesperson adds: “The special armouring for the roof and underbody has been designed to offer maximum protection against explosives in particular. The occupants are also protected from drone attacks with explosive charges and from fragments dispersed by hand grenades on detonation.”
Despite the extra weight from all that special steel, you still get power of 544 hp and 745 Nm of torque via two electric motors, and the BMW i7 Protection will sprint to 62 mph from rest in 9.0 seconds.
The BMW i7 we recently reviewed featured a 31-inch theatre screen in the rear - which we hooked up to a Nintendo Switch for a quick game of Fifa.
Meanwhile the discerning, chauffeur-driven Prime Minister in the i7 Protection can also opt to have a cool box integrated between the rear seats to ensure drinks are kept cold.
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