cars news 10: Mercedes-Maybach Pullman Guard is 12,000 Pounds of Protected Luxury

Here’s a way to make sure your jefe’s Sunday ride to his pied–à–terre isn’t interrupted by an errant rocket-propelled grenade–the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard, a 21-foot long limousine providing over 12,000 pounds of armored luxury.

Transforming the standard Pullman into a bulletproof limo requires lots of high-strength steel and heat-resistant aramid components. The Pullman Guard also features super-thick glass coated with polycarbonate, ensuring the entire vehicle meets Germany’s VR9 and ERV 2010 levels of protection. Not surprisingly, all that blast protection is very heavy–Mercedes says the Pullman Guard weighs in at 12,346 pounds. Hauling all that metal and thick glass is the same 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V-12 found in the standard Pullman, making 523 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque.

From the outside, the Pullman Guard is hardly distinguishable from the non-armored model. The same goes for the interior, too, where the main passenger area retains its four-seat configuration with riders facing each other. The doors are electrically assisted to compensate for the additional weight and the windows still open and close, though they are now hydraulically operated.

Mercedes began delivering the standard S600 Pullman this month and expects the Guard version to be ready by the middle of next year. Pricing for the Pullman Guard will start at about $1.6 million, almost triple the cost of the normal Pullman.

Source: Mercedes-Maybach